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CITIZENS 


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OF  PROMINENTmp  REPRESEl 

OF    THE    COUNTY 

TOGETHER  WITH-  PORTRAITS  -AND -BIOGRAPHIES-OF-ALL ■  THE 


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CHICAGO: 

BIOGRAPHICAL  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

1891. 


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-J»t^ -H>-(- <5«f-» 

^/(^^r^*^j[IE  greatest  of  English  historians,  Macaui.ay,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of 
"- -'  the  present  century,  has  said :  '-The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the 

lives  of  its  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea  the  Portrait  and  Biograriiical 
Album  of  tiiis  county  has  been  jjrepared.     Instead  of  going  to  must3^  records,  and 
taking  therefrom  dry  statistical  matter  that  can  be  appreciated   by   but  few,  our 
corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their 
enterprise  and  industry,   brought  the  county  to  a  rank  second  to  none  among  those 
comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of   their  life 
struggles.     No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could    be   presented  to  an  intelli- 
gent public.     In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the 
iuntation  of  coming  generations.     It  tells  how  some,   commencing  life  in  poverty,  by 
industrj'    and   economj-  have  accumulated   wealth.     It  tells  how  others,    with   limited 
advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have   become  learned  men  and  women,   with  an 
1^,    influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  hind.     It  tells  of  men  who 
ave  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and   wliose  names  have 
li;!V7%^Y^        become  famous.     It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and 
^  P  records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their   efforts.     It  tells  also  of  many,  very 

many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content 
to  liave  it  said  of  them  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "they  have  done  what 
they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the 
anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace 
once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  tiic  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not 
be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  saci-ed  treasure,  from  the  fact 
that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  And  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would  otherwise  be 
inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work  and  every  opportunity  possible 
o-iven  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and  the  publisliers  flatter  them- 
selves that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  the  biograph- 
ical sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biograjjliical  sketches  of  man}',  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this  the 
publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give  the 
information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some  member  of 
the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  .account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of  the  interested 
one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  fouml.  tliougli  repeated  calls  weie  made 
at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

l)I0(iK.\l'lIICAL    Puiil.ISllIN(;    Co. 

'  Chicaoo,    January-,   1891. 


885096 


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»?j<i^»i,Ta?»v^  jWf<-T'( 


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V' 


e^-0>^4=i/|li£. 


LaGRRPHlEa 


C:>:  It  ^ 


OF  THE 


GOVERNORS  of  ILLINOIS, 


AND  OF  THE 


OFTHE 


.^vj-22^ 


-M( 


^_^§^^:-^ 


-^wm^BMy^-'''S'mmBB^ 


■'^n^^'^W^- Q'j'J^ 


:i_5^=s-««5«S-< 


m 


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F/JiST  PRESIDENT. 


'0 


©EOSBE  WASIHIMBT©K 


^^ 


^^^^^^^^^lX^^^'^mi^*::^?fiiS\^li^^m\^S?\^^^ 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 
born  in  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
'Feb.  2  2,  1732.  His  parents 
were  Augustine  and  Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  traced  in 
England.  His  great-grand- 
father, John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and  became  a  prosperous 
planter.  He  had  two  sons, 
Lawrence  and  John.  The 
former  married  Mildred  Warner 
and  had  three  children,  John, 
Augustine  and  Mildred.  Augus- 
tine, the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,  the  others  being  Betty, 
Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 
Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
tlie  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon, 
and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  such  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
school,  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
mathemai'cs.       Hie     spellinii   v/as    rather    defective. 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  ))hysica. 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  1 4  years  old  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  him, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandontd.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  Li 
this  business  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  \\\  1751,  though  only  19  years  of 
age,  he  was  appointed  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being  trained  for 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Lndies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health.  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George, 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddle,  as  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  was 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mili- 
tary districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted, which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  post  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  between  500  and  600  miles,  \\inter  was  at  hand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  without  militar)' 
escort,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indians.     The 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


trip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  was 
then  begun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  important  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  9,  1755,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
were  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Wasiiington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says  :  "  I  had  four  bullets  through 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  leveling  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

After  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  jiromotion  in  the  royal  army,  he 
took  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  French  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
CO  resign  his  conmiission.  Soon  after  he  entered  the 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  took  an 
active  and  important  part.  January  17,  1759,  he 
married  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 
widow  of  John  Parke  Custis. 

\Vhen  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the  port 
-jf  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  provinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston  is  the  cause  of  us  all." 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con- 
gress of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia,Sept.  5,  1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Congress  Col.  Wash- 
ington was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
Congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington  had  been  fought.  Among  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  upon  Washington, 
who  was  still  a  member  of  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  19,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  to  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  every  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
nation  of  earth.  On  Dec.  23,  1783,  Washington,  in 
a  parting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  lesigned  his 


commission    as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  to 

to  the  Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
connection  with  public  life. 

In  February, 1789,  Washington  was  unanimously 
elected  President.  In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject  to  the  peculiar  trials  incidental  to  a  rvew 
government ;  trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  other  governments ;  trials  from  want  of  harmony 
between  the  different  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  impoverished  condition  of  the  country, 
owmg  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from  the 
beginnings  of  party  strife.  He  was  no  partisan.  His 
clear  judgment  could  discern  the  golden  mean;  and 
wiiile  perhaps  this  alone  kept  our  government  from 
sinking  at  the  very  outset,  it  left  him  exposed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often  bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  many 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  March, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  term  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hojnng  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  years  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose 
seemed  likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France. 
At  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  tlie  field,  which  he  superintended  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  preparations 
his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  12,  he  took 
a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
in  his  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eigh- 
teenth his  body  was  borne  wi(h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. The  more  we  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  character,  which  have  been  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  all  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  to  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  person  of  Washington  was  unusally  tan,  erect 
and  well  proportioned.  His  muscular  strength  was 
great.  His  features  were  of  a  beautiful  symmetry. 
He  <omm:^nded  respect  without  any  a].pearance  of 
Imughtiness,  and  ever  serious  without  V^ine  dull. 


ifm 


i/ 


SBOOND  PRESIDENT. 


feiffiaa 


t^^a^s^ 


pji^tr^-s'*"  ^««« »~(Si:  ^ '  ■ " 


OHN    ADAMS,    the     second 
J,  President  and  the    first    Vice- 
"President  of  the  United  States, 
was    born    in   Braintree     ( now 
Quincy  ),Mass.,  and  about   ten 
■■^'  miles    from    Boston,    Oct.     19, 
1735.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,   emigrated   from    England 
about  1640,  with  a  family  of   eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The 
parents   of   John    were   John    and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.     His 
father   was    a    farmer    of    limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  slioemaking.      He  gave  his 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
tion   at   Harvard    College.      John 
graduated  in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
sciiool  in   Worcester,  Mass.      This  he   found   but    a 
'sci-.ool    of  affliction,"  from  which  h-  endeavored  to 
"ain  lelief  by  devoting  himself,  in   addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.     For  this  purpose  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.     He 
had   thought    seriously   of    the    clerical    profession 
but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by  what  he 
termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cils, cf  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature," 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.      He  was  well  fitted  for  the   legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive powers.     He  gradually   gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  superior  intelligence.     Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (1765),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  politics.      He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holdin^  a  town  meeting,  and  the   resolu- 


. .t...t..t., ■t..fc.t,.t.  ji,A».-fc-t.  AAfe.*. .■fafeK..t..t^~t.  ^  '  ■;-r-' 


tions  he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  populat 
throughout  the  Provmce,  and  were  adopted  word  for 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos- 
ton in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous 
and  prominent  advocatesof  the  popular  cause,  and 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegates 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himselt 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  independence  against  the 
majority  of  the  members.  ■  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resolution  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies 
should  assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  iive 
appointed  June  11,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it  through 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  the 
glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife 
which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to  have  been  dictated 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  America;  and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  wil 
be  decided  among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenring  colony,  '  that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  history 
of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversary 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  of 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.     It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows. 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


games,  sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
lime  forward  for  ever.  You  will  think  me  transported 
with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
tiie  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  support  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is 
worth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumph,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not. ' 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
delegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Benijamin 
Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  and  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  frdm  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
[XJsed  him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  ry, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
cnosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
might  be  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  proposels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
Holland,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
formed  important  commercial  treaties. 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
threw  him  into  a  fever.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  go  to  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  While  in  England,  still  drooping anddespond- 
ing,  he  received  dispatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot,he  made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785;  Congress  appointed  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to  the  United 
States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing but  little,  he  sought  ])ermission  to  return  to 
tiis  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
Adams,  rendered  illustiious  by  his  signal  services  at 
home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President.  .'Vgain 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President, 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  Wash- 
ington retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President, though  not  without  much  opposition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  vears,he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While   Mr.  Adams  was  Vice  President  the   great 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  it  was  upon  this  point  which  he  was  at  issue  with 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen  led  by  Mr.  Jefferson. 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy  with  the  French  people 
in  their  struggle,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  their 
power  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the 
classof  atheist  philosophers  who  he  claimed  caused  it. 
On  the  other  hand  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence  or- 
iginated the  alienation  between  these  distinguished 
men,  and  two  powerful  parties  were  thus  soon  organ- 
ized, Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  with  England  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sympathy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr.  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  to  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  upon  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had  done  and  suffered, 
and  how  he  had  given  up  all  the  prime  and  strength 
of  his  life  to  the  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  been  so  active  in  creating  and 
supporting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  bed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customary  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  In- 
dependence FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  l)ells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was?  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he  said,  "  It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"  Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  prepossessing.  His  face, 
as  his  ]5ortrait  m«.nifests,was  intellectual  ard  ex])res- 
sive,  but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  his 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  uncourteous. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  dignity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Jefferson, 


m 


"^tTTZ^ 


THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


27 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was 
born  April  2,  1743,  at  Shad- 
jpweU,  Albermarle  county,  Va. 
His  parents  were  Peter  and 
Jane  (  Randolph)  Jefferson, 
the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  Lon- 
don. To  them  were  born  six 
daughters  and  two  sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When  14  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a 
most  liberal  education,  hav- 
ing been  kept  diligently  at  school 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  In  1760  he  entered  William 
end  Mary  College.  Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  the  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obodeof  fashion 
a.id  splendor.  Young  Jefferson,  who  was  then  17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  much  caressed  by  gay  society,  yet  he 
was  earnestly  devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
able  in  his  morals.  It  is  strange,  however,  under 
such  influences,that  he  was  not  ruined.  In  the  sec- 
ond year  of  his  college  course,  moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded  his  horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.  He  often  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  hard  study,  allowing  himself  for  ex- 
ercise only  a  run  in  the  evening  twilight  of  a  mile  out 
of  the  city  and  back  again.  He  thus  attained  very 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in  philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility,  k  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls;  and 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureniinded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued  in  the 
[iractice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  energy  and  accuteness  as  a 
lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for  greater  action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  tjie  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  had  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  political  life.  In  1769  he  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.  In 
1772  he  married  iMrs.  iVIartha  Skelton,  a  very  beauti- 
ful, wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow 

Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  thsre 
was  a  majestic  swell  of  land,  called  Monticello,  which 
commanded  a  prospect  of  wonderful  extent  and 
beauty.  This  spot  Mr.  Jeff"erson  selected  for  his  new 
liome;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  yet 
elegant  architecture,  which,  next  to  Mount  Vernon 
became  the  most  distinguished  resort  in  our  land. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Colonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  ho 
was  placed  upon  a  number  of  important  committees, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  the  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  the  paper.  Franklin  and  Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776,     What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  that 


28 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  Dec- 
laration, which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  was  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
Koverign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
ijf  the  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  as  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Moniicello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  elapsed  after  the  hurried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  by  this  excitement,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary  of  State 
in  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  I,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,  Vice  President. 

The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  adminstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  threatened  the 
traniiuility  and  peace  of  the  Union;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
ambition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
southwestern  frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  has  been  generally  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  although  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  were,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  been  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
:'orty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
.ic,  and  all  that  time  had  been  employed  in  offices  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
declining  years  required,  and  upon  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  1809,  he  bid  fare- 
well forever  to  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticello. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
I,ife  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver- 


sary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence, 
great  preparations  were  made  in  every  part  of  th'; 
Union  for  its  celebration,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  and 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnity 
of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as  the  framer, 
and  one  of  the  few  surviving  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion, to  participate  in  their  festivities.  But  an  ill- 
ness, which  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been  continually  increasing,  compelled  him  to 
decline  the  invitation. 

On  the  second  of  July,  the  disease  under  which 
he  was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants,  entertained  no 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly 
sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand.  On  the  nex* 
day,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked  of  those  around 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on  being  told  it  was 
the  third  of  July,  he  expressed  the  earnest  wish  tha'. 
he  might  be  permitted  to  breathe  the  air  of  the  fiftieth 
anniversary.  His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our  land, 
burst  upon  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were  closed  for- 
ever. And  what  a  noble  consummation  of  a  noble 
life !  To  die  on  that  day, — the  birthday  of  a  nation,-  - 
the  day  which  his  own  name  and  his  own  act  had 
rendered  glorious;  to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who  looked  up  to  him, 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings, 
was  all  that  was  wanting  to  fill  up  the  record  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred siiirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  champions  of 
freedom  ;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark  and  desper- 
ate struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and 
animated  their  desponding  countrymen;  for  half  a 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  the  good  of 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart. 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  great 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life  became 
white  and  silvery;  his  complexion  was  fair,  his  fore- 
head broad,  and  his  whole  countenance  intelligent  and 
thoughtful.  He  possessed  great  fortitude  of  mind  as 
well  as  personal  courage ;  and  his  command  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  his  oldest  and  most  intimate  friends 
never  recollected  to  have  seen  him  in  a  passion. 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  un- 
affected, and  his  hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that 
all  found  at  his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conver- 
sation he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic  ;  and 
his  language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writings  is 
discernable  the  care  with  which  he  formed  his  style 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


•%-J 


/  C2y<^^  ^ '      .^^  if-'.^^^'^l  C'"^ 


FOURTH  FRfSIDENT. 


JTHTQES  npDISOI].«M 


AMES    MADISON,    "Father 
of  the  Constitution,"  and  fourth 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  March  i6,  1757,  and 
died  at  his   home  in  Virginia, 
^  June  28,   1836.     The  name  of 
James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  the  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of   this  great    repubUc   were 
laid.  He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of  the   Constitution   of  the    United 
States  to   be   called   to   his    eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
landing  upon  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of 
James  Madison  was  an  opulent 
planter,  residing  upon  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "Montpelier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.  The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  scenery  highly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.  It  was  but  25  miles  from  the  home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.  The  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  deatii. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
18  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  im- 


prudent zeal;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  three 
hours'  sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  became  so 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  177  i,  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  with  a 
mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellislied  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsf " 
quent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso- 
ciated, all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  strong 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-work  of 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  that 
his  life  was  not  to  be  long,  he  directed  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mind 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  powers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  to 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lovir.g  voters,  and 
consequently  lost  his  election ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  talent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  the    Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;    and  their  appreciation  of  his 


32 


JAMES  MADISON. 


intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contributed  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  land,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Madison  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  tlie  year  i?84,  his  term  having  expired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  no  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law..  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  gov^nment 
must  be  formed.  In  January,  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  apjioint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss 
tliis  subject.  Five  States  only  were  represented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  that  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  then  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  81  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  (xiwer  at  home  and  little  respect 
abroad.  Mr.  Madison  was  selected  by  the  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  expounding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs,  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  jwwer  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
ipieenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occupied 
so  prominent  a  position  in  the  very  peculiar  society 
wliich  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Mndison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administtation 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  >var. 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and 
our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  retinng 
in  his  disposition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  ship  brought 
to,  upon  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser. 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crew  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  nonchal- 
ance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to 
designate  as  British  subjects ;  orders  them  down  the 
ship's  side  into  his  boat;  and  places  them  on  the  gun- 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  conii)ulsion,  the 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce 
the  British  cabinet  to  relinquish. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  181 2,  President  Madison  gave 
his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  bitter 
hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  i8i3)  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
and  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  office.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventures  of 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infan. 
navy  then  laid  the  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap- 
pling wiih  the  most  formidable  power  which  ever 
swept  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest 
by  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February, 
1813,  in  Chesajieake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole 
coast  of  the  Lfnited  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as  me 
ditator.  America  accepted ;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  inarched  rapidly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  the 
metropolis.  The  whole  populaticn  fled  from  the  city. 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  White 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  doer  to 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers 
in  a  council  of  war  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed, 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in 
Washington  were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on 
Feb.  13,  1815,  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1836,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi- 
son died  July  12,  1849. 


7 


-?-o:^_ 


FIFTH  PRESIDENT. 


35 


IM 


priQES  n]oi]ROE. 


^'^im^wT'^w 


'ij 


AMES  MONROE,  the  fifth 
.President  of  The  United  States, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.  His  ancestors  had  for 
many  years  resided  in  the  prov- 
ince in  which  he  was  born.  When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the  process 
of  completing  his  education  at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  upon  the  un- 
just and  manifold  oppressions  of 
Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Colonies,  and  promul- 
gated the  Declaration  of  Indejjen- 
dence.  Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this  time  he  left 
school  and  enlisted  among  the  patriots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked  hope- 
less and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies  came  pouring 
in ;  and  the  tories  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the  new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
tending with  an  enemy  whom  they  had  been  taught 
to  deem  invincible.  To  such  brave  spirits  as  James 
Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
difficulty  and  danger,  the  United  States  owe  their 
political  emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  with  her  strife 


for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  ni.-l. 
ancholy  retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  Wlnf 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited  army  as  it  flee 
before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey.  In  four  niui.tli: 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  c( 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  actof  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  lef' 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro- 
moted a  captain  of  infantry ;  and,  having  recovered 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Steding.  During  the  cam- 
paigns pf  1777  and  1778,  in  the  actions  of  Brandy 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  liii 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  consideralile 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  howevei. 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag; 
but  on  the  invasions  of  the  enemy,  served  as  a  volun 
tear,  during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  17S2,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Leglislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  that 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  23  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  abiiitv 
and  aptitude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterwards 
employed  with  unremiitii^g  energy  for  the  public  good, 


36 


JAMES  MONROE. 


lie  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen    a   member  of 
ihe  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  felt  the  imperfections  of  the  old 
Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
-.hinking,  with  many  others  of  the  Republican  party, 
'.hat  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
and  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the  esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate ;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  ideas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Republican  party  was  in 
sympathy  with  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
strict  construction  of  tlie  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
Governments  as  much  power,  as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  The  Federalists  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

The  leading  Federalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noble  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  John  Adams  the  Federalist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Republican,  never  breathed.  In 
building  up  this  majestic  nation,  which  is  destined 
to  eclipse  all  Grecian  and.Vssyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
light  equilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  princi- 
ples of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  our  liberties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Europe  were  now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
than  that  which  we  had  endured  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's proclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
developed  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  appointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
of  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  the 
office  for  three  yeais.  He  was  again  sent  to  France  to 
co-operate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  Spain.  Tlieir  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  ob- 
tain from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  Eng- 
land on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  under 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  with  England  was 
declared,  the  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
tliese  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  \\'ar  Department 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  ol 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec 
tion  held  the  previous  autumn  Mr.  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  little  opposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  iSfy,  was  inaugurated.  Four  years 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United  States ;  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the  "  Monroe  doctrine.'' 
This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  1823.  At  that 
time  the  United  States  had  recognized  the  independ- 
ence of  the  South  American  states,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  powers  longer  attempting  to  sub- 
due portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  should  consider  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  provinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by  European 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United 
States."  This  doctrine  immediately  affected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  LTnited  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  fecond  term  Mr.  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  until  1830, 
when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  son-in- 
law.     In  that  city  he  died,on  the  4th  of  July,  1831 


K   n. 


J.   $,  Ai 


oyn^S 


SIXTH  PRESIDENT. 


39 


"m^^^sS'i 


L^J,^/^^  :-7^^ 


"       305I]  Qnil]6Y  ^D^IIQS. 


OHN  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
sixth  President  of  the  United 
^Slates,  was   bora  in   the   rural 
home   of  his    honored    father. 
John  Adams,  m  Qaincy,  Mass., 
on  the  nth  cf  July,  1767.   His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exalted 
worth,  watched  over  his  childhood 
during   the  almost   constant    ab- 
sence of   his  father.      When    but 
eight  years  of  age,  he   stood  with 
his  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
tle on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames  billow- 
ing up  from    the   conflagration   of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  fattier  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Paris,  where 
his  father  was  associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
the  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  marks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
cou.-.try,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad  Again 
;oI.ii  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At  Paris  he 
applied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  six  months, 
to  :,Uidy;  then  accompained  his  father  to  Holland, 
vnere  he  entered,  first  a  school  in  Amsterdam,  then 
the  University  at  I.eyden.  About  a  year  from  this 
time,  in  1781,  when  the  manly  boy  was  but  fourteen 
yea— 5  of  age,  he  was  selected  liy  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  enobling 
culture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
to  Holland  through  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journey  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
his  studies,  under  a  private  tutor,  at  Hague.   Thence, 


in  the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  i. 
Paris,  traveling  leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintance 
with  the  most  distinguished  men  on  tlie  Con'inei.t 
examining  arcnitectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintingi 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he  agair. 
became  associated  with  the  most  illustrious  men  of 
all  lands  in  the  contemplations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  can  engross  the  human  mind.  Aftj  ■ 
a  short  visit  to  England  he  returned  to  Paris,  ana 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,  1785, 
when  he  returned  to  America.  To  a  brilliant  young 
man  of  eighteen,  v.  ho  had  seen  much  of  the  worid, 
and  who  was  familiar  with  the  etiquette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, must  have  been  extremely  attractive 
but  with  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pre- 
ferred to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education 
in  an  American  college.  He  wished  then  to  study 
law,  that  with  an  honorable  profession,  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  the 
Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  he  reached 
London  in  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit- 
ted to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  Pinckney, 
assisting  them  in  negotiating  a  commercial  treaty  with 
Great  Britian.  After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  ir, 
London,  he  proceeded  to  the  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  to  go  to  Portugal  a.- 
minister  plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to  Portugal 
upon  arriving  in  London,  he  met  with  despatches 
directing  him  to  the  court  of  Beinn,  but  requestirp 
him  to  remain  in  London  until  he  should  receive  his 
instrucdons.  While  wr.iting  he  was  married  to  ar. 
American  lady  to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged, — Miss  Louisa  Catherine  Johnson,  daughtf 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  consul  in  I  ondon  ; 
a  lady  endownd  with  that  beauty  and  ihose  accom- 
plishment which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  ti.t 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  wjis  destined- 


«o 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797  ; 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  having  ful- 
filled all  the  purix)ses  of  his  mission,  he  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  reputation,  his 
ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  that  body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  measures  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
rimiliar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  Adams  minister  to  St.  Petersburg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense  stu- 
dent. He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 
history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade;  to  the 
European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins  ;  to 
the  climate  and  astronomical  observations  ;  while  he 
Kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics.  In  all  the  universities  of  Europe,  a 
more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be  found. 
All  tlirough  life  the  Bible  constituted  an  important 
part  of  his  studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five 
chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  appointed  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
sailed  in  June,  1819,  forthe  United  States.  On  the 
1 8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in  Quincy.  During  the  eight  years  of  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr.  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
foi  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  .\dams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety-nine;  John  Quincy  .'\dams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty-one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people,  the 
question  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and 
he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
'.ombined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assault  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
**^  past  history  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 


was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  upright,  patriotic  man.  There  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  per- 
haps, was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu. 
lously  and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr.  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  always  rising 
early,  and  taking  much  exercise,  ^\'hen  at  his  home  in 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  work  in  his  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew- 
Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
jx)rtentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  antil  his  death,  he  occupied  the  post  as  repre- 
sentative, towering  above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle' for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  [jlace  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  The 
battle  which  Mr.  Adams  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
the  proslavery  party  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  Us  moral  daring  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury, 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  his 
body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  l)y  the  lapse  of 
fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  simple  faith  of  a  little 
child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night,  before 
he  slept,  the  prajer  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 
his  infant  years. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  floor 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  jiaraly- 
sis,  and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  around  liim. 
For  a  tinre  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and 
said  "  This  is  llie  end  of  earth  ;"then  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  added,  " /  am  content"  These  were  the 
last   words  of    the    grand    "  Old    Man    Eloquent." 


•c-^ 


G.^^7 


ZjC^^l^^C^^ 


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SEVENTH  I'RESIIjENT. 


n 


i^?^ 


NDREW     JACKSON,     the 

seventh     President     of     the 
'  United   States,  was  born   in 
Waxhaw  settlement,  N.    C, 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
after  his  father's  death.     His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from    Ireland,  and  took   np 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement, where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was 
universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.      His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly,   and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,    made   visible,  which   was   at- 
tractive. 

Wiien  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
1781,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

The  brute  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  desperate 
Dlow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
disabled  him,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  muchother  ill-treatment,  and 
were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  was  successfiU  iu   obtaining   their  exchange. 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illn  jse 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  his  mother  «;oon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  s  i;h  as 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  wlien  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina,  of 
which  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  journeys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear, 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmish 
with  the  Sharp  Knife. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditionsof  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  husband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his  profes- 
sion, and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he  killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  the  eleven 
counties,  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  delegafes. 
The  new  State  was  entitled  to  but  one  member  in. 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jack-' 
son  was  chosen  that  member.  Mounting  his  horse  he 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress   then    held  its 


44 


ANDREW  JACKSON. 


ijsiioas, — a  distance  of  about  eight    hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  admired 
tionaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gjn.  Washington,  whose 
second  term  of  office  was  then  expiring,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  the  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  who  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr,  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  his  State,  which  position  he  held  f^r  si.x  years. 

When  the  war  of  1812  with  Great  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown 'man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred upon  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen.  Jackson 
offered  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hundred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accej)ted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make  an  at- 
tack upon  New  Orleans,  where  Geu  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  Wilkinson.  The 
expedition  reached  Natchez;  and  after  a  delay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
the  men  were  ordered  back  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions;  and  he  became  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "Old  Hickory." 

Soan  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  part  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  [jistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  exterminate  the  white  set- 
lers,  were  committing  the  most  awful  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Gen.  Jackson,  with 
his  fractured  bone  just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Favettesville,  Alabama. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fort  on 
one  of  the  bends  of  the  Tallapoosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Strother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men,  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
days.  He  reached  their  fort,  called  Tohopeka  or 
Horse-shoe,  on  the  27th  of  March.  1814.     The  bend 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  ot 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  breast- 
work of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ann^le  suplyof  arms  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  fjuarter.  When 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  struck  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  everyone  of  the  nine  hundred  war- 
rios  were  killed  A  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
power  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  its  terriffic  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  ha'ggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  came  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
campaign  to  so  successful  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  appointed  major-general. 

Late  in  .August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  came  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola,  landed 
a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fori, 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious 
assault.  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length 
one  of  the  ships  was  blown  up    and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  little- 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
.\nd  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name.  Here  his 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  British  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  1824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  memorable 
in  the  annals  of  our  country;  applauded  by  one  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  warmer  friends.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitage,  where 
he  died  June  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  Mr.  Jack- 
son's  life   were  that   of  a   devoted  Christian    man. 


^7  7  /^l^e^  ^^^^i^J U^L^^^^z.^^ 


EIGHTH  PRESIDENT. 


47 


<k 


^^^^^:^^'\^m^>'^^^^^^-^^^\®m^j^^^'m^ 


IWW^"^  W\  BUREIJ. 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth      President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.   5, 
17S2.     He  died  at  the  same 
place,  July    24,    1862.      His 
body   rests  in   the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite    shaft  fifteen  feet 
high,  bearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  half  way  up   on   one    face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unbounded  by  shrub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
of  romantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  earliest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

,fe  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strengtli  of  mind.  .'\t  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  required  of  him 
Ijefore  he  could  be  admitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
Ji  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  with  indefatigable  industry.  After 
spending  six  years  in  an  office  in  ^is    native  village, 


he  went  to  the  city  of  Mew  York,  and  prosecuted  hii 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Republican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  Mr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had, 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listening  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  the 
cause  of  State  Rights  ;  though  at  that  time  the  Fed- 
eral party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  town 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  him 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  tlu; 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years 
constantly  gaining  strength  by  contending  in  tht- 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mi. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consump- 
tion, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  over 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lawyer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  public  interest. 
In  181 2,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  18 15,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Attorney-General,  and  the  next  year  moved 
to  Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the   Democratic   party,   he   had 


48 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
]:ath  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  [)roperty  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State. 

In  182  I  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  rose  at  once  to  a 
conspicuous  position  as  an  active  and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 
.ne  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
.ermined  opposer  of  the  Administration,  adopting  the 
'State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 
seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the  United 
States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 
Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 
Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whether 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
garded throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians. 
It  was  supposed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
io  touch  the  secret  sptings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
ihe  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion ;  and  how  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secretly  and 
iter'thily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  that  he  outv/itted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
few  thought  then  could  be  accomplished. 

When  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
ap]X/inted  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  immediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however,  when  it  met, 
refused    to   ratify  the  nomination,   and  he  returned 


home,  apparently  untroubled;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-election 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
frowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor- 
ite; and  this,  probably  more  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  Execu 
tive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Constitution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  power  to  appoint  a  successor. ' 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events 
The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in 
volve  this  country  in  war  with  England,  the  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread  over  the  country,  all  were 
trials  to  his  wisdom.  The  financial  distress  was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  i)arty, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re-election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  (juietly  upon  his  estate  until 
his  death. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  habits, 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  and  the  distinguished  positions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  country,  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  homage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald^ 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  on 
the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoying  in  a  healthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  happiness  than  he  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life. 


A-J 


/o\  /^)9{^yiA^ 


i-\^ 


NINTH  PRESIDENT. 


5' 


m 


ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
SON, the  ninth   President  of 
the   United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
His  father,    Benjamin    Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate    friend    of     George 
Washington,  \\as  early  elected 
a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuous 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and    John    Hancock    were 
both  candidates  for  the  ofifice  of 
si>eaker. 

Mr  Harrison  was  subsequently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice    re-elected.       His   son, 
i  William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 

in  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
i;ig  received  a  thorough  common-school  education,  lie 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soor.  r.fter  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
'-iien  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to  study  medicine  under 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush  and  the  guardianship  of 
lObert  Morris,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
'igners  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

.'Jpon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
witiistanding  the  'emonstTances  of  his  friends,  he 
ai)ar.do'''eu  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
.laving  obtained  t  commission  of  Ensign   from   Presi- 


dent Washington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old. 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  row  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  "  The  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  portion,  which 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil. 
liam  Henry  Harrison,  then  27  years  of  age,  was  ap. 
IX)inted  by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  these  responsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  appointed  to  this  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  afterwards  by  Presi- 
dent Madison. 

When  he  began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  with  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  Oneof  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Louisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrisoi. 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.   Abou' 


S2 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawnese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  One  of 
these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or  "  The  Crouching 
Panther;"  the  other,  Olliwacheca,  or  "The  Prophet." 
Tecuuiseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  m  which  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  with  the  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  u'lth  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  his  fathers.  His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was 
anorator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
Indian  as  ths  gale  tossed  the  tree -tops  beneath  which 
tliey  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  an  orator :  he  was, 
i.i  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
October  28,  1812,  his  army  began  its  march.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
their  appearance  and  inquired  why  Gov.  Harrison  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a 
short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  for  a  meet- 
ing the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations. Selecting  a  favorable  spot  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise. 
His  troops  were  posted  in  a  hollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
rest;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtrements  on,  his 
loaded  musket  by  his  side, and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloud)'  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  liad  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  just  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  djsiieration  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
liighly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
with  guns  and  aminunition  by  the  English.  Their 
war-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
tus  yells,  the  Indian  bands  rushed  on,  not  doubting  a 
speedy  and  an  entire  victor)-.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
troops  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  around  them 
until  day  dawned  :  they  then  mfide  a  simultaneous 
charge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore   them,    and    completely    routing    \\\c    foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  from  theCan- 
adas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  from  the 
forest,  searching  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, plundering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  state  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  The  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hull  had  made 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  despairing  circumstances.  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
D.-troit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  ineet  all  the  re 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  his  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  their  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursunig  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  carried  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consisted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle.  Thirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  the  battle. 
The  only  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
before  the  fire,  without  bread  or  salt. 

In  1S16,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  ivieniber  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  represent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  spoke,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  iSig,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  him 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  vi^as  re -nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen.  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  election  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  any  President  had  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects.  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisv-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  the  4th  of  April;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 


?/??. 


TENTH  PRESIDENT. 


55 


OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born   in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  March  29,  1790.   He 
was  the  favored  child   of  af- 
fluence and  high    social    po- 
sition.    At  the    early   age    of 
twelve,  John  entered  William 
and   Mary  College  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
graduating,  he  devoted  him- 
self with    great    assiduity  to   the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father   and   partly  with   Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
et of  the  court  in  which  he  was 
not  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
ably  with  the  Democratic  party,  opposing  a  national 
bank,  internal  improvements  by  the  General  <^overn- 


ment,  a  protective  tariff,  and  advocatmg  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  the  close  of  his  second 
term  hi  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  powerful 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes.  Governor  of  his 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
cessful one.     His  popularity  secured  his  re-election. 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  opponent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.     Mr.  Tyler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposi- 
tion. He  opposed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,,  by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.     There  was  a  rplit  in  the   Democratic 


56 


JOHN  TYLER. 


party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  showered  compji- 
nients  upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  career  had  been  very  brilliant.  In  con- 
setiuence  of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  and  it  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  culture  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon  after  this  he  removed  fo  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children  ;  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
T83g.  The  maioritv  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  Whig,  much  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  the  Noith:  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  r84i,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
that  time,  President  Harrison  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus  -cund  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occupant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  staliility  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  Williamsburg  when  he  received  the 
unexpected  tidings  of  the  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  responsible 
office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  exceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  long  life  he  had  been 
opposed  to  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, hone:t  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  surround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own.''  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
n.ony  with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare  ?  This  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  cabinet  which  President  Harrison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccommended  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  returned  it  with 
his  veto.      He   (juegested,   however,  that  he  would 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  submitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  approval. 
It  was  passed  without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia*  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance 
between  the  Whigs  and  President  Tyler  were  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  avi^ay.  No  one  was  satisfied.  The 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vituperation.  Whigs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democrats,  until  at  the  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassments  of  office,  to  the  regret  of  neither  party,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unsjjeakable  lelief.  His  first  wife, 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
and  in  June,  1844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  passed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charies  city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  information  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unusual  attractions.  With  sufficient 
means  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
policy  had  helped  to  introduce. 

When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the  State- 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  CaU 
houn  had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates. He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress; 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  b" 
force  of  arms,  the  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,   he   was  taken   sick  and  soon   died. 


ELEVENTH  PRESIDENT. 


55 


e^X 


AMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh 
liiiPresident  of  the  United  States, 
IjI  was  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 
N.  C.,Nov.  2,  1795.     His  par- 
ents were    Samuel   and    Jane 
(Knox)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 
of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 
first  pioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1006,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  and  soon  after  fol- 
lowed by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Polk  famly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry Co.,  they  reared  their  log  huts, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  tlie  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
'  gradually  increased  in  wealth  until 

lie  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  common 
sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
lending  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
:i  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
iiim  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
ualit)-  and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  with  lofty 
principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail  ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  be  able  to  endure  a 


sedentary  life,  got  a  situation  for  him  behind  the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  e.xtreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  With 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
years,  in  the  autumn  of  1S15,  entered  the  sophomore 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest  honors, be* 
ing  deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Polk's  health  was  at  this 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  which  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
relaxation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polk 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  but  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  had  probably  been 
slightly  acquainted  before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican, 
and  James  K.  Polk  ever  adiiered  to  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was 
constantly  called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  that 
he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished    morals,   genial   ard 


6o 


/AMES  K.  POLK. 


courterus  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  jovs  and  griefs  of  others  which  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1823,  Mr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United   States. 

In  January,  1S24,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  liis  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  until  1839,  he  was  con- 
tinuec'  in  that  office.  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair 
of  I'^nnessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
meniber,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous  ;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  point,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House.  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr.  Polk  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  1 4th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  1841, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature  to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
3d  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
left  the  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

l-n.  his  first  message.  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediateb-,  Iiy  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
Other  States.  In  the  meantime.  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent 


with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  country.  He  vas 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  he  erected  batteries  which  commanded  the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was  situated  01: 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  wa: 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.  The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first 
called  one  of  "observation,"  then  ot  "occupation," 
then  of  "  in  vasion,"  was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully  slaughtered.  The  day  of  judgement 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  v/as  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
that  the  war  was  brought  on. 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."  Mexico  was 
prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our  hands. 
We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in  addition  to  Texas, 
all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. This  new  demand  embraced,  exclusive  of 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  Tliis 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the 
size  of  New  York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There  were 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right :  there  were 
others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In  the  prosecution 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand  lives  and 
more  than  a  hundred  million  of  dollars.  Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1S49,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr.  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
and  his  health  was  good.  With  an  ample  fortune, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  tlie  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  happiness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge — was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Vnlley  of  the  Mississippi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  i5tli  of  June,  1849,  '■''  ''''C  fiftv-fourth 
year  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  counuymen. 


^^^^^SkP^k-- 


TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


63 


^^-. 


ACHARY  TAYLOR,  twelfth 
^3  President  of  the  United  States, 
^'*was  born  on  the  24th  of  Nov., 
1784,  in  Orange  Co.,  Va.  His 
%i  father,  Colonel  Taylor,  was 
(Si!;!'.-  "  -fy  3-  Virginian  of  note,  and  a  dls- 
l?i  tinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary 
was  an  infant,  his  father  with  liis 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  a  few 
miles  from  Louisville.  In  this  front- 
ier home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  young  Zachary 
could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  fearless  and  self-reliant,  and 
■manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the  army  to  fight 
the  Lidians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
\\\  iSoS,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army  ;  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
irom  one  of  the  first  families  of  Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  18 1 2,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison, on  his  march  to  Tippecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
icd  by  Tecumseh.     Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbering   fifty  men,    many  of 
whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians,  stealthily, 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  upon  the  fort.  Their 
approach  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Capt.  Taylor 
made  every  possible  preparation  to  meet  the  antici- 
pated assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  informed  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept 
them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared,  the 
garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour  before 
midnight  the  war  whoop  burst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  his  post.  Every  man  knew  that 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  cap- 
ture, death  by  the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor- 
ture. No  pen  can  describe,  no  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  lire  to  one  of  the  block-houses- 
Until  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  then,  baffled  at  every  point, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  MajorTaylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fox  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  but  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.     There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  in- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR, 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  on  Gradually  lie  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  efficient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
employments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  immediate  acquaintance. 
In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  compel 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  the  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  tre.ity, 
iiac'  promised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
heie  secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
the  Government;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
tc  vhe  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
after,  in  May,  183S,  vvas  appointed  to  the  chief  com- 
mand of  the  United  States  troops  in  Florida. 

Afier  two  years  of  such  wearisome  employment 
a.midst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula.  Gen.  'I'aylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
r.nd  was  stationed  over  the  Department  of  the  South- 
west. This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
at  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
to  a  plantation  which  he  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue. 
Here  he  remained  for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
from  the  world,  but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 
imposed  upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the  latter  river 
being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Mexico 
was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
Mexicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
Was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
the  Nation.  Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  dress  and  his  unaffected 
f-implicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
\\\&  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

Tlie  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
.spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lips.  The 
Whig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this  wonder- 
ful poi)ularity  in  Ijringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 
lettered, honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
nouncement, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it;  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  qualified  for  such  an 
office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  politics  that, 
.''or  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
without  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
who  had_ been  long  years  in  the  public  service  found 
•l.iir  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose   name 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista.  It  is  said  that  Daniel  \Vebster,  in  his  haste  re- 
marked, "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a  fine 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre- 
pared such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful 
should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The  popularity  of 
the  successful  warrior  swept  the  land.  He  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  over  two  opposing  candidates, — 
Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren. 
Though  he  selected  an  excellent  cabinet,  the  good 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  position, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufferings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slavery 
stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850. 
His  last  words  were,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  I  have  endeavored  to  do  ray  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the 
affections  of  the  people;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoioughly  acquainted  with 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  With  a  good  store  of 
common  sense,  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  world.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  posts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignorance.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  his  hat 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket, — in  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
ofif.'nder  to  be  a  coxcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  phrase, 
'  touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  Inshorf 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortao'ie,  laboi- 
saving   contempt    for  learnirg  of  eveiy  kind." 


f-^^-i/^      ^  t^c^i^t^^e^rta 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


6r 


irf 


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.■li 
f 


^'MILLftHfl  FILLMnHE.<^ 


^;;g.^i;:g^i;:;$Ai;;g-(»*g;g-«».?;;g-«^;g- 


7|( 


ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
^, ,  States,  was  born  at  Summer 
.  'h  Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y  .,  on 
the  yth  of  Januar}-,  1800.  His 
""^  father  was  a  farmer,  and  ow- 
ing to  misfortune,  in  humble  cir- 
cumstances. Of  his  mother,  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard, 
of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it  has  been 
said  that  she  possessed  an  intellect 
of  very  high  order,  united  with  much 
personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis- 
position, graceful  manners  and  ex- 
quisite sensibilities.  She  died  in 
1831 ;  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a 
young  man  of  distinguished  prom- 
ise, though  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender  ad- 
vantages for  education  in  his  early  years.  The  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended  were 
very  imperfect  institutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  upon  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy ; 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
and  had  laid  the  foundations  of  an  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  villiage,  where  some 


enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a 
village  library.  This  proved  an  inestimable  blessing 
to  young  Fillmore.  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  every  leisure  moment  was  occupied  v,  iih 
books.  His  thirst  for  knowledge  became  insatiate 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  history, 
biography,  oratory,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en- 
kindled in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be- 
coming, almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed, 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  cf  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  hapi:>ened  tha". 
there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neighborhood  of  ample 
pecuniary  means  and  of  benevolence,— Judge  Walter 
Wood, — who  was  struck  with  the  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance of  young  Fillmore.  He  made  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  was  so  much  impressed  with  his  ability  and 
attainments  that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
r.o  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educa- 
tion had  been  verj'  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood  had 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  offered  to 
take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan  him  such 
money  as  he  needed.  Most  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion  abou'; 
a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is  supposed  tn 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col- 
lege. But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  hal'  - 
ind  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  means  as 


ta 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  fortune  or  in  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  elder  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1829, 
he'  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  politics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  Whig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature  ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parties, 
that  his  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  degree  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress.  He  entered  that  troubled 
irena  in  some  of  the  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  the 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep- 
utation and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress ;  was  re- 
elected, and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  him  sttength  and 
confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  his  im-press. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  State,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he   was   elected  Comptroller  of    the   State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  who  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  his  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  tiumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  necessary  to  associate  with  him  on  the  same 
ticket  some  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
namesofZachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Fillmore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  gth  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  appointed  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillniore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  both 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  conciliate 
the  South ;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  South  felt 
the  inadequacy  of  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  population  of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable thai  the  power  of  the  Government  sliould 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr. 
Fillmore's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Exiiedition 
was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Fill- 
more, having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supposed  that 
his  sympathies  were  rather  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  tiuis  forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,    1874. 


\ 


FOURTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


71 


sfeidfiEa*^     -^■ 


K^sLSk^&mL% 


i^lr- 


^'FRANKLIN  PIERCE.' 


^=^^^^^^,'^'».ti.jvA^t^t,4,.t.^^t..^^^^^ 


RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the 
fourteenth    President  of  the 
^*  United  States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,    N.    H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary   soldier,   who, 
with   his   own    strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a    home   in    the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    inflexible    integrity;     of 
strong,  though   uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing Democrat.      The   mother  of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate,  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speaking  kind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar;  in  body, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  1820,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  ])opular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,  and 


genial    nature,    rendered    him   a   universal    favoiite 
There  was  something  very   peculiarly    winning  in    h:  ; 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de 
gree  studied :    it    was  the   simple  outgushing  of  his 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierce 
commenced  tlie  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private  worth.  Thi' 
eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young  lawyer,  his 
father's  prominence  as  a  i)ublic  man,  and  the  brilliant 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering, all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the  faci 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.  With  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen. 
Jackson  for  the  Presidency.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here 
he  served  for  four  yeais.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  \Vithout  taking  an  active 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  duty, 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associatad. 

In  1837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States; 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  commenced 
his  administration.  He  was  tlie  youngest  member  in 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Means  Appleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admiralily  fitted  to  adorn  every 
station  with  wiiich  her  husband  was  honoied.    Of  the 


7* 


FRANKLIN  FIERCE. 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  upon  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States ;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  the  precariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  important  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  true  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Me.xican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
tions, giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  compromise 
measures  met  cordially  with  his  approval ;  and  he 
strenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
mous fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  i2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  Imllotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States — Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States  on   the  4th  of  March,    1853. 


His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  be 
tween  slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  its 
culminating  point.  It  became  evident  that  there  was 
an  "irrepressible  conflict  "  between  them,  and  that 
this  Nation  could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad- 
ministration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate 
the  South;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on  eveiy  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years'  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  alien- 
ated from  him.  The  anti-slaverj'  sentiment,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  surviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ;  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumption.  The 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di- 
vided our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr. 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to 
that  pro-slavery  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment. He  continued  to  reside  in  Concord  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October, 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of 
men,  an  honored  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Gen 
erous  to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al- 
leviation of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns- 
people were  often  gladened  by  his   material   bounty. 


'lZ^7Z£__J 


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I'lFTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


75 


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s»»- 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,    was  born    in    a    small 
frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the 
eastern  ridge  of  the    Allegha- 
nies,  in  Franklin  Co.,  Penn.,  on 
4^   the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place 
wliere   the  humble   cabin   of  his 
father    stood    was     called     Stony 
Batter.     It   was    a    wild    and    ro- 
mantic spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moun- 
tains, with  towering  summits  rising 
grandly   all    around.      His    father 
was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
l^jffl       a  poor  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
I  1783,  with  little   property   save    his 

own  strong  arms.  Five  years  afterwards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
form his  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  it\f  social  or  intellectual 
advantages.  When  James  was  eight  yeaisof  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
jirogress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de- 
veloped  remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
W  study  was  intense,  and  yet   his   native   powers    en- 


abled him  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects  with 
facility. 

In  the  year  1S09,  he  graduated  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sport,  an  unerring  shot,  and  enlivened  with 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immediately 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1812,  when  he  was 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand 
with  the  ablest  law)ers  of  the  State.  When  but 
twenty-si-\  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  the  State  Senate  ore  of  the 
judges  of  the  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  of 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  who  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower  House. 
During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he  occasionally 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1831,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  having  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  upon  his  elevation  to  the  Presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  performed  with  ability,  which 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  LTpon  his  return,  in 
T  833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  Webster, 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  the  meas- 
ures proposed  by  President  Jackson,  of  m.tlfjng  repri- 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


sals  against  France,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  against  that  country;  and  defended  tlie  coarse 
of  the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the  sup- 
porters of  his  administration.  Upon  this  question  he 
was  brought  into  direct  collision  with  Heary  Clay. 
He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  advocated  expunging 
from  the  journal  of  the  Senate  the  vote  of  censure 
against  Gen.  Jackson  for  removing  the  deposits. 
Earnestly  he  opposed  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  tlie 
District  of  Columbia,  and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the 
circulation  of  anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United 
States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  he  advo- 
cated that  they  should  be  rtrspectfuUy  received;  and 
that  the  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Congress  had 
no  power  to  legislate  upon  the  subject.  '  Congress," 
said  he,  "might  as  well  undertake  to  interfere  with 
slavery  under  a  foreign  government  as  in  any  of  the 
States  where  it  now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct  of 
the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  crossing 
the  Nueces  liy  the  American  troops  into  the  disputed 
territoiy  was  not  wrong,  but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cross 
the  Rio  Grande  into  that  territory  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read  with  pleasure  the 
account  of  the  course  our  Government  pursued  in  that 
movement 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  with 
the  party  devoted  to  the  pi^rpetuatioa  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  agjinst  the  Wilmot  Proviso.  He  gave  iiis 
cordial  approval  to  tlie  compromise  measures  of  1S50, 
which  included  the  fugiiive-slave  law.  Mr.  Pierce, 
u::on  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  honored  Mr. 
Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency.  The 
political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  which 
our  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the  friends  of 
slavery  were  on  one  side;  all  the  advocates  of  its  re- 
striction and  final  abolition,  on  the  other.  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, the  candidate  of  the  enemies  of  slavery,  re- 
reived  114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
174,  and  was  elected.  The  popular  vote  stood 
1,340,618,  for  Fremont,  1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On 
March    4th,    1857,  Mr.   Buchanan  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only  four 
-fears  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  threescore  years  and 
ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
allied  in  political  princi|)les  and  action  for  years,  were 
stj'iking  the  destruction  of  the  Government,  that  they 
might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a 
nation  whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery. 
[n  this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly  be- 
wildered     He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed  prin- 


ciples, consistently  oppose  the  State-rights  party  in 
their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the  United  States, 
bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to  administer  the  laws, 
he  could  not,  without  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind, 
unite  with  those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  the  repub- 
lic.    He  therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard  bearer 
in  the  next  Presidential  canvass.  The  pro-slavery 
party  declared,  that  if  he  were  elected,  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from  their 
hands,  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  taking 
with  them,  as  they  retired,  the  National  Capitol  at 
Washington,  and  the  lion's  share  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  sympathy  with  the  pro-slavery 
party  was  such,  that  he  had  been  willing  to  offer  them 
far  more  than  they  had  ventured  to  claim.  All  the 
South  had  professed  to  ask  of  the  North  was  non- 
intervention upon  the  subject  of  slavery.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan had  been  ready  to  offer  them  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  Government  to  defend  and  extend 
the  institution. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slaveholders 
claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  avow- 
ing that  Congress  had  no  power  to  prevent  it,  one  of 
the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of  governmental  im- 
becility was  exhibited  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He 
declared  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  enforce  its 
laws  in  any  State  which  had  withdrawn,  or  which 
was  attempting  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  This 
was  not  the  doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with 
his  hand  upon  his  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed,  "  The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860;  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  despair. 
The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston  ;  Fort  Sumpter 
was  besieged;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and  arsenals 
were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores  were  plun- 
dered ;  and  our  custom-houses  and  post-offices  were 
appropriated  by  the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels,  and  the  imbecility  of  our 
Executive,  were  alike  marvelous.  The  Nation  looked 
on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to  glide  away, 
and  close  the  administration,  so  terrible  in  its  weak- 
ness At  length  the  long-looked-for  hour  of  deliver-* 
ance  came,  when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  to  receive  the 
scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamifous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  de|)lorable  it  is  for  his  fame, 
that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled  its  billows 
of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no  word  came 
from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that  our  country's 
banner  should  triumph  over  the  flag  of  the  rebellion. 
He  died  at  his  Wheatland   retreat,   June    1,    186S. 


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BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the 
sixteenth  President  of  the 
J^United  States,  was  born  in 
Hardin  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb.  12, 
1809.  About  the  yean 7 80,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
^^  Lincohi  left  Virginia  with  his 
family  and  moved  into  the  then 
wildsof  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  still  a  young 
man,  while  working  one  day  in  a 
field,  was  stealthily  appronclied  by 
an  Indian  and  shot  dead.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five 
little  children,  three  boys  and  two 
girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
boys,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
whose  name  must  henceforth  fo'-ever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  wodd. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
(he  poorest  of  the  poor.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the_  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  read 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
-ess,  wandering  boy,  seeking  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
'7  i)orer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

Vv'hen  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  bnill  a  log- 
cabin  of  his  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
"All  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  exclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 

When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  sold  his 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana  Where 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

Abraham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  coidd  not  have  had  a 
better  school  than  this  to  teacli  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few ;  but  these  he  read 
and  re-read  until  they  were  almost  committed  to 
memory. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  family 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There  were  joys  and 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  Abraham's  sister 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mar- 
ried when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  Mr. 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830, 
and  emigrated  to  Macon  Co.,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  rearing 
another  log-cabin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  comfortably  settled,  and  their 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  planted  with  corn,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  of 
education,  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  ruin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  became 
strictly  temperate;  refusing  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating hquor  to  pass  his  lips.  And  he  had  read  in 
God's  word,  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  vain ;"  and  a  profane  expression  he 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  His 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  uncontaminated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  worked  for  a  time  as  a  hired  laborer 
among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to  Springfield, 
where  he  was  employed  in  building  a  large  flat-boat. 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  down 
the  Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  New  Orleans.  Whatever  Abraham  Lin- 
coln undertook,  he  performed  so  faithfully  as  to  give 
great  satisfaction  to  his  employers.      In  this  adven- 


So 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


ture  his  employers  were  so  well  pleased,  that  upon 
his  return  tney  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.  He 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but 
was  defeated.  He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew 
Jackson  the  appointmentof  Postmaster  of  New  Salem, 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.  All  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and  soon 
uia,de  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected  Mr. 
^tuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.  He 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed  of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
began  his  legal  studies.  When  the  Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back 
one  hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that  he  was 
soon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
Ih  the  organization  of  tire  Republican  party  in  lUinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history.  The  issue  was  on  the 
ilavery  question,  and  he  took  the  broad  ground  of 
.he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6th  of  June,  i860.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  Xn  immense  building  called  "The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  Wilham  H  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
urominent.  It  was  generally  supposed  he  would  be 
the  nominee.  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  which  that  nomination  doomed  him: 
and  as  little  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
to  his  country,  which  would  fi.x  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  which  would  give  him 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countrymen,  second 
cnly,  if  second,  to  that  of  AVashington. 

Election  day  came  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitutionally  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  vas  poured  upon  this    good 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this 
higli  position.  In  February,  186 1,  Mr.  Lincoln  started 
for  Washington,  stopping  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his 
way  making  speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  frought 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination 
were  afterwards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more had  arranged,  upon  his  arrival  to"  get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  witli 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plot.  A  secret  and  special  train  was  jjrovided  to 
take  him  from  Harrisburg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an 
unexpected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at 
half-past  ten ;  and  to  prevent  any  possible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ot  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  had 
started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincoln 
reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great   anxiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  peoi)le 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opponents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  [jositions. 

During  no  other  administration  have  liie  duties 
devolving  upon  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibilities  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  and 
feeling  liis  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in 
his  own  strength  to  cope  with,  the  difficuhies,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
determining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his 
trials,  bo'h  personal  and  national.  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
witli  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  1861,  however,  plans  had  Ijeen 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  be  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, witli  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them, 
very  reluctantly  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
entered  the  box  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death  of  its  ruler 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  speechless 
anguisli.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  fitly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  ■will 
live  with  that  of  Washington's,  its  father;  his  country- 
men being  unable   to   decide    which   is    tKe   greater. 


i^;:^^^^:2ij2;?<_/ 


SEVENTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


Sl 


'^^rMj£>P'^- 


n^/lif  iivJi}^iJiY:?5rLi^l 


NDREW  JOHNSON,  seven- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
'  States.  The  early  life  of 
Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.  He 
f/  was  born  December  29,  180S, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  parents, 
belonging  to  the  class  of  the 
"poor  whites  "  of  the  South, T;ere 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education  upon 
their  child.  When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  his  life  while  herorically  endeavoring  to  save  a 
friend  from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  supported  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living  with 
her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  speeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. Andrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- workmen, 
learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches.      The  owner, 


pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book, 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  o\. 
ward  laboriously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreatio.^  to  devote  such  time  fl.s  he  could  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  \\\  1S26,  and  located  at 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pos 
sessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent 
in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a  favorite  with 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
alderman,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs  ;  identifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age, 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "  stumped  the  State,"  advocating  Martin  ">"'ati 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  thos^ 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  mucli 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

l\\  1841,  he  was  elected  Stale  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 
elections,  held  that  important  post  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these  resiwnsible  posi- 
tions, he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  abi. 


84 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1857,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1S45,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  anne-xation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
and  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supported  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
be  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  *"ree  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
South  persons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  pride  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir," 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  not  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 

In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  iSl-o,  ne 
f7as  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for  the 
Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
irn  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a  decided 
stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
must  be  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost."  He  returned  to  Tennessee,  and  repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own  life  to  protect  the  Unionists  of 
Tennesee.  Tennessee  having  seceded  from  the 
Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,  1862,  ap- 
pointed him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he 
established  the  most  stringent  military  rule.  His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.    In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April   15, 

1865,  became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
?hey  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  punished ;  that  the  Government  will  not 
always  bear  with  its  enemies ;  that  it  is  strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the  blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."  Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  in  utter  itw;onsistency  with,  and  the  most  violent 


opposition  to,  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  possible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginniiig  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the    trial   began    March   23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him.  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  impotent';', 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
.illeled  since  the  days  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  ,\ndrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to  im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Greenville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  1875.  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  e.xciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee, United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.  M.,  July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  3d  of  August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect. 


y-  ^ 


t-o'^L 


EIGHTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


87 


.QPviirjT. 


=l^,  LYSSES  S.  GRANT,  the 
-  \  eighteenth  President  of  the 
gS  United  States,  was  born  on 
the  29th  of  April,  1822,  of 
lI'b  Christian  parents,  in  a  humble 
'  home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his  father  moved  to  George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1839,  he  entered 
the  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
solid,  sensible  young  man  of  fair  abilities,  and  of 
sturdy,  honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  lieutenant  of  in- 
fantry to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  Two  years  he  past  in  these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  and  exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resaca  de  la  Pal  ma,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
he  performed  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  expedient  learned  of  the  Indians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
side  of  the  anifoal,  ran  the  gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


.Sijg3#V®)@@V5)^)^^f(2) 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
10  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultepec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant  re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  causing  an  immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion  to  Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants. Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the 
States;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  had  but 
little  skill  as  a  farmer.  Finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  As  the  ridings 
of  the  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting-room,  he  said, — 
"Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army;  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.  I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their  services  were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in  the 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  formed  in  the 
State  in  behalf  of  the  Government.     On  the  15  th  of 


88 


UL  YSSES  S.  GRA  NT. 


June,  1 86 1,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  army,  were  such 
that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
General  and  was  placed  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared ii^the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Henry 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
immediately  made  a  M.^jor-General,  and  the  military 
district  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains.  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
Dushed  on  to  the  enemies'  Hnes.  Then  came  the 
terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 
Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Texas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  which  he 
v/as  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  A'onderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  the  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lo&kout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
and  enter  upon  tb^  duties  of  his  new  office. 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  sooii  as  he  took  charge  of 
the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National 
troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond,  the  nominal 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and  endeavor  there  to  de- 
stroy the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  promptly  as- 
sembled from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole 
■  continent  seemed  to  tremble  under  the  tramp  of  these 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field. 
.Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.  Railway  trains 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.  His 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series  of 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en- 
ergy and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  April  9,   1S65. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen. 
Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its  sal- 
vation. The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago. 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received  a 
majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and  214  out  of  294 
electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican  party 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  of  June,  1872, 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphati- 
cally indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292 
electoral  votes  being   cast    for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term,  Gen.  Grant 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  priv,"te 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  before 
bestowed  upon  any  citizen  of  the  United   States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for  a  re- 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  bro'cerage  business  under  the  firm 
nanieof  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as 
General  of  the  .'\rmy  and  retired  by  Congress.  The 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23, 
1885,  the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  of 
the  illustrious  General. 


s^ 


-^^J^ 


NINETEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


9» 


RUTHERl'OiiD  Be  mSkTEB.  W 


UTHERFORD  B.  HAYES, 
the  nineteenth  President  of 
the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
\\/"*'^  death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  far  back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
.ane  ov-.-i<aking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
.and  in  1600,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  wat,  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  liJe.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  L.;e,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  scythej  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  awd  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  utiknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes    the  father   of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  18 13,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  been 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  famlies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  are  traced  back  to 
1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  stock- 
ing, or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  181  2,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to   Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  nor  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayes  deter 
mined  to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malarial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son, of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver- 
mont, and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  ver)'  weak,  and  the 


v» 


RUTHUJiFVRD  S.  HAYES^ 


subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birth  that  he 
was  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
quirnigfrom  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs.  Hayes'  baby  died 
last  night."  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor,  who  was  on 
familiar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
boy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
nim,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right !  Stick  to 
him.  You  have  got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  would  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"  You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "You 
wait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
President  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1825,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  w.;nt  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  jnother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle  Sardis  Birchard  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  his  education;  and  as  the  boy's  health  had  im- 
proved, and  he  was  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
paration commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home;  but  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  professor  in  the 
Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.  He  en- 
tered Ivenyon  College  in  183S,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in   1842. 

Innnediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow,  Esq., 
in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities  for  study  in 
Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  vears. 

In  1 845,  after  graduatmg  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Ijar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  attorney-at-law 
with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
mained three  years,  acquiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincmnati,  where  his  ambi- 
tion found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  period,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  sul)se- 
quent  life.  One  of  these  was  his  marrage  witli  Miss 
Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of 
Chilicothe;  the  othev  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
Hiembers  such  men  as  "^hief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase, 


Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The 
marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  to  reflect  honor  upon  American  woman- 
hood. The  Literary  Cluu  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulnejs  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judg;  O'" 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  a~- 
cept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  o* 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council 
elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1 861,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was  ar 
the  zenith  of  his  professional  lif,.  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  found  him  eager  to  take  -id 
arms  for  the  defen.se  of  his  countr)'. 

His  military  record  was  bright  and  illustrious.  In 
October,  i85i,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  79th  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leave  his  old  comrades 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  he 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  while 
faint  and  bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,  "forgallant  and  distinguished  services 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In 
the  course  of  his  arduous  services,  four  horses  were 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic. He  was  not  present  during  the  campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  army  ;  but  he  finally  declared,  "I 
shall  never  come  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  by 
the  way  of  Richmond."  He  was  re-elected  in  1866. 

Ii:!  1867,  Gen  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio, 
over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular  Democrat. 
In  1869  was  re-elected  over  George  H.  Pendleton. 
He  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in   1875. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Repub- 
lican Party  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and  after  a 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  ir. 
an^urated  Monday,  March  5,  1875.  He  served  his 
full  term,  not,  hcwever,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party. 
hit  his  :idmii;istration  was  an  average  o!\.= 


TiVENTIETH  PRESIDENT. 


. ^ 


m^i 


AMES  A.  GARFIELD,  twen- 
tieth President  of  the  United 
States,    was    born    Nov.    ig, 
1S31,  in  the  woods  of  Orange, 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O      His    par- 
**^     ents  were  Abram  and    Ehza 
(Ballou)    Garfield,   both   of  New 
England  ancestry  and  from   fami- 
lies well  known  in  the  early  his- 
%  tory  of  that  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was  not  unlike  the  houses  of 
poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.  It 
.;.",  about  20x30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  the  spaces  be- 
.uzzw  the  logs  filled  with  clay.  His  father  was  a 
iard  working  farmer,  and  he  soon  had  his  fields 
.;leared,  an  orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built. 
The  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
heir  four  children — Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and 
'ames.  In  May,  1823^  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
. /acted  in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.  At 
iliis  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
''liomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps,  can 
I'ell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his  biotlier's 
toil  and  self  sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years  suc- 
ceeding his  father's  death,  but  undoubtedly  very 
much.  He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
itis  live  in  Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
tnem.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
^penter  work,  chopped  wood,  or  did  anything  that 
would  Kring  in  a  few  dollars  I0  aid  his  widowed 
mother  in  he'  'Struggles  to  keep  the  little   family  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  ashamed  of  his 
origin,  and  he  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youth  and  manhood,  neither  did  they 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor 
the  humblest  fiiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness 
of  want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  plain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  young  Garfield  until  hi 
was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  of 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.  She 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  sliould  try  to  obtain 
some  other  kind  of  employment.  He  walked  all  the 
way  to  Cleveland.  This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city 
After  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get  aboard  a  lake  vessel,  and  not  meeting  with 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania  Canal.  He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  when  he  wen': 
home,  and  attended  the  seminary  at  Chester  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and  the 
Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few  terms  of  school  in 
tlie  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.  This  school 
was  started  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  1S50,  of 
which  church  he  was  then  a  member.  He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  pupil.  He  soon 
"  exhausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1S54,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1S56,  taking  one  of  the  highest  hon- 
ors of  his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.  As  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian  or  Diciples  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places  where 
he  happened  to  be.  Dr.  Noah  Porter,  Presidert  of 
Yale  College,  says  of  him  in  reference  to  his  religion  : 


96 


/AMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


"  President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religious  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  beuig,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
my  jadgment  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
Ills  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  showed  in  their  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called'  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  comnmnions 
in  which  they  have  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in  social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some  of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
;hurchof  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
trained,  and  in  which  he  served  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
Varian  charity  for  all  'who  loveour  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolpli,  Nov.  ii,  1858,  who  proved  herself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  born  seven  children,  five  of 
v/honi  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 

Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  in  1856, 
jn  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  the  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  1861  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  had 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived jiis  commission  as  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Lifantry,  Aug. 
14,  1861.  He  was  immediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantry 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
vk^ork  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
(Humphrey  M;rsliall)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
tiiose,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplislied,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  10,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  itsoperations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  memberof  the 
General  Court-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-john 
Porter.  He  was  tlien  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "Chief  of  Staff  " 

The  military  1^'story  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  v.-ith 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won 
the  stars  of  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part  Get?  Garfield  wa» 
elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862  from  the 
Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  si.xty  years 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and  Joshua 
R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  struggle  that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At  the  time  he  en- 
tered Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that 
body.  Ther;?  he  remained  by  successive  re- 
elections  until  he  was  elected  President  in  18S0. 
Of  liis  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says  :  "  Sinct 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  question  which 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  ;* 
tribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  whict 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  mstruction,  the  argu- 
ment on  one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance 
better  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings  by 
Mr.  Garfield." 

Upon  Jan.  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  the 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention. 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on 
March  4,  i88r,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad- 
ministration ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Garfield,  and  every 
day  it  grew  in  favo;  with  the  people,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  lie  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams 
College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the  depot,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man  stejiped  behind 
him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  in.licting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  jiistory  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  peop"'; 
for  tlie  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  ho|)e.  For  eighty 
days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
lie  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent 
bearing  was  teaching  the  country  and  the  world  tlie 
noblest  of  human  lessons — how  to  live  grandly  in  the 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass- 
ingly great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept. 
rg,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J.,  on  the  very  bank  of  tlie 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it. 
Tlie  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe- 
cuted, in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  foul  deed. 


/^r 


r  1 VEN  T  Y.FIRS  T  PRESIDE  A'  7 '. 


99 


■^ii^ 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 

^T  twenty-first  Presi'^.^iu  of  the 
*-  United  States  was  born  in 
Franklin  Courty,  Vermont,  on 
«  the  fifth  of  Odober,  1830,  and  is 
the  oldest  of  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  five  daughters.  His 
father  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
Arthur,  a  Baptist  c'.rgy  man,  who 
emigrated  to  tb.s  countr)'  from 
the  county  Antrim,  Ireland,  in 
his  iSth  year,  and  died  in  1S75,  in 
Newtonville,  neai  Albany,  after  a 
long  and  successful  ministry- 
Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  S(  henectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
IJj]  in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
Js  the  expiration  cf  that  time  came  to 
New  York,  with  $500  in  his  pocket, 
and  eiUered  the  office  of  ex-Judge 
V  E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  After 
being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
m  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
but  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success^ 
ful  career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
soon  afterward  nwrred  the  daughter   of  Lieutenant 


Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 
sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  Arthurs 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon, 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
;  the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  People,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs 
Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
Artliur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare. 
General  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  ride 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  quickly 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Company  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons and  the  other  lines  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  apjxiinted  hmi  Engineer- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was  made  Inspec- 
tor General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  York,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1 878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the  greatest  political 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  the  continent.  It 
was  composed  of  the  'sading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  of 
the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
.vas  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
March  4,  1881,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering, — those  moments  of 
anxious  suspense,  wher  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


tions were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re 
covery  of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark- 
able patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf- 
fering man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God- 
like. During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr. 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  his 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi- 
ciously begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar- 
field from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as    never 
before  in    its    history  over  the  death  of    any  other 
man,  wept  at  his  bier.     Then  it  became   the  duty  of 
the  Vice  President  to  assume   the  responsibilities  of 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in    New  York, 
Sept.  20,  i88i.     The  position  was  an    embarrassing 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from   the  facts  that  all 
eyes  were  on  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do, 
what  policy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se- 
lect as  advisers.    The  duties  of  the  office  had  been 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness, 
and  many  important  measures  were  to  be  immediately 
decided  by  him;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on 
this  point.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  his  own 
hands;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  of 
affairs,  he  happily  surprised  the   nation,  acting  so 
wisely    that    but    few    criticised    his   administration. 
He   served    the  nation   well  and  faithfully,  until  the 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was 
a  popular  candidate  before   his   party  for  a  second 
term.     His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con- 
vention   at   Chicago,  and   was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have 
been   selected   as  the   standard-bearer  of  his   party 
for  another  campaign.     He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
r)'ing  with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself. 


ryi^tn^r  C/^c<uc^c<iyiy^\i^^ 


TWliNTY-SECUN-D  PRESIDENT. 


•6J 


'^^''"'^'<^^'^-^"^*'^^^'''C*iS'^''gr*&^'^C'Q'^ ''C'^^'^c3^'''Cj-'^Z^'C*®'^ 


r0i0er  dexjefamd. 


i 


TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND,thetwenty-second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
born  in  1837,  in  the  obscure 
town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 
half-story  white  house  which  is  still 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  humble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con- 
trast with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origin  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyteriin  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  cf  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "  good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  possible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayette/ille  seemed 
to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
influence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  $50  for  his  services 
the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  $too  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
that  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he  did  not  ex- 
hibit as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  where  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  family  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
on  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
N.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  position  of  "  under-teacher  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


I04 


S.    GROVER   CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
ne  left  the  city  to  seek  his  fortune,  instead  of  going 
to  a  city.  He  first  thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as 
uiere  was  some  charm  in  that  name  for  him;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to 
isk  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stock-breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
ri)eak  enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply,  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
the  old  gentleman;  "  do  you,  indeed  .'  What  ever  put 
that  into  your  head?  How  much  money  have  you 
got?"    '^"  Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  got 

n 

anv. 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  wiiilc  iid  could  "look  around."  One  day  soon 
afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  ofSce  of  Rogers, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  Ihem  what  he 
wanted.  A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  and 
ne  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
r.ave  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
of  $3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  cine,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat — he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  here,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "That's 
where  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans  ; 
out  indue  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  all  their  metaphysical 
possibilities.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
t,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  in  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punishment  upon  two 
ctinunals.  Li  18S1  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buffalo,  or  the  Democratic  ticket,  v/ith  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  certain  reforms 


in  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that 
city.  In  this  office,  as  well  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his 
performance  of  duty  has  generally  been  considered 
fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which  were  fer- 
reted out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential 
campaign.  As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an  iniqui- 
tous street-cleaning  contract:  "This  is  a  time  for 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 
be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the  culmination  of 
a  mos  bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme 
to  betray  the  interests  of  the  people  and  to  worse 
than  squander  the  people's  money,"  The  New  York 
Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended  Mr.  Cleve- 
land's administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there- 
upon recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire 
State.  To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1S82, 
and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made^  if 
any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  nation 
after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July 
ir,  1S84,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  iX 
Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F. 
Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.:  and  he 
was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub- 
lican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President  Cleve- 
land resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in 
January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States,  in  which 
capacity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1885.  For  his  Cabinet  officers  he  selected 
tlie  following  gentlemen:  For  Secretary  of  State, 
Thomas  F.  Bayard,  of  Delaware ;  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  Daniel  Manning,  of  New  York ;  Secretary 
of  War,  William  C.  Endicott,  of  Massachusetts; 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  William  C.  Whitney,  of  New 
York;  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  cf 
Mississippi ;  Postmaster-General,  William  F.  Vilas, 
of  Wisconsin ;  Attorney-General,  A.  H.  Garland,  of 
Arkansas. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy  be- 
tween those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of 
silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  opposed,  Mr. 
Cleveland  ansv/ering  for  the  latter,  even  before  his 
inauguration. 


.  ^iA^a 


i^^.y^7-^-'7vyC>c^'(^--i^ 


TWENTY-THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


Iu7 


'^Qn^a^inin  ^.ai^^mon^ 


••o«o.@^<V®-<>*0" 


.ENJAMIN   HARRISON,  the 

\  ,  '„wenty-tbiid  President,  is 
>'&>  the  descendant  of  one  of  tlie 
historical  families  of  this 
country.  The  head  of  tiie 
family  was  a  Major  General 
Harrison,  one  of  Oliver 
CromweU's  trusted  follow- 
ers and  fighters.  In  the  zenit.hof  Crom- 
well's power  it  became  the  duty  of  this 
Harrison  to  participate  in  the  trial  of 
Charles  I,  and  afterward  to  sign  the 
deaih  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subse- 
quently paid  for  this  with  his  life,  being 
hung  Oct.  13,  IGGO.  His  descendants 
came  to  America,  and  the  next  of  the 
fam'ily  that  appears  in  history'  is  Benja- 
min Harrison,  of  Virginia, great-grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
after  wliom  he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison 
wa:;  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  during 
the  years  i774-5-G,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He 
was  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia. 
Gen    William   Henry   Harrison,  the  son  of  the 


distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a  suc- 
cessful career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of  1812, 
and  with -a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the  North- 
western Territory,  was  elected  President  of  the 
United  States  in  1840.  His  career  was  cut  short 
by  de.ath  within  one  month  after  ais  inauguration. 
President  Harrison  was  born  at  Nortli  Bend, 
Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  "^0, 1833.  His  life  up  to 
the  time  of  his  graduation  by  the  Miami  University 
at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful  one  of  a  coun- 
try lad  of  a  family  of  small  means.  His  father  was 
able  to  give  him  a  good  education,  and  nothing 
more.  He  became  engaged  while  at  college  to  tho 
daughter  of  Dr..  Scott,  Principal  of  a  female  schoo 
at  Oxford.  After  graduating  he  determined  to  en- 
ter upon  the  stud}'  of  the  law.  He  went  to  Cin 
cinnati  and  then  read  law  for  two  years.  At  tht 
expiration  of  that  time  young  Harrison  receiv.d  tb  . 
only  inheritance  of  his  life ;  his  aunt  dying  left  uin. 
a  lot  valued  at  §800.  He  regarded  this  legacy  as  a 
fortune,  and  decided  to  get  married  at  once,  taks 
this  money  and  goto  some  Eastern  town  an ',  be- 
gin the  practice  of  law.  He  sold  his  lot,  and  with 
the  money  in  his  pocket,  he  started  out  wita  his 
young  wife  to  fight  for  a  place  \\\  the  world.     Ke 


108 


uKlvjAMlM  ifARRlSON. 


decided  to  go  to  Indianapolis,  which  was  even  nt 
that  time  a  town  of  promise.  He  met  with  slight 
encouragement  at  first,  making  scarcely  anj'thing 
Ihe  first  j-ear.  He  worked  diligently',  appl3-ing  him- 
self closely  to  his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive 
practice  and  took  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  pro- 
I'ession.     He  is  the  father  of  two  children. 

In  186C  Mr.  Harrison  was  nouiiuated  for  tlie 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan liis  experience  as  a  stump  speuke:  He  can- 
vassed the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the  17th 
Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its  Colonel.  His 
regiment  was  composed  of  the  rawest  of  material, 
out  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his  time  at  first 
mastering  military  tactics  and  drilling  his  men, 
when  he  therefore  came  to  move  toward  the  East 
with  Sherman  his  regiment  was  one  of  the  best 
ca-illed  and  organized  in  the  army.  At  Resaca  he 
especially  distinguished  himself,  and  for  his  bravery 
r.t  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made  a  Brig.adier  Gen- 
eral, Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of  him  in  the  most 
complimenlar}'  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the  field 
he  Supreme  Court  declared  the  olHce  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another  person 
was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the  time  of  leav- 
ing Indiana  with  his  regiment  until  the  fall  of  1864 
he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence,  but  having  been 
nominated  that  year  for  the  same  office,  he  got  a 
thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and  during  that  time 
made  a  brilliant  canvass  of  the  State,  and  was  elected 
for  another  terra.  He  then  started  to  rejoin  Sher- 
a;an,  buton  the  way  was  stricken  down  with  scarlet 
_ever,  and  after  a  most  trying  siege  made  his  way 
to  the  front  in  time  to  participate  in  the  closing 
xcideuts  of  the  war. 

In  18G8Gen.  Harrison  declined  re-election  as 
.■eporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In  1876 
£6  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although  de- 
eated,  the  brilliant  campaign  he  made  won  for  him 
1  National  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought,  es- 
pecial.y  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches.  In  1880, 
as  usual,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign, 
i^nd  vfw.  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  Here 
he  served  six  years,  and  T7as  known  as  one  oi  the 
itblest  men,  best  lawyer?  apd  sti'ougest  debaters  in 


that  body.  With  the  expiration  of  his  Senatoriii! 
term  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
becoming  the  head  of  one  of  the  strongest  firms  in 
the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  countr}'.  The 
convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in  June  and 
named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  standard  bearer 
of  the  Republican  party,  was  great  in  every  partic- 
ular, and  on  this  account,  and  the  attitude  it  as- 
sumed ufron  the  vital  questions  of  the  day,  chief 
among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a  deep  interest 
in  the  campaign  throughout  the  Nation.  Shortly 
after  the  nomination  delegations  began  to  visit  Mr. 
Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his  homo.  This  move- 
ment became  popular,  and  from  all  sections  of  the 
country  societies,  clubs  and  delegations  journeyed 
thither  to  paj'  their  respects  to  the  distinguished 
statesman.  The  popularity  of  these  was  greatly 
increased  on  account  of  the  remarkable  speeches 
made  by  Mr.  Harrison.  He  spoke  daily  all  through 
the  summer  and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delega- 
tions,  and  so  varied,  masterly  and  eloquent  were 
his  speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 

On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and  his 
power  as  a  debater,  he  was  called  iipon  at  an  un- 
commonly early  age  to  talie  part  in  the  discussion 
of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  t  j  agitate 
the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising  ant: 
slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some  of  u'-e 
most  eminent  Dem(,cratic  speakers  of  his  State. 
No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade  de  ired  to 
be  pitted  with  him  again.  "With  all  his  eloq-'enco 
as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  oratorical  effect, 
but  his  words  always  went  like  bullets  to  the  mark 
He  is  purelj'  American  in  his  ideas  and  is  a  spier 
did  type  of  the  American  statesman.  Gifted  will 
quick  perception,  a  logical  mind  and  a  ready  tongue. 
he  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  impromptu 
speakers  in  the  Nation.  JMany  of  these  speeches 
sparkled  with  the  rarest  of  eloquence  and  containeci 
arguments  of  greatest  weight.  Many  of  Ins  terse 
statements  have  already  become  aphorisms.  Origi- 
nal in  thought,  precise  in  logic,  terse  in  statement, 
yet  withal  faultless  in  eloquence,  he  is  recognized  as 
the  sound  statesman  ami  brilliant  orator  o-  tac  day 


•^ 


o^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


^x^<iIW®^^~- 


>  HADRACH    BOND,    ihe    first 
Governor  of  Illinois  after  its 
organization  r.s  a  State,  serving 
from  1818  to  1822,  was  born  in 
.:j   Frederick   County,    Maryland, 
^  ^    "■>    ti'e   year    1773,    and    was 
raised  a  farmer  011  his   father's 
plantation,    receiving    cr.ly   a    plain 
English     education.      He   emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1794,  when  it  was  a 
part   of  the    "Northwest    Territory," 
continuing  in   tlie  vocation  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  native 
State,  in    the   "  New  Design,"   near 
Eagle  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
County.     He  served  several  terms  as 
a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Indiana  Territory,  after  it  was  organized  as  such, 
and  in   1S12-14  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenth  Congresses,  taking  his   seat  Dec.  3, 
1812,  and  serving  until  Oct.  3,    1814.     These  were 
ihe  times,  the  reader  will  recollect,  when   this   Gov- 
ernment   had    its    last  struggle  with   Great  Britain. 
The  year  181213   also  noted  in  the   history  of  this 
State  as  that  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
was  held.     It  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Nov.  25,  and 
adjourned  Dec.  26,  following. 

While  serving  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  Mr.  Bond 
\vas  instrumental  in  procuring  the  right  of  pre-emp- 
t  on  on  the  pu!)lic  domain.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
lenn  at  W.ishington  he  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
Public  Moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  then  the  capital  of  the 
Territory.       In    company    wiih   John    G.     Comyges, 


Thomas  H.  Harris,  Charles  Slade,  Michael  Jones, 
Warren  Brown,  Edward  Humphries  and  Charles  W 
Hunter,  he  became  a  proprietor  of  the  site  of  the 
initial  city  of  Cairo,  which  they  hoped,  from  its  favor- 
able location  at  the  junction  of  the  two  great 
rivers  near  the  center  of  the  Great  West,  would 
rapidly  develop  into  a  metropolis.  To  aid  the  enter- 
prise, they  obtained  a  special  charter  from  the  Legis- 
lature, incorporating  both  the  City  and  the  Bank  of 
Cairo. 

In  1818  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  the  first  Governor 
of  the   State  of  Illinois,    being  inaugurated  Oct.  6 
that  year,  whicii   was   several  weeks  before  Illinois 
was    actually    admitted.     The  facts  are  these:     In 
January,  1818,  the  Territorial  Legislature  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a 
State,   Nathaniel   Pope  being  then    Delegate.     The 
petition  was  granted,  fixing  the  northern  line  of  the 
State  on  the  latitude  of  the  southern  e.vtremity  of 
Lake  Michigan ;  but  the  bill  was  afterward  so  amend- 
ed as  to  extend  this  line  to  its  present  latitude.     In 
July  a  convention  was  called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a 
constitution,  which,  liowever,  was  not  submitted  to 
the  people.     By  its  provisions,  supreme  judges,  pros 
ecuting  attorneys,  county  and  circuit  judges,  record- 
ers and  justices  of  the  peace  were  all  to  be  appointed 
by  the  Governor  or  elected  by  the  Legislature.    This 
constitution  was  accepted  by  Congress  Dec.  30.      At 
that   time    Illinois  comprised   but   eleven  counties, 
namely,    Randolph,    Madison,     Gallatin,    Johnson, 
Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington 
and  Franklin,  the  northern  jjortion  of  tlie   State  be- 
ing mainly  in   Madison  County.     Thus   it   appears 
that  Mr.  Bond  was    honored  by    the    naming  of  a 


LdnrT-UAD  Ccr{j2<^ 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


"5 


}£bwai5  Coles. 


'-^^ 


;^)-gg-'<llll>-J®>^ :   ■-<>- 


DVVARD  COLES,  second 
Governor  of  Illinois,  1823- 
6,  was  born  Dec.  15,  1786, 
\n  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  on 
the  old  family  estate  called 
"  E  nniscorthy,"  on  the 
Green  Mountain.  His  fath- 
er, John  Coles,  was  a  Colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Having  been  fit- 
ted for  college  by  private  tutors,  he 
was  sent  to  Hampden  Sidney,  where 
he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1805, 
when  be  was  removed  to  William  and 
fCT)  ilt^iV  Mary  College,  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
''yi'Jj!,.^  This  college  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
1S07,  a  short  time  before  the  final  and  graduating 
examination.  Among  his  classmates  were  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  President  Joiin  Tyler,  Wni.  S.  Archer, 
United  States  Senator  from  Virginia,  and  Justice 
Baldwin,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
President  of  the  latter  college.  Bishop  Madison,  was 
a  cousin  of  President  James  Madison,  and  tiiat  cir- 
cumstance was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Coles  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  the  President  and  re- 
ceiving a  position  as  his  private  secretary,  1809-15. 
The  family  of  Coles  was  a  prominent  one  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  their  mansion  was  the  seat  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Virginian  hospitality.  It  was  visited  by 
such  notables  as  Patrick  Henry,  JeiTerson,  Madison, 
Monroe,  the  Randolphs,  Tazewell,  Wirt,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  23,  young  Coles  found  himself  heir  to  a  plant- 
ation and  a  considerable  number  of  slaves.  Even- 
since  his  earlier  college  djys  his  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  slavery.     He    read    every- 


thing on  the  subject  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
listened  to  lectures  on  the  rights  of  man.  The  more 
he  reflected  upon  the  subject,  the  more  impossible 
was  it  for  him  to  reconcile  the  immortal  declaration 
"that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal  "  with  the 
practice  of  slave-holding.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
free  his  slaves  the  first  opportunity,  and  even  remove 
his  residence  to  a  free  State.  One  reason  which  de- 
termined him  to  accept  the  appointment  as  private 
secretary  to  Mr.  M.idison  was  because  he  believed 
that  through  the  acquaintances  he  could  make  at 
Washington  he  could  better  determine  in  what  par', 
of  the  non-slaveholding  portion  of  the  Union  he  wouIg 
prefer  to  settle. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Coles  and  President 
Madison,  as  well  as  Jefferson  and  other  distinguished 
men,  were  of  a  very  friendly  character,  arising  from 
the  similarity  of  their  views  on  the  question  of  slavery 
and  their  sympathy  for  each  other  in  holding  doc- 
trines so  much  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment in  their  own  State. 

In  1857,  he  resigned  his  secretaryship  and  spent  a 
portion  of  the  following  autumn  in  exploring  the 
Northwest  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  lo- 
cation and  purchasing  lands  on  which  to  settle  his 
negroes.  He  traveled  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  with 
an  extra  man  and  horse  for  emergencies,  through 
many  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
determining  finally  to  settle  iu  Illinois.  At  this  time, 
however,  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
Government  and  Russia,  and  Mr.  Coles  was  selected 
to  repair  to  St.  Petersburg  on  a  special  mission,  bear- 
ing important  papers  concerning  the  matter  at  issue 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  the   Emperor   (Alex- 


ii6 


EDWARD  COLES. 


anddr)  of  the  error  committed  by  his  minister  at 
Wiishington,  and  the  consequent  withdrawal  of  the 
the  latter  from  the  post.  On  his  return,  Mr.  Coles 
visited  oiher  ijarts  of  Europe,  especially  Paris,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  Gen.  Lafayette. 

In  the  spring  of  i8ig,  he  removed  with  all  his 
negroes  from  Virginia  to  Edvvardsville,  111.,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  them  their  liberty.  He  did  not 
make  known  to  them  his  intention  until  one  beautiful 
morning  in  April,  as  they  were  descending  the  Ohio 
River.  He  lashed  all  the  boats  together  and  called 
all  the  negroes  on  deck  and  made  them  a  short  ad- 
dress, concluding  his  remarks  by  so  expressing  him- 
self that  by  a  turn  of  a  sentence  he  proclaimed  in 
the  shortest  and  fullest  manner  that  they  were  no 
longer  slaves,  but  free  as  he  was  and  were  at  liberty 
to  proceed  with  him  or  go  ashore  at  their  pleas- 
ure. A  description  of  the  effect  upon  the  negroes  is 
best  desctibed  in  his  own  language  : 

"  The  effect  upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared 
at  ir.e  and  then  at  each  otlier,  as  if  doubting  the  ac- 
curacy or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word, 
but  with  countenances  beaming  with  expression  which 
no  words  could  convey,  and  which  no  language 
can  describe.  As  they  began  to  see  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  heard,  and  realize  their  situation,  there 
came  on  a  kind  of  hysterical,  giggling  laugh.  After 
a  pause  of  intense  and  unutterable  emotion,  bathed 
in  tears,  and  with  tremulous  voices,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  gratitude  and  implored  the  blessing  of  God 
on  me." 

Before  landing  he  gave  them  a  general  certificate 
of  freedom,  and  afterward  conformed  more  particu- 
larly with  the  law  of  this  State  requiring  that  each 
individual  should  have  a  certificate.  This  act  of 
Mr.  Coles,  all  the  more  noble  and  heroic  considering 
the  overwhelming  pro-slavery  influences  surrounding 
him,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  philan- 
thropist of  modern  times. 

March  5,  1819,  President  Monroe  appointed  Mr. 
Coles  Registrar  of  the  Land  Office  at  EdwardsviLe, 
at  that  time  one  of  the  principal  land  offices  in  the 
State.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  and  gaining 
many  friends  by  his  politeness  and  general  intelli- 
gence, the  greatest  struggle  that  ever  occurred  in 
Illinois  on  the  slavery  question  culminated  in  the 
furious  contest  characterizing  the  campaigns  and 
elections  of  1822-4.  I'l  the  summer  of  1823,  when  a 
new  Governor  was  to  be  elected  to  succeed  Mr. 
Bond,  the  pro-slavery  element  divided  into  factions, 
IHiiting  forward  for  the  executive  office  Joseph 
Phillips,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  Thomas  C. 
Browne  and  Gen.  James  B.  Moore,  of  the  State  Mil- 
i;ia.  The  anti-slavery  element  united  upon  Mr. 
Coles,  and,  after  one  of  the  most  bitter  campaigns, 
succeeded  in  electing  him  as  Governor.  His  plural- 
ity over  Judge  Phillips  was  only  59  in  a  total  vote  of 


over  8,000.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  elected 
by  the  slavery  men.  Mr.  Coles' inauguration  speech 
was  marked  by  calmness,  deliberation  and  such  a 
wise  expression  of  appropriate  suggestions  as  to 
elicit  the  sanction  of  all  judicious  politicians.  But 
he  compromised  not  with  evil.  In  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  the  seat  of  Government  being  then 
at  Vandalia,  he  strongly  urged  the  abrogation  of  the 
modified  form  of  slavery  whi';h  then  existed  in  this 
State,  contrary  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  His  posi- 
tion on  this  subject  seems  the  more  remarkable,  when 
it  is  considered  that  he  was  a  minority  Governor,  the 
population  of  Illinois  being  at  that  time  almost  ex- 
clusively from  slave-holding  States  and  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  the  perpetuation  of  that  old  relic 
of  barbarism.  The  Legislature  itself  was,  of  course, 
a  reflex  of  the  popular  sentiment,  and  a  majority  of 
them  were  led  on  by  fiery  men  in  denunciations  of 
the  conscientious  Governor,  and  in  curses  loud  and 
deep  upon  him  and  all  his  friends.  Some  of  the 
public  men,  indeed,  went  so  far  as  to  head  a  sort  of 
mob,  or  "  shiveree  "  party,  who  visited  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  and  others  at  Vandalia  and  yelled 
and  groaned  and  spat  fire. 

The  Constitution,  not  establishing  or  permitting 
slavery  in  this  State,  was  thought  therefore  to  be 
defective  by  the  slavery  politicians,  and  they  desired 
a  State  Convention  to  be  elected,  to  devise  and  sub- 
mit a  new  Constitution;  and  the  dominant  politics 
of  t_]Te  day  was  "Convention"  and  "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both  parties  issued  addresses  to  the  people, 
Gov.  Coles  himself  being  the  author  of  the  address 
pubHshed  by  the  latter  party.  This  address  revealed 
the  schemes  of  the  conspirators  in  a  masterly  man- 
ner. It  is  difficult  for  us  at  this  distant  day  to  esti- 
mate the  critical  and  e.\tremely  delicate  situation  in 
which  the  Governor  was  placed  at  that  time. 

Our  hero  maintained  liimself  honorably  and  with 
supreme  dignity  throughout  his  administration,  and 
in  his  honor  a  county  in  this  State  is  named.  He 
was  truly  a  great  man,  and  those  who  lived  in 
this  State  during  his  sojourn  here,  like  those  who 
live  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  were  too  near  to  see 
and  recognize  the  greatness  that  overshadowed  them. 

Mr.  Coles  was  married  Nov.  28,  1833,  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  to  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Roberts,  a  descendant  of  Welsh  ancestrv, 
who  cami  to  this  country  with  Wm.    Penn  in    1682. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service.  Gov. 
Coles  continued  his  residence  in  Edwardsville,  sup- 
erintending his  farm  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fond 
of  agriculture,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  agri- 
cultural society  in  the  State.  On  account  of  ill 
health,  however,  and  having  no  fannly  to  tie  him 
down,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Eastern  cities. 
About  1832  he  changed  his  residence  to  Philadel- 
\i\\\A,  where  he  died  July  7,  186S,  and  is  buried  at 
Woodland,  near  that  city. 


C^y/^'C^^C--<^'.--yn^  O  c^-c^^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


^^-•<^-t^|3c^-^>.. 


INI  AN  EDWARDS,  Govei  nor 
from  1827  to  1830,  was  asoa 
of  Benjamin    Edwards,  and 
was     born    in     Montgomery 
^^/o  County,  Maryland,  in  March, 
1775.     His  domestic  train- 
ing was  well  fitted  to  give 
his    mind    strength,  firmness  and 
hor.orable    principles,    and  a  good 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  elevated 
character   to   which    he  afterwards 
attained.     His    parents   were  Bap- 
tists, and  very  strict  in  their  moral 
piinciples.     His  education  in  early 
youth  was   in   company    with    and 
partly  under  the  tuition  of  Hon.  Wm. 
Wirt,  whom  liis   father  patronized 
and  who  was  more  than  two  years 
older.       An     intimacy    was      thus 
formed  between  them  which  was  lasting  for  life.     He 
was  further  educated  at   Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.     He  ne.>ct  commenced  the  study  of  law,  Init 
before   completing  his  course  he  moved  to  Nelson 
County,  Ky.,  to  open  a  farm  for  his  father  and  to 
purchase  homes  and  locate  lands  for  his  brothers  and 
sisters.     Here  he  fell  in  the  company  of  dissolute 
companions,  and  for  several  years  led  the  life  of  a 
spendtlirift.     He  was,  however,  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  as  the  Representative  of  Nelson 
county  before  he  was  21  years  of  age,  and  was  re- 
elected by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 


In  1798  he  was  iicensed  to  practice  law,  and  the 
following  year  was  admitted  to  the  Courts  of  Tennes- 
see. About  this  time  he  left  Nelson  County  for 
Ru.ssellville,  in  Logan  County,  broke  away  from  his 
dissolute  companions,  commenced  a  reformation  and 
devoted  himself  to  severe  and  laborious  study.  He 
then  began  to  rise  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  soon 
became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  inside  of  four  years 
he  filled  in  succession  the  offices  of  Presiding  Judge 
of  the  General  Court,  Circuit  Judge,  fourth  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  State, 
— all  before  he  was  32  years  of  age!  In  addition,  in 
1802,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  of  a  battal- 
ion of  Kentucky  militia,  and  in  1S04  was  chosen  a 
Presidential  Elector,  on  the  Jefferson  and  Clinton 
ticket.  In  1806  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
but  withdrew  on  being  promoted  to  the  Court  of 
A]3peals. 

Illinois  was  organized  as  a  separate  Territory  in 
the  spring  of  i8og,  when  Mr.  Edwards,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  received 
from  President  Madison  the  appointment  as  Gover- 
nor of  the  new  Territory,  his  commission  bearing  date 
April  24,  r8o9.  Edwards  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in 
June,  and  on  the  r  ith  of  that  month  took  the  oath  of 
office.  At  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  Saline,  this  Government 
interest  then  developing  into  considerable  proportions 
in  Southern  Illinois.  Although  during  the  first  three 
years  of  his  administration  he  had  the  power  to  make 
new  counties  and  appoint  all  the  officers,  yet  he  always 
allowed  the  people  of  each   county,  by  an  informal 


NINIAN  EDWARDS. 


vote,  to  select  their  own  officers,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. The  noted  John  J.  Crittenden,  afterward 
United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  appointed 
by  Gev.  Edwards  to  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of 
the  Territory,  which  office  was  accepted  for  a  short 
time  only. 

The  Indians  in  i8io  committing  sundry  depreda- 
tions in  the  Territory,  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  a  long  correspondence  fol- 
lowed between  the  respective  Governors  concerning 
the  remedies,  which  ended  in  a  council  with  the  sav- 
ages at  Peoria  in  1S12,  and  a  fresh  interpretation  of 
the  treaties.  Peoria  was  depopulated  by  these  de- 
predations, and  was  not  re-settled  fof  many  je.irs 
afterward. 

As  Gov.  Edwards'  term  of  office  expired  by  law  in 
1812,  he  was  re-appointed  for  another  term  of  three 
years,  and  again  in  1815  for  a  third  terra,  serving 
until  the  organization  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  18 18 
£.nd  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Bond.  At  this  time 
ex-Gov,  Edwards  was  sent  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  his  colleague  being  Jesse  B.  Thomas.  As 
Senator,  Mr.  Edwards  took  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
acquitted  himself  honorably  in  all  the  measures  that 
came  up  in  that  body,  being  well  posted,  an  able  de- 
bater and  a  conscientious  statesman.  He  thought 
ceriously  of  resigning  this  situation  in  182 1,  but  was 
persuaded  by  his  old  friend,  Wm.  Wirt,  and  others  to 
continue  in  office,  which  he  did  to  the  end  of  the 
term. 

He  was  then  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico  by 
President  Monroe.  About  this  time,  it  appears  that 
Mr.  Edwards  saw  suspicious  signs  in  the  conduct  of 
Wra.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  and  an  ambitious  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
deiicy,  and  being  implicated  by  the  latter  in  some  of 
his  statements,  he  resigned  his  Mexican  mission  in 
order  fully  to  investigate  the  charges.  The  result 
was  the  exculpation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

Pro-slavery  regulations,  often  termed  "Black  Laws," 
Ciisgraced  the  statute  books  of  both  the  Territory  and 
lie  State  of  Illinois  during  the  whole  of  his  career  in 
Jiis  commonwealth,  and  Mr.  Edwards  always  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  freedom,  and  was  an  important 
.■  ctor  in  tlie  great  struggle  which  ended  in  a  victory 
for  his  party  in  1824. 

In  1826  7  the  Winnebago  and  other  Indians  com- 
mitted sou-e  depredations  in  the  northern  part  of  the 


State,  and  the  white  settlers,  who  desired  the  hind'; 
and  wished  to  exasperate  the  savages  into  an  evacu- 
ation of  the  country,  magnified  the  misdemeanors  of 
the  aborigines  and  thereby  produced  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  races  so  great  as  to  precipitate  a  little  war, 
known  in  history  as  the  "Winnebago  War."  A  few 
chases  and  skirmishes  were  had,  when  Gen.  Atkinson 
succeeded  in  capturing  Red  Bird,  the  Indian  chief, 
and  putting  him  to  death,  thus  ending  the  contest,  at 
least  until  the  troubles  commenced  which  ended  in 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War  "  of  1832.  In  the  interpre- 
tation of  treaties  and  execution  of  their  provisions 
Gov.  Edwards  had  much  vexatious  work  to  do.  The 
Indians  kept  themselves  generally  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Michigan  Territory,  and  its'  Governor, 
Lewis  Cass,  was  at  a  point  so  remote  that  ready  cor- 
respondence with  him  was  difficult  or  impossible. 
Gov.  Edwards'  administration,  however,  in  regard  to 
the  protection  of  the  Illinois  frontier,  seems  to  have 
been  very  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

For  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  Gov.  Edwards  resided  upon  his 
farm  near  Kaskaskia,  which  he  had  well  stocked  with 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  from  Kentucky,  also  with 
fruit-trees,  grape-vines  and  shrubbery.  He  estab- 
lished saw  and  grist-mills,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  mercantile  business,  having  no  less  than  eight  or  ten 
stores  in  this  State  and  Missouri.  Notwithstanding 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  nearly  always  pur- 
chased the  goods  himself  with  which  to  supply  the 
stores.  Although  not  a  regular  practitioner  of  medi- 
cine, he  studied  the  healing  art  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  took  great  pleasure  in  prescribing  for,  and 
taking  care  of,  the  sick,  generally  without  charge. 
He  WAS  also  liberal  to  the  poor,  several  widows  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel  becoming  indebted  to  him 
even  for  their  homes. 

He  married  Miss  Elvira  Lane,  of  Maryland,  in 
1803,  and  they  became  the  affectionate  parents  of 
several  children,  one  of  whom,  especially,  is  weh' 
known  to  the  people  of  the  "  Prairie  State,"  namely, 
Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  once  the  Superintendent  c' 
Public  Instruction  and  still  a  resident  of  Springfield 
Gov.  Edwards  resided  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Kas- 
kaskia from  1809  to  1818;  in  Edwardsville  (named 
after  him)  from  that  time  to  1824;  and  from  the  lat- 
ter date  at  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  until  his 
death,  July  20,  1833,  of  Asiatic  ciiolera.  Edwards 
County  is  also  named  in  his  honor. 


I 


GO  VERNORS  OF  JLLINOIS. 


mil 


I^OHN  REYNOLDS,  Governor  1831- 

{;%»«  4.  ^vas  born  in  Montgomery  Coun- 
5':  ty,  Pennsylvania,  Feb.  26,  17S8. 
His  father,  Robert  Reynolds  and 
•&£i/r  \v^ 'pS-  his  mother,  «("^  Margaret  Moore, 
were  both  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1785,  land- 
ing at  Philadelphia.  The  senior 
Reynolds  entertained  an  undying 
hostility  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment. When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  about  six  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to 
Tennessee,  where  many  of  their 
relatives  had  already  located,  at  the  base  of  the 
Copper  Ridge  Mountain,  about  14  miles  northeast  of 
the  present  city  of  Knoxville.  There  they  were  ex- 
posed to  Indian  depredations,  and  were  much  molest- 
ed by  them.  In  1794  they  moved  into  the  interior 
of  the  State.  They  were  poor,  and  brought  up  their 
children  to  habits  of  manual  industry. 

In  1800  the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  111.,  with 
eight  horses  and  two  wagons,  encountering  many 
Hardships  on  the  way.  Here  young  Reynolds  passed 
the  most  of  his  childhood,  while  his  character  began 
to  develop,  the  most  prominent  traits  of  which  were 
ambition  and  energy.  He  also  adopted  the  principle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquors.     In  1807  the  family  made  another  removal, 


this  time  to  the  "  Goshen  Settlement,"  at  the  foot  of 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  three  or  four  miles  southwest 
of  Edwardsville. 

On  arriving  at  his  20th  year,  Mr.  Reynolds,  seeing 
tliat  he  must  look  about  for  his  own  livelihood  and 
not  yet  having  determined  what  calling  to  pursue, 
concluded  first  to  attend  college,  and  he  accordingly 
went  to  such  an  institution  of  learning,  near  Knox- 
ville, Tenn.,  where  he  had  relatives.  Imagine  his 
diffidence,  when,  after  passing  the  first  20  years  of 
his  life  without  ever  having  seen  a  carpet,  a  papered 
wall  or  a  Windsor  chair,  and  never  having  lived  in  a 
shingle-roofed  house,  he  suddenly  ushered  himself 
into  the  society  of  the  wealthy  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville!  He  attended  college  nearly  two  years, 
going  through  the  principal  Latin  authors;  but  it 
seems  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world  in  modern 
times,  had  but  very  little  use  for  his  Latin  in  after 
life.  He  always  failed,  indeed,  to  exhibit  any  good 
degree  of  literary  discipline.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  Knoxville,  but  a  pulmonary  trouble 
came  on  and  compelled  him  to  change  his  mode 
of  life.  Accordingly  he  returned  home  and  re- 
cuperated, and  in  18 12  resumed  his  college  and 
law  studies  at  Knoxville.  In  the  fall  of  18 12  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Kaskaskia.  About  this  time 
he  also  learned  the  French  language,  which  he 
practiced  with  pleasure  in  conversation  with  his 
family  for  many  years.  He  regarded  this  language 
as  being  superior  to  all  others  for  social   intercpurse. 


IZ/l 


JOHN  REYNOLDS. 


From  his  services  in  the  West,  in  the  war  oi  i8i  2, 
he  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  Ranger."  He 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  then  Judge  Advocate. 

Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  first  law  office  in  the 
winter  and  s'pring  of  1814,  inthe  French  village  of 
Cahokia,  then  the  capital  of  St.  Clair  County. 

In  the  fall  of  1818  he  was  elected  ah  Associate 
Justice  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  by  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1825  he  entered  more  earnestly  than 
ever  into  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  very  next  year 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  where  he 
acted  independently  of  all  cliques  and  private  inter- 
ests. In  1828  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  for 
the  first  time  distinctively  organized  as  such  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  usual  party  bitterness  grew  up  and 
raged  on  all  sides,  while  Air.  Reynolds  preserved  a 
'udicial  calmness  and  moderation.  The  real  animus 
.if  the  campaign  was  "  Jackson  "  and  "  anti- Jackson," 
'he  former  party  carrying  the  State. 

In  August,  1830,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor, amid  great  excitement.  Installed  in  office,  he 
did  all  within  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, internal  improvements,  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal,  the  harbor  at  Chicago,  settling  the  coun- 
try, etc.;  also  reccmmended  the  winding  up  of  the 
State  Bank,  as  its  affairs  had  become  dangerously 
complicated.  In  his  national  politics,  he  was  a 
moderate  supporter  of  General  Jackson.  But  the 
most  celebrated  event  of  his  gubernatcrial  admin- 
istration was  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  occurred 
in  1832.  He  called  out  the  militia  and  prosecuted 
the  contest  with  commendable  diligence,  appearing 
in  person  on  the  battle-grounds  during  the  most 
ciitical  periods.  He  was  recognized  by  the  President 
as  Major-General,  and  authorized  by  him  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
general  Government  the  war  was  terminated  without 
much  bloodshed,  but  after  many  serious  fights.  This 
war,  as  well  as  everything  else,  was  materially  re- 
tarded by  the  occurrence  of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the 
West.  This  was  its  first  appearance  here,  and  was 
the  next  event  in  prominence  during  Gov.  Reynolds' 
term. 

South  Carolina  nullification  coming  up  at  this  time, 
t  was  heartily  condemned  by  both  President  Jackson 
c.nd  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  took  precisely  the  same 
grounds  as  the  Unionists  in  the  last  war. 

On  the  termination  of  his  gubernatorial  term  in 
.834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, still  coi:sidering  himself  a  backwoodsman,  as 
'  e  had  scarcely  been  outside  of  the  State  since  he 
became  of  age,  and  had  spent  nearly  all  his  youthful 
days  in  the  wildest  region  of  the  frontier.  His  firft 
•nove  in  Congress  was  to  adopt  a  resolution  that  in 
all  elections  made  by  the  House  for  officers  the  votes 
should  be  given  viva  voce,  each  member  in  his  jtlace 
naming  aloud  the  person  for  whom  he  votes.  This 
created  considerable  heated  discussion,  but  was  es- 


sentially adopted,  and  remained  the  controlling  prin- 
ciple for  many  years.  The  ex  Governor  was  scarcely 
absent  from  his  seat  a  single  day,  during  eight  ses- 
sions of  Congress,  covering  a  period  of  seven  year^, 
and  he  never  vacillated  in  a  party  vote;  but  he  failed 
to  get  the  Democratic  party  to  foster  his  "  National 
Road"  scheme.  He  says,  in  "  My  Own  Times  "  (a 
large  autobiography  he  published),  that  it  was  only 
by  rigid  economy  that  he  avoided  insolvency  while  in 
Washington.  During  his  sojourn  in  that  city  he  was 
married,  to  a  lady  of  the  place. 

In  1837,  while  out  of  Congress,  and  in  company 
with  a  few  others,  he  built  the  first  railroad  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  one  about  six  miles  long, 
leading  from  his  coal  mine  in  the  Mississippi  bluff  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis.  Having  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  locomotive,  they  operated  it 
by  horse-power.  The  next  spring,  however,  the  com- 
pany sold  out,  at  great  sacrifice. 

In  1S39  the  ex-Governor  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners,  and  authorized  to  borrow 
money  to  prosecute  the  enterprise.  Accord' ngly,  he 
repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  succeeding  in  obtaining 
a  million  dollars,  which,  however,  was  only  a  fourth 
of  what  was  wanted.  The  same  year  he  and  his 
wife  made  at  our  of  Europe.  This  year,  also,  Mr. 
Reynolds  had  the  rather  awkward  little  responsibility 
of  iiitroducing  to  President  Van  Buren  the  noted 
Mormon  Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a  "  Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In  1846  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County,  more  particu- 
larly for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  feasible  charter 
for  a  macadamized  road  from  Belleville  to  St.  Louis, 
a  distance  of  nearly  14  m.iles.  This  was  immediately 
built,  and  was  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
He  vtras  again  elected  tothe  Legislature  in  1852,  when 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  i860,  aged 
and  infirm,  he  attended  the  National  Democratic 
Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C  ,  as  an  anti-Douglas 
Delegate,  where  he  received  more  attention  from  the 
Southern  Delegates  than  any  other  n'lember.  He 
supported  Breckenridge  for  the  Presidency.  After 
the  October  elections  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
Lincoln,  he  published  an  address  urging  the  Demo- 
crats to  rally  to  the  support  of  Douglas.  Immedi- 
ately preceding  and  during  the  late  war,  his  corre- 
spondence evinced  a  clear  sympathy  for  the  Southern 
secession,  and  about  the  first  of  March,  i86r,  he 
urged  upon  the  Buchanan  officials  the  seizure  of  the 
treasure  and  arms  in  the  custom-house  and  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  rather  talkative 
man,  and  apt  in  all  the  Western  phrases  and  catch^ 
words  that  ever  gained  currency,  besides  many  cun- 
ning and  odd  ones  of  his  own  manufacture. 

He  was  married  twice,  but  had  no  children.  He 
died  in  Belleville,  in  May,  1865,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


127 


>-5— <? o<s^-<lll!».^o 


kr^O 


LLIAM  LEE  D.  EWING, 
Governor  of  Illinois  Nov.  3 
;3  to  17,  1834,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  and  probably 
of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  bad 
a  fine  education,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  polished  manners  and 
._  refined  sentiment.  In  1830  Jolm  Rey- 
•^^  nolds  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State, 
k^  and  Zaduk  Casey  Lieutenant  Governor, 
Is,  S'ld  for  the  principal  events  that  followed, 
and  the  characteristics  of  the  times,  see 
sketch  of  Gov.  Reynolds.  The  first  we 
see  in  history  concerning  Mr.  Ewing,  in- 
forms us  that  he  was  a  Receiver  of  Public 
Mor  eys  at  Vandalia  soon  after  the  organization  of 
tftis  State,  and  that  the  public  moneys  in  his  hands 
vere  deposited  in  various  banks,  as  they  are  usually 
■•■\W  /resent  day.  In  1823  the  State  Bank  was 
-(jbbed,  by  which  disaster  Mr.  Ewing  lost  a  thousand- 
dollar  deposit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  commission  as 
(olonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  in  emergencies 
ne  acted  also  as  Major.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
^hen  ivras  rumored  among  the  whites  that  Black 
Hawk  and  'lis  men  had  encamped  somewhere  on 
Rock  River,  Gen.  Henry  was  sent  on  a  tour  of 
reconnoisance,  and  with  orders  to  drive  the  Indians 
from  the  State.  After  some  opposition  from  his 
Fubordinate  officers,  Henry  resolved  to  proceed  up 
Rock  River  in  search  of  the  enemy.  On  the  19th  of 
July,   early  in  the    morning,   five   baggage    wagons. 


camp  equipage  and  all  lieavy  and  carabersome  arti- 
cles were  piled  up  and  left,  so  that  the  army  migh' 
make  speedy  and  forced  inarches.  For  some  miles 
the  travel  was  exceedingly  bad,  crossing  swamps 
and  the  worst  thickets;  but  the  large,  fresh  trail 
gave  life  and  animation  to  the  Americans.  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Col.  Ewing  were  both  actmg  as  Majors, 
and  composed  the  "  spy  corps  "  or  vanguard  of  the 
army.  It  is  supposed  the  army  marched  nearly  50 
miles  this  day,  and  the  Indian  trail  they  followed 
became  fresher,  and  was  strewed  with  much  property 
and  trinkets  of  the  red-skini  that  they  had  lost  or 
thrown  away  to  hasten  their  march.  During  the 
following  night  there  was  a  terrific  thunder-storm,  and 
the  soldiery,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  were  thor- 
oughly drenched. 

On  approaching  nearer  the  Indians  the  next  day. 
Gen.  Dodge  and  Major  Ewing,  each  commanding  a 
battalion  of  inen,  were  placed  in  front  to  bring  on  the 
battle,  but  the  savages  were  not  overtaken  this  day 
Forced  marches  were  continued  until  they  reached. 
Wisconsin  River,  where  a  veritable  battle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  about  68  of  Black  Hawk's 
men.  The  next  day  they  continued  tlie  chase,  and 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  trail  of  the  Indians 
leading  toward  tlie  Mississippi,  Maj.  Ewing  formed 
his  battalion  in  order  of  battle  and  awaited  the  orde' 
of  Gen.  Henry.  The  latter  soon  appeared  on  the 
ground  and  ordered  a  charge,  which  directly  resulted 
in  chasing  the  red  warriors  across  the  great  river. 
Maj.  Ewing  and  his  command  proved  particularly 
efficient  in  war,  as  it  seems  they  were  the  chief  actors 
in  driving  the  main  body  of  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  iiv 


128 


WILLIAM  l:d.  EWING. 


eluding  Black  Hawk  himself,  across  the  Mississippi, 
while  Gen.  Atkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  ex- 
pedition, with  a  body  of  the  army,  was  hunting  for 
them  •in  another  direction. 

In  the  above  affair  Maj.  Ewmg  is  often  referred  to 
as  a  "General,"  ul;ich  title  he  had  derived  from  his 
connection  with  the  militia. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  (1832) 
that  Lieutenant  Governor  Casey  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress and  Gen.  Ewing,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
Senate,  was  chosen  to  preside  over  that  body.  At 
the  August  election  of  1S34,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  also 
elected  to  Congress,  more  than  a  year  ahead  of  the 
time  at  which  he  could  actually  take  his  seat,  as  was 
then  the  law.  His  predecessor,  Chailes  Slade,  had 
just  died  of  Asiatic  cholera,  soon  after  the  elec- 
tion, and  Gov.  Reynolds  was  chosen  to  serve  out  his 
unexpired  term.  Accordingly  he  set  out  for  Wash- 
ington in  November  of  that  year  to  take  his  seat  in 
Congress,  and  Gen.  Ewing,  by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
President  of  the  Senate,  became  Governor  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  his  term  covering  only  a  period  of 
15  days,  namely,  from  the  3d  to  tlie  17th  days,  in- 
clusive, of  November.  On  the  17th  the  Legislature 
met,  and  Gov.  Ewing  transmitted  to  that  body  his 
message,  giving  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and  urging  a  contin- 
uance of  the  policy  adopted  by  his  predecessor ;  and 
on  the  same  day  Governor  elect  Joseph  Duncan 
'Fas  sworn  into  office,  tlius  relieving  Mr.  Ewing  from 


the  responsible  situation.  This  is  the  only  time  that 
such  a  juncture  has  happened  in  the  history  of  Illi- 
nois. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1835,  Gen.  Ewing  was 
elected  a  United  States  Senator  to  serve  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Elias  Kent  Kane,  deceased.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the 
early  politics  of  Illinois,  and  a  county  in  this  State  is 
named  in  his  honor.  The  election  of  Gen.  Ewing  to 
the  Senate  was  a  protracted  struggle.  His  competi- 
tors were  James  Semple,  who  afterwards  held  several 
important  offices  in  this  State,  and  Richard  M. 
Young,  afterward  a  United  States  Senator  and  a 
Supreme  Judge  and  a  inan  of  vast  influence.  On 
the  first  ballot  Mr.  Semple  had  25  votes.  Young  19 
-and  Ewing  18.  On  the  eighth  ballot  Young  was 
dropped ;  the  ninth  and  tenth  stood  a  tie ;  but  on 
the  1 2th  Ewing  received  40,  to  Semple  37,  and  was 
accordingly  declared  elected.  In  1837  Mr.  Ewing 
received  some  votes  for  a  continuance  of  his  term  in 
Congress,  when  Mr.  Young,  just  referred  to,  was 
elected.  In  1842  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  State 
Audit-r^r  on  the  ticket  with  Gov   Ford. 

Gen.  Ewing  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  was  much  in  public  life.  In  person 
he  was  above  medium  height  and  of  heavy  build, 
with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  large-sized  head  and' 
short  face.  He  was  genial,  social,  friendly  and 
affable,  with  fair  talent,  though  of  no  high  degree  of 
originality.    He  died  March  25,  1846. 


J^J^^^/l^   ^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'•?i 


OSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor 
1S34-8,  was    born    at    Paris, 
Ky.,  Feb.  23,  1794.     At  the 
tender  age  of  19  years  he  en- 
Hsted  in  the  war  against  Greal 
,a  ^  ,t  1/  Britain,    and  as  a  soldier  he 

'l^ii^_sL^  acquitted  himself  wiih  credit.  He 
was  an  Ensign  under  the  daunt- 
less Croghan  at  Lower  Sandubky, 
or  Fort  Stephenson.  In  Illinois 
he  first  appeared  in  a  public  capa- 
city as  Major-General  of  the  IMilitia, 
a  position  vvhich  his  military  fame 
had  procured  him.  Subsequently 
he  became  a  State  Senator  from 
Jackson  County,  and  is  honorably 
mentioned  for  introducing  the  first  bill  providing  for 
a  free-school  system.  In  1826,  when  the  redoubt- 
able John  P.  Cook,  who  had  previously  beaten  such 
men  as  John  McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  ex- 
Gov.  Bond,  came  up  for  the  fourth  time  for  Congress, 
Mr.  Duncan  was  brought  forward  against  him  by  his 
friends,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  politicians. 
ks  yet  he  was  but  little  known  in  the  State.  He  was 
an  original  Jackson  man  at  that  time,  being  attached 
to  his  political  fortune  in  admiration  of  the  glory  of 
his  military  achievements.  His  chances  of  success 
against  Cook  were  generally  regarded  as  hopeless, 
but  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  undaunted.  His 
speeches,  though  short  and  devoid  of  ornament,  were 
full  of  good  sense.  He  made  a  diligent  canvass  of 
the  State,  Mr.  Cook  being  hindered  by  the  condition  of 
his  health.  The  most  that  WdS  expected  of  Mr. 
Duncan,  under  the  circumstances,  was  that  he  would 


obtain  a  respectable  vote,  but  without  defeating  Mr. 
Cook.  The  result  of  the  campaign,  however,  was  a 
source  of  surprise  and  amazement  to  both  frier.ds 
and  foes,  as  Mr.  Duncan  came  out  641  votes  ahe.id! 
He  received  6,321  votes,  and  Mr.  Cook  5,680.  Un- 
til this  denouement,  the  violence  of  party  feeling 
smoldering  in  the  breasts  of  the  people  on  account 
of  the  defeat  of  Jackson,  was  not  duly  appreciated, 
Aside  from  the  great  convention  struggle  of  1824,  no 
other  than  mere  local  and  penonal  considerations 
had  ever  before  controlled  an  election  in  Illinois. 

From  the  above  date  Mr.  Duncan  retained  his 
seat  in  Congress  until  his  election  as  Governor  i.i 
.\ugust,  1834.  The  first  and  bloodless  year  of  th'c: 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Rey- 
nolds to  the  position  of  Brigadier-General  of  the 
volunteers,  and  he  conducted  his  brigade  to  Rock 
Island.  But  he  was  absent  from  the  State,  in  Wash- 
ington, during  the  gubern,atorial  campaign,  and  did 
not  personally  participate  in  it,  but  addressed  circu- 
lars to  his  constituents.  His  election  was,  indeed, 
attributed  to  the  circumstance  of  his  absence,  be- 
cause his  estrangement  from  Jackson,  formerly  hi-; 
political  idol,  and  also  from  the  Democracy,  largeK' 
in  ascendency  in  the  State,  was  complete;  but  while 
his  defection  was  well  known  to  his  Whig  friends, 
and  even  to  the  leading  Jackson  men  of  tiiis  State, 
the  latter  were  unable  to  carry  conviction  of  that  fact 
to  the  masses,  as  mail  and  newspaper  facilities  at 
that  day  were  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  present 
time.  Of  course  the  Governor  was  much  abused 
afterward  by  the  fossilized  Jackson  men  who  re- 
garded party  ties  and  affiliations  as  above  all 
other  issues  that  could  arise;  but  he  was  doubtless 


132 


JOSEPH  DUNCAN. 


sincere  in  his  opposition  to  the  old  hero,  as  the  latter 
j;ad  vetoed  several  important  western  measures 
which  were  dear  to  Mr.  Duncan.  In  his  inaugural 
message  he  threw  off  the  mask  and  took  a  bold  stand 
against  the  course  of  the  President.  The  measures 
-e  recommended  in  his  message,  however,  were  so 
desirable  that  the  Legislature,  although  by  a  large 
majority  consisting  of  Jackson  men,  could  not  refrain 
.from  endorsing  them.  These  measures  related 
•jainly  to  bar.ks  and  internal  improvements. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Duncan  was  Governor  that  the 
people  of  Illinois  went  whirling  on  with  bank  and  in- 
ternal improvement  schemes  that  well  nigh  bank- 
-upted  the  State.  The  hard  times  of  1S37  came  on, 
and  the  disasters  that  attended  the  inauguration  of 
.hese  plans  and  the  operation  of  the  banks  were  mu- 
tually charged  upon  the  two  political  parties.  Had 
any  one  man  autocratic  power  to  introduce  and 
carry  on  any  one  of  these  measures,  he  would  proba- 
bly have  succeeded  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  ; 
;:ut  as  many  jealous  men  had  hold  of  the  same  plow 
handle,  no  success  followed  and  each  blamed  the  other 
.^or  the  failure.  In  this  great  vortex  Gov.  Duncan 
was  carried  along,  suffering  the  like  derogation  of 
character  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

At  the  height  of  the  excitement  the  Legislature 
"provided  for"  railroads  from  Galena  to  Cairo,  Alton 
to  Sliavvneetown,  Alton  to  Mount  Carmel,  Alton  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  State  in  the  direction  of 
Terre  Haute,  Quincy  via  Siivin^field  to  the  Wabash, 
Bloomington  to  Pekin,  and  Peoria  to  Warsaw, — in  all 
about  1,300  miles  of  road.  It  also  provided  for  the 
improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  Great  and  Little  Wabash  and  Rock  Rivers  ; 
also  as  a  placebo,  $200,000  in  money  were  to  be  dis- 
.ributed  to  the  various  counties  wherein  no  improve- 
ments were  ordered  to  be  made  as  above.  The 
estimate  for  the  expenses  for  all  these  projects  was 
placed  at  a  little  over  $10,000,000,  which  was  not 
more  i.nan  half  enough  !  That  would  now  be  equal  to 
.saddling  upon  the  State  a  debt  of  $225,000,000  !  It 
was  sufficient  to  bankrupt  the  State  several  times 
over,   even   counting  all  the  possible  benefits. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  ever  occurred 
in  this  fair  State  was  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Love- 
ioy  in  the  fall  of  1837,  at  Alton,  during  Mr.  Duncan's 
ierni  as  Governor.  Lovejoy  was  an  "  Abolitionist," 
editing  the  Observer  at  that  place,  and  the  pro- 
slavery  slums  there  formed  themselves  into  a  mob, 


and  after  destroying  successively  three  presses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  surrounded  the  warehouse 
where  the  fourth  press  was  stored  away,  endeavoring 
to  destroy  it,  and  where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends 
were  entrenching  themselves,  and  shot  and  killed  the 
brave  reformer! 

About  this  time,  also,  the  question  of  removing  the 
State  capital  again  came  up,  as  the  20  years'  limit  for 
its  existence  at  Vandalia  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
There  was,  of  course,  considerable  excitement  over 
the  matter,  the  two  main  points  competing  for  it  be- 
ing Springfield  and  Peoria.  The  jealousy  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  not  even  yet,  45  years  afterward,  fully 
allayed. 

Gov.  Duncan's  term  expired  in  1838.  In  1842 
he  was  again  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  this  time  by  the  Whig  party,  against  Adam 
W.  Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  County,  the  nominee  of  the 
Democrats.  Charles  W.  Hunter  was  a  third  candi- 
date for  the  same  position.  Mr.  Snyder,  however,  died 
before  the  cainpaign  had  advanced  very  far,  and  his 
party  substituted  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected 
receiving  46,901  votes,  to  38,584  for  Duncan,  and 
gog  for  Hunter.  The  cause  of  Democratic  success 
at  this  time  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  temporary 
support  of  the  Mormons  which  they  erijoyed,  and  the 
want  o.'  any  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  masses, 
that  Mr.  Ford  was  opposed  to  any  given  policy  en- 
tertained in  the  respective  localities. 

Gov.  Duncan  was  a  man  of  rather  limited  educa- 
tion, but  with  naturally  fine  abilities  he  profited 
greatly  by  his  various  public  services,  and  gathered 
a  store  of  knowledge  regarding  public  affairs  which 
served  him  a  read^  jiurpose.  He  possessed  a  clear 
judgment,  decision,  confidence  in  himself  and  moral 
courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of  right.  In  his 
deportment  he  was  well  adapted  to  gain  the  admira- 
tion of  the  people.  His  intercourse  with  them  was 
both  affable  and  dignified.  His  portrait  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  from  which  the  accompanying  was 
made,  represents  him  as  having  a  swarthy  complex- 
ion, high  cheek  bones,  broad  forehead,  piercing  black 
eyes  and  straight  black  hair. 

He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Illinois  ("oUege  at 
Jacksonville,  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
died,  after  a  short  illness,  Jan.  15,  1844,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  leaving  a  wife 
but  no  cliildren.  Two  children,  born  to  them,  had 
died  in  infancy. 


■r/aAJ^'^<^^ 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'35 


\  P'-V-'-W.1B^^:3"?'T' 


J  <^JPwa^>  lil 


s^i: 


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^^^^^^^^2MJi:sKQ!*5CiU^k 


'"^MhOMAS  CARLIN,  the  sixth 
x_j,llf5/ff  Governor  of  the  State  of 
llhnois,  serving  from  1838 
to  1842,  was  also  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  being  born  near 
Frankfori,  that  State,  July 
18,  1789,  of  Irisli  paternity. 
The  opportunities  for  an  education 
being  very  meager  in  his  native 
place,  he,  on  approaching  years  of 
judoment  and  maturity,  applied 
himself  to  those  branches  of  learn- 
ing that  seemed  most  important, 
and  thus  became  a  self-made  man  ; 
and  his  taste  for  reading  and 
study  remained  with  him  through 
life.  In  1803  his  father  removed 
to  Missouri,  then  a  part  of  "  New  Spain,"  where  he 
died  in  1810. 

In  1S12  young  Carlin  came  to  Illinois  and  partici- 
pated in  all  the  "ranging"  service  incident  to  the 
war  of  that  period,  proving  himself  a  soldier  of  un- 
daunted bravery.  lu  1814  he  married  Rebecca 
Huitt,  and  lived  for  four  years  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississijjpi  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
scari,  where  he  followed  farming,  and  then  removed 
to  Greene  County.  He  located  the  town  site  of  Car- 
ru'to:-,  in  that  county,  and  in  1825  made  a  liberal 
donation  of  land  for  county  building  purposes.  He 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  that  county  after  its  separate 
organization,  and  afterward  was  twice  elected,  as  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  to  the  Illinois  Senate.  In  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  commanded  a  spy  battalion,  a 
post  of  considerable  danger.  In  1834  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Jackson  to  the  position  of 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  and  to  fulfill   the  office 


more  conveniently  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Quincy. 

While,  in  1838,  the  unwieldy  internal  improvement 
system  of  the  State  was  in  full  operation,  with  all  its 
expensive  machinery,  amidst  bank  suspensions 
throughout  the  United  States,  a  great  stringency  in 
the  money  market  everywliere,  and  Illinois  bonds 
forced  to  sale  at  a  heavy  discount,  and  the  "  hardest 
times"  existing  that  the  people  of  the  Prairie  State 
ever  saw,  the  general  election  of  State  officers  was 
approaching.  Discreet  men  who  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  subsidence  of  the  public  infatua- 
tion, met  with  disappointment.  A  Governor  and 
Legislature  were  to  be  elected,  and  these  were  now 
looked  forward  to  for  a  repeal  of  the  ruinous  State 
policy.  But  the  grand  scheme  had  not  yet  lost  its 
dazzling  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the  people. 
Time  and  experience  had  not  yet  fully  demonstrated 
its  utter  absurdity.  Hence  the  question  of  arresting 
its  career  of  profligate  expenditures  did  not  become 
a  leading  one  with  the  dominant  party  during  the 
campiign,  and  most  of  the  old  members  of  the  Leg- 
islature were  returned  at  this  election. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Democrats,  in  State 
Convention  assembled,  nominated  Mr.  Carlin  for  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  S.  H.  Anderson  for  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  while  the  Whigs  nominated  Cyrus  Ed- 
wards, brotherofNinian  Edwards,  formeriy  Governor, 
and  W.  H.  Davidson.  Edwards  came  out  strongly 
for  a  continuance  of  the  State  policy,  while  Carli: 
remained  non-committal.  Tliis  was  the  first  time 
that  the  two  main  political  parties  in  this  State  were 
unembarrassed  l)y  any  third  party  in  the  field.  The 
result  of  the  election  was:  Carlin,  35,573 ;  .Ander- 
son, 30,335;  Edwards,  29,629;  and  Davidson,  28,- 

Uixjn  the  meeting  of  the  subsequent  Legislature 
(1839),  the  retiring  Governor  CDuncan)  in   his  mes- 


136 


THOMAS  CARLIN. 


sage  spoke  in  emphatic  terms  of  the  impolicy  of  the 
internal  improvement  system,  presaging  the  evils 
threatened,  and  uiged  that  body  to  do  their  utmost 
to  correct  the  great  error;  yet,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Legislature  not  only  decided  to  continue  the  policy 
but  also  added  to  its  burden  by  voting  more  appro- 
priations and  ordering  more  improvements.  Althouf^i 
the  money  market  was  still  stringent,  a  further  loan 
of  $4,000,000  was  ordered  for  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
■gan  Canal  alone.  Cii'cago  at  that  time  began  to 
loom  up  and  promise  to  be  an  important  city,  even 
the  great  emporium  of  the  West,  as  it  has  since  in- 
deed came  to  be.  Ex-Gov.  Reynolds,  an  incompe- 
tent financier,  was  commissioned  to  effect  the  loan, 
and  accordingly  hastened  to  the  East  on  this  respons- 
ible errand,  and  negotiated  the  loans,  at  considera- 
ble sacrifice  to  the  State.  Besides  this  embarrassment 
to  Carlin's  administration,  the  Legislature  also  de- 
clared that  he  had  no  authority  to  appoint  a  Secretary 
of  State  until  a  vacancy  existed,  and  A.  P.  Field,  a 
Whig,  who  had  already  held  the  post  by  appointment 
through  three  administrations,  was  determined  to 
keep  the  place  a  while  longer,  in  spite  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin's preferences.  The  course  of  the  Legislature  in 
this  regard,  however,  was  finally  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  a  quo  warranto  case  brought  up 
before  it  by  Jchn  A.  McClernand,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor had  nominated  for  the  office.  Thereupon  that 
dignified  body  was  denounced  as  a  "Whig  Court!" 
endeavoring  to  establish  the  principle  of  life-tenure 
of  office. 

A  new  law  was  adopted  re-organizing  the^Judici- 
aiy,  and  under  it  five  additional  Supreme  Judges 
were  elected  by  the  Legislature,  namely,  Thomas 
Ford  (afterward  Governor),  Sidney  Breese,  Walter  B. 
Scares,  Samuel  H.  Treat  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
all  Democrats. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Carlin's  administration  that  the 
noisy  campaign  of  "  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too  "  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  a  Whig  victory.  This,  however, 
did  net  affect  Illinois  politics  very  seriously. 

Another  prominent  event  in  the  West  during  Gov. 
Carlin's  term  of  office  was  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  Mormons  and  their  removal  from  Independence, 
Mo.,  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  1840.  At  the  same  time 
they  began  to  figure  somewliat  in  State  politics.  On 
account  of  their  believing — as  they  thought,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament — that   they  should   have 


"  all  things  common,"  and  that  consequently  "  all 
the  earth  "  and  all  that  is  upon  it  were  the"  Lord's  " 
and  therefore  the  property  of  his  "  saints,"  they 
were  suspected,  and  correctly,  too,  of  committing 
many  of  the  deeds  of  larceny,  robbery,  etc.,  that 
were  so  rife  throughout  this  country  in  those  days. 
Hence  a  feeling  of  violence  grew  up  between  the 
Mormons  and  "anti-Mormons."  In  the  State  of 
Missouri  the  Mormons  always  supported  the  Dem- 
ocracy until  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Democratic 
government,  when  they  turned  their  support  to  the 
Whigs.  They  were  becoming  numerous,  and  in  the 
Legislature  of  1840-1,  therefore,  it  became  a  matter 
of  great  interest  with  both  parties  to  conciliate  these 
people.  Through  the  agency  of  one  John  C.  Ben- 
nett, a  scamp,  the  Mormons  succeeded  in  rushing 
through  the  Legislature  (both  parties  not  daring  to 
oppose)  a  charter  for  the  city  of  Nauvoo  which  vir- 
tually erected  a  hierarchy  co-ordinate  with  the  Fed- 
eral Government  itself.  In  the  fall  of  1841  the 
Governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  upon  Gov. 
Carlin  for  the  body  of  Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
as  a  fugitive  from  justice.  Gov.  Carlin  issued  thi 
writ,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  returned  unserved. 
It  was  again  issued  in  1842,  and  Smith  was  arrested, 
but  was  either  rescued  by  his  followers  or  discharged 
by  the  municipal  court  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

In  December,  i84r,  the  Democratic  Convention 
nominated  Adam  W.  Snyder,  of  Belleville,  for  Gov- 
ernor. As  he  had  been,  as  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, rather  friendly  to  the  Mormons,  the  latter 
naturally  turned  their  support  to  the  Democratic 
party.  The  next  spring  the  Whigs  nominated  Ex- 
Gov.  Duncan  for  the  same  office.  In  the  meantime 
the  Mormons  began  to  grow  more  odious  to  the 
masses  of  the  people,  and  the  comparative  prospects 
of  the  respective  parties  for  success  became  very 
problematical.  Mr.  Snyder  died  in  May,  and 
Thomas  Ford,  a  Supreme  Judge,  was  substituted  as 
a  candidate,  and  was  elected. 

At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  Mr.  Carlin 
removed  back  to  his  old  home  at  Carrollton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as  before  his  ele- 
vation to  office,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  iS;g 
he  served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  D.  Fry  in  the 
Illinois  House  of  Representatives,  and  died  Feb.  4. 
1S52,  at  his  residence  at  Carrollton,  leaving  a  wife 
and  seven  children. 


I 


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GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


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5H0MAS  FORD,  Governor 
from  1842  to  1846,  and  au- 
thor of  a  very  interesting 
history  of  Illinois,  was  born 
at  Uniontuwn,  Pa.,  in  the 
year  r  800.  His  mother,  after 
the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band (Mr.  Forquer),  married  Rob- 
ert Ford,  who  was  killed  in  1802, 
by  the  Indians  in  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  conse- 
quently left  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, with  a  large  family,  mostly 
girls.  With  a  view  to  better  her 
condition,  she,  in  1804,  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  it  had  been  cus- 
tomary by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment to  jiive  land  to  actual  settlers ;  but  upon  her 
arrival  at  St.  Louis  she  found  the  country  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  liberal  policy  toward  set- 
tlers changed  by  the  new  ownership.  After  some 
sickness  to  herself  and  family,  she  finally  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  some  tliree  miles  south  of  Water- 
loo, but  the  following  year  moved  nearer  the  Missis- 
sippi   bluffs.      Here    young    Ford    received    his   first 


schooling,  under  the  instructions  of  a  Mr.  Humphrey, 
for  which  he  had  to  walk  three  miles.  His  mother, 
though  lacking  a  thorough  education,  was  a  woman 
of  superior  mental  endowments,  joined  to  energy 
and  determination  of  character.  She  inculcated  in 
her  children  those  high-toned  principles  which  dis- 
tinguished her  sons  in  public  life.  She  exercised  a 
rigid  economy  to  provide  her  children  an  education; 
but  George  Forquer,  her  oldest  son  (six  years  older 
than  Thomas  Ford),  at  an  early  age  had  to  quit 
school  to  aid  by  his  labor  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  afterward  became  an  eminent  man  in  Illinois 
affairs,  and  but  for  his  early  death  would  probably 
have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Young  Ford,  with  somewhat  better  opportunities, 
received  a  better  education,  though  limited  to  the 
curriculum  of  the  common  school  of  those  pioneer 
times.  His  mind  gave  early  promise  of  superior  en- 
dowments, with  an  inclination  for  mathematics.  His 
proficiency  attracted  the  attention  of  Hon.  Daniel  P. 
Cook,  who  became  his  efficient  patron  and  friend. 
The  latter  gentleman  was  an  eminent  lUijiois  states- 
man who,  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  obtained  a  grant 
of  300,000  acres  of  land  to  aid  in  completing  the 
Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal,  and  after  whom  the 
county  of  Cook  was  named.     Through  the  advice  of 


140 


THOMAS  FORD. 


this  genileman,  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law;  but  Forquer,  then  merchandising,  re- 
garding his  education  defective,  sent  hiui  to  Transyl- 
vania University,  where,  however,  he  remained  but 
one  term,  owing  to  Forquer's  failure  in  business.  On 
his  return  he  alternated  his  law  reading  with  teach- 
ing school  for  support. 

In  1829  Gov.  Edwards  appointed  Iiini  Prosecuting 
.Attorney,  and  in  1831  he  was  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Reynolds,  and  after  that  he  was  four  times  elected  a 
Judge  by  the  Le>jislature,  without  opposition,  twice  a 
Circuit  Judge,  once  a  Judge  of  Cliicago,  and  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when,  in  1841, 
the  latter  tribunal  was  re-organized  by  the  addition 
of  five  Judges,  all  Democrats.  Ford  was  assigned  to 
the  Ninth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  while  in  this  capacity 
.ne  was  holding  Court  in  Ogle  County  he  received  a 
notice  of  his  nomination  by  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion for  the  offi  ;e  of  Governor.  He  immediately  re- 
signed his  place  and  entered  upon  the  canvass.  In 
August,  1842,  he  was  elected,  and  on  the  8th  of  De- 
cember following  he  was  inaugurated. 

All  the  offices  which  he  had  held  were  unsolicited 
by  him.  He  received  them  upon  the  true  Jefferson- 
jan  principle, — NTever  to  ask  .ind  never  to  refuse 
office.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  Judge  he  stood 
deservedly  high,  but  his  cast  of  intellect  fitted  him 
rather  for  a  writer  upon  law  than  a  practicing  advo- 
cate in  the  courts.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  was  void 
of  the  moving  Dower  of  eloquence,  so  necessary  to 
success  with  j lilies.  As  a  Judge  his  opinions  were 
"ound,  lucid  and  able  expositions  of  the  law.  In 
.practice,  he  was  a  stranger  to  the  tact,  skill  and  in- 
sinuating address  of  the  politician,  but  he  saw  through 
;he  arts  of  demagogues  as  well  as  any  man.  He  was 
plain  in  his  demeanor,  so  much  so,  indeed,  tliat  at 
one  time  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office, 
during  a  session  of  the  Legislature,  he  was  taken  by 
a  stranger  lo  be  a  seeker  for  the  position  of  door- 
keeper, and  was  wai;ed  upon  at  his  hotel  near  mid- 
r.ight  by  a  knot  of  small  office-seekers  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  "combuiation  !  " 

Mr.  Ford  liad  not  the  "brass"  of  the  ordinary 
politician,  nor  that  Impstnosity  which  characterizes  a 
political  leader.  He  cared  little  for  money,  and 
hardly  enough  for  a  decent  support.  In  person  he 
was  of  small  stature,  slender,  of  dark  complexion, 
with  black  hair,  sharp  features,  deep-set  eyes,  a 
pointed,  aquiline  nose  having  a  decided  twist  to  one 
side,  and  a  small  mouth. 

The  three  most  important  events  in  Gov.  Ford's 
r.dministration  were  the  establishment  of  the  high 
financial  credit  of  the  State,  the  '"  Mormon  War  "and 
.he  Mexican  War. 

In  the  first  of  these  the  Governor  proved  himself 
"•.o  be  eiv;inently  wise.  On  coming  into  office  he  found 
'he  State  badly  paralyzed  by  the  ruinous  effects  of 
the    notorious  "internal  improvement"   schemes    of 


the  preceding  decade,  with  scarcely  anything  to 
show  by  way  of  "improvement."  The  enterprise 
that  seemed  to  be  getting  ahead  more  than  all  the 
rest  was  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  As  this 
promised  to  be  the  most  important  thorouglifare, 
feasible  to  the  people,  it  was  well  under  headway  in 
its  construction.  Therefore  the  State  policy  wa-; 
almost  concentrated  upon  it,  in  order  to  rush  it  on  tc 
completion.  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  State 
was  growing  so  large  as  to  frighten  the  people,  and 
they  were  about  ready  to  entertain  a  proposition  for 
repudiation.  But  the  Governor  had  the  foresight  to 
recommend  such  measures  as  would  maintain  the 
puldic  credit,  for  which  every  citizen  to-day  feels 
thankful. 

But  perhaps  the  Governor  is  remembered  more  for 
his  connection  with  the  Mormon  troubles  than  for 
anything  else;  for  it  was  during  his  term  of  office 
tliat  the  "  Latter-Day  Saints  "  became  so  strong  at 
Nauvoo,  built  their  temple  there,  increased  their  num- 
bers throughout  the  country,  committed  misdemean- 
ors, taught  dangerous  doctrines,  suffered  the  loss  of 
their  leader,  Jo  Smith,  by  a  violent  death,  were  driven 
out  of  Nauvoo  to  the  far  West,  etc.  Having  been  a 
Judge  for  so  many  years  previously,  Mr.  Ford  of 
course  was  no  i-committal  concerning  Mormon  affairs, 
and  was  therefore  claimed  by  both  parties  and  also 
accused  by  each  of  syn>i)athizing  too  greatly  with  the 
other  side.  Mormonism  claiming  to  be  a  system  of 
religion,  the  Governor  no  doubt  was  "between  two 
fires,"  and  felt  compelled  to  touch  the  matter  rather 
"  gingerly,"  and  doubtless  felt  greatly  relieved  when 
that  pestilential  people  left  the  State.  Such  compli- 
cated matters,  especially  when  religion  is  mixed  up 
with  them,  expose  every  person  participating  in 
them  to  criticism  from  all  parties. 

The  Mexican  War  was  begun  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  and  was  continued  into  the  gubernatorial  term 
of  Mr.  Ford's  su  xessor.  The  Governor's  connection 
with  this  war,  however,  was  not  conspicuous,  as  it 
was  only  administrative,  commissioning  officers,  etc. 

Ford's  "  History  of  Illinois  "  is  a  very  readable  and 
entertaining  work,  of  450  small  octavo  pages,  and  is 
destined  to  increase  in  value  with  the  lapse  of  time. 
It  exliibits  a  natural  flow  of  compact  and  forcible 
thought,  never  failing  to  convey  the  nicest  sense.  In 
tracing  with  his  trenchant  pen  the  devious  operations 
of  the  professional  politician,  in  which  he  is  inimit- 
able, his  account  is  open,  perhaps,  to  the  objection 
that  all  his  contemporaries  are  treated  as  mere  place- 
seekers,  while  many  of  them  have  since  been  judged 
by  the  people  to  be  worthy  statesmen.  His  writings 
seem  slightly  open  to  the  criticism  that  they  exhibit 
a  little  splenetic  partiality  against  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries who  were  prominent  during  his  term  of 
office  as  Governor. 

Tiie  death  of  Gov.  Ford  took  place  at  Peoria,  111., 
Nov.  2,  1850. 


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GO  VERiVORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


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Atigtisttm  Ce  French. 


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7;-    "Augustus  c.  French, 

/ti^.  Governor  of  Illinois  from 


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'Vp? 


1846  lo  1852,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Hill,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire, 
Aug.  2,  i8o8.  He  was  a 
descendant  in  tlie  fourth 
generation  ot  Nathaniel 
Frencli,  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  1687  and  settled  in  Saybury,  Mass. 
In  early  life  young  French  lost  his 
father,  but  continued  to  receive  in- 
struction from  an  exemplary  and 
Christian  mother  until  he  was  19  years 
old,  when  she  also  died,  confiding  to 
his  care  and  trust  four  younger  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.  He  discharged  his  trust  with 
parental  devotion.  His  education  in  early  life  was 
Euch  mainly  as  a  common  school  afforded.  For  a 
brief  period  he  attended  Dartmouth  College,  but 
from  pecuniary  causes  and  the  care  of  his  brothers 
ar.d  sister,  he  did  not  graduate.  He  subsequently 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  183 1,  and 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  first  at 
Albion,  Edwards  County,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  law.  The  following  year  he 
removed  to  Paris,  Edgar  County.  Here  he  attained 
eminence  in  his  profession,  and  entered  public  life 
by  representing  that  county  in  the  Legislature.  A 
strong  attachment  sprang  up  between  him  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

In  1839,  Mr.  French  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Palestine,  Craw- 
ford  County,  at  wb.ich  place  he  was  a  resident   when 


elevated  to  the  gubernatorial  chair.  In  1844  he  was 
a  Presidential  Elector,  and  as  such  he  voted  for 
James  K.  Polk. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1846,  meet- 
ing at  Springfield  Feb.  10,  nominated  Mr.  French 
for  Governor.  Other  Democratic  candidates  were 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  Calhoun  (subsequently  of 
Lecompton  Constitution  notoriety).  Waiter  B.  Scales. 
Richard  M.  Young  and  A.  W.  Cavarly, — an  array  of 
very  able  and  prominent  names.  Trumbull  was  per- 
haps defeated  in  the  Convention  by  the  lumor  that 
he  was  opposed  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
as  he  had  been  a  year  previously.  For  Lieutenant 
Governor  J.  B.  AVells  was  chosen,  while  other  candi- 
dates were  Lewis  Ross,  Wm.  McMurtry,  Newton 
Cloud,  T-  B.  Hamilton  and  W.  W.  Thompson.  The 
resolutions  declared  strongly  against  the  resuscita- 
tion of  the  old  State  Banks. 

The  Whigs,  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority,  held 
their  convention  June  8,  at  Peoria,  and  selected 
Thomas  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  Scott  County,  for  Governor, 
and  Gen.  Nathaniel  G.  Wilcox,  of  Schuyler,  for 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

In  the  campaign  the  latter  exposed  Mr.  French's 
record  and  connection  with  the  passage  of  the  in- 
ternal improvement  system,  urging  it  against  his 
election;  but  in  the  mc.ntirae  the  war  with  Mexico 
broke  out,  regarding  which  the  Whig  record  was  un- 
popular in  this  State.  The  war  was  the  absorbing 
and  dominating  question  of  the  period,  sweeping 
every  other  political  issue  in  its  course.  The  elec- 
tion in  August  gave  Mr.  French  58,700  votes,  and 
Kilpatrick  only  36,775.  Richard  Eells,  Abolitionist 
candidate  for  the  same  office,  received  5,152   votes 


144 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH. 


By  tlie  new  Constitution  of  1848,  a  new  election  for 
State  officers  was  ordered  in  November  of  that  year, 
before  Gov.  French's  term  was  half  out,  and  he  was 
re-elected  for  the  term  of  four  years.  He  was  there- 
fore the  incumbent  for  six  consecutive  years,  the 
only  Governor  of  this  State  who  has  ever  served  in 
that  capacity  so  long  at  one  time.  As  there  was  no 
organized  opposition  to  his  election,  he  received  67,- 
453  votes,  to  5,639  for  Pierre  Menard  (son  of  the 
first  Lieutenant  Governor),  4,748  for  Charles  V. 
Dyer,  3,834  for  W.  L.  D.  Morrison,  and  1,361  for 
James  L.  D.  Morrison.  But  Wm.  McMurtry,  of 
Knox  County,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor,  in 
place  of  Joseph  B.  Wells,  who  was  before  elected 
and  did  not  run  again. 

Governor  French  was  inaugurated  into  office  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  which  closed 
during  the  summer  of  1847,  although  the  treaty  of 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  not  made  until  Feb.  2, 
1848.  The  policy  of  Gov.  French's  party  was  com- 
mitted to  that  war,  bat  in  connection  with  that  affair 
he  was,  of  course,  only  an  administrative  officer. 
During  his  term  of  office,  Feb.  19,  1847,  the  Legisla- 
ture, by  special  permission  of  Congress,  declared  that 
all  Government  lands  sold  to  settlers  should  be  im- 
mediately subject  to  State  taxation;  before  this  they 
were  exempt  for  five  years  after  sale.  By  this  ar- 
rangement the  revenue  was  materially  increased. 
About  the  same  time,  the  distribution  of  Government 
land  warrants  among  the  Mexican  soldiers  as  bounty 
threw  upon  the  market  a  great  quantity  of  good 
lands,  and  this  enhanced  the  settlement  of  the  State. 
The  same  Legislature  authorized,  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Governor,  the  sale  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  (from  Springfield  to  Meredosia,  the 
first  in  the  State  and  now  a  section  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific),  It  sold  for  $roo,ooo  in  bonds, 
although  it  had  cost  the  State  not  less  than  a  million. 
The  salt  wells  and  canal  lands  in  the  Saline  reserve 
in  Gallatin  County,  granted  by  the  general  Govern- 
ment to  the  State,  were  also  authorized  by  the 
Governor  to  be  sold,  to  apply  on  the  State  debt.  Li 
1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  accruing  State 
revenue,  exclusive  of  specific  appropriations,  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the 
treasury.  The  aggregate  taxable  property  of  the 
State  at  this  time  was  over  $100,000,000,  and  th-'? 
population  851,470. 


\\-\  1S49  the  Legisiature  adopted  the  townsliip  or- 
ganization  law,  which,  however,  proved  defective, 
and  was  properly  amended  in  185  i.  At  its  session 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Assembly  also  passed 
a  law  to  exempt  homesteads  from  sale  on  executions 
This  beneficent  measure  had  been  repeatedly  utgeej 
upon  that  body  by  Gov.  French. 

In  1850  some  business  men  in  St.  Louis  com- 
menced to  build  a  dike  opposite  the  lower  part  of 
their  city  on  the  Illinois  side,  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
in  its  channel  near  St.  Louis,  instead  of  breaking 
away  from  them  as  it  sometimes  threatened  to  do. 
This  they  undertook  without  permission  from  the 
Legislature  or  Executive  authority  of  this  State  ;  and 
as  many  of  the  inhabitants  thera  complained  that 
the  scheme  would  inundate  and  ruin  much  valuable 
land,  there  was  a  slight  conflict  of  jurisdictions,  re- 
sulting in  favor  of  the  St.  Louis  project;  and  since 
then  a  good  site  has  existed  there  for  a  city  (East  St. 
Louis),  and  now  a  score  of  railroads  center  there. 

It  was  in  September,  1850,  that  Congress  granted 
to  this  State  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  in  aid  of 
the  completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
which  constituted  the  most  important  epoch  in  the 
railroad — we  might  say  internal  improvement — his- 
tory of  the  State.  The  road  was  rushed  on  to  com- 
pletion, which  accelerated  the  settlement  of  the  in- 
terior of  the  State  by  a  good  class  of  industrious  citi- 
zens, and  by  the  charter  a  good  income  to  the  State 
Treasury  is  paid  in  from  the  earnings  of  the  road. 

In  185  r  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing 
free  stock  banks,  which  was  the  source  of  much  leg- 
islative discussion  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  we  have  not  space  further  to  particularize 
concerning  legislation.  Gov.  French's  administra- 
tion was  not  marked  by  any  feature  to  be  criticised, 
while  the  country  was  settling  up  as  never  before. 

In  stature,  Gov.  French  was  of  medium  heiglit, 
squarely  built,  light  comple.xioned,  with  ruddy  face 
and  pleasant  countenance.  In  manners  he  was 
plain  and  agreeable.  By  nature  he  was  somewhat 
diffident,  but  he  was  often  very  outspoken  in  his  con- 
victions of  duty.  In  public  speech  he  was  not  an 
orator,  but  was  chaste,  earnest  and  persuasive.  In 
business  he  was  accurate  and  methodical,  and  in  his 
administration  he  kept  up  the  credit  of  the  State. 

He  died  in  1S65,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  St 
Clair  Co.,  ^11. 


a^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


147 


%m\  %.  Mattes^H. 


%# 


^^^|<)EL    A.    MATTESON,    Governor 
,,l^   1853-6,  was  born  Aug.  8,    1808, 
, -;:'        in  Jefferson  County,  New  York, 
to  which  place  his  father  had  re- 
moved from  Vermont  three  years 
before.     His  father  was  a  farmer 
in  fair  circumstances,  but  a  com- 
mon English   education  was  all 
that  his  only  son  received.  Young 
Joel   first  tempted  fortune  as  a 
small    tradesman     in     Prescott, 
Canada,  before   he   was   of  age. 
He  returned  from  that  place  to 
his  home,  entered  an  academy, 
taught  school,  visited   the  prin- 
cipal Eastern  cities,  improved  a  farm  liis  father  had 
given  him,  made  a  tour  in  the  South,  worked  there 
in  building  railroads,  experienced  a  slonn  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  visited  the  gold  diggings  of  Northern 
Georgia,  and  returned  via  Nashville  to  St.  Louis  and 
through  Illinois  to  his  father's  home,  when  he' mar- 
ried.    In   1833,  having  sold   his  farm,  he  removed, 
vvith  his  wife  and  one  child,  to  Illinois,  and  entered 
a  claim  on  Government  land  near  the  head  of  An 
Sable  River,  in  what  is   now  Kendall  County.     At 
tliat  time  there  were  not  more  than  two  neighbors 
within  a  range  of  ten  miles  of  his  place,  and  only 
ihree  or  four  houses  between  him  and  Chicago.     He 
opened  a  large  farm.     His  family   was  boarded   12 


=^<S$-<l«ill>^>^^=- 


miles  away  while  he  erected  a  house  on  his  claim, 
sleeping,  during  this  time,  under  a  rude  pole  shed.' 
Here  his  life  was  once  placed  in  imminent  peril  by 
a  huge  prairie  rattlesnake  sharing  his  bed. 

In  1835  he  bought  largely  at  the  Government  land 
sales.  During  the  speculative  real-estate  mania  which 
broke  out  in  Chicago  in  1 836  and  spread  ovef  the  State, 
he  sold  his  lands  under  the  inflation  of  that  period' 
and  removed  to  Joliet.     In  1838  he  became  a  heavy 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.     Upon 
tlie  completion  of  his  job  in  1841,  when  hard  times 
prevailed,  business  at  a  stand,  contracts  paid  in  State 
scrip;  when  all  the   public  works  except  the  canal 
were  abandoned,  the  State  offered  for  sale  700  tons 
of  railroad  iron,  which  was   purchased  by  Mr.  Mat- 
teson  at  a  bargain.     This  he  accepted,  shipped  and 
sold   at   Detroit,  realizing   a   very  handsome  profit, 
enough  to  pay  off"  all  his  canal  debts  and  leave  him  a 
surplus  of  several  thousand  dollars.     His  enterprise 
next  prompted  him  to  start  a  woolen  mill  at  Joliet, 
in  which  he  prospered,  and  which,  after   successive 
enlargements,  became  an  enormous  establishment. 

In  1842  he  was  first  elected  a  State  Senator,  but, 
by  a  bungling  apportionment,  John  Pearson,  a  Senator 
holding  over,  was  found  to  be  in  the  same  district, 
and  decided  to  be  entitled  to  represent  it.  Mat- 
teson's  seat  was  declared  vacant.  Pearson,  however 
with  a  nobleness  difficult  to  appreciate  in  this  day  of 


148 


JOEL  A.  MATTESON. 


greed  for  office,  unwilling  to  represent  his  district 
under  the  circumstances,  immediately  resigned  his 
unexpired  term  of  two  years.  A  bill  was  passed  in  a 
few  hours  ordering  a  new  election,  and  in  ten  days' 
time  Mr.  Matteson  was  returned  re-elected  and  took 
his  seat  as  Senator.  From  his  well-known  capacity 
as  a  business  man,  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance,  a  position  he  held  during 
this  half  and  two  full  succeeding  Senatorial  terms, 
discharging  its  important  duties  with  ability  and  faith- 
fulness. Besides  his  extensive  woolen-mill  interest, 
when  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal  under  the  new 
loan  of  ^r, 600,000  he  again  became  a  heavy  con- 
tractor, and  also  subsequently  operated  largely  in 
building  railroads.  Thus  he  showed  himself  a  most 
energetic  and  thorough  business  man. 

He  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Convention  which  met  at  Springfield 
April  20,  1852.  Other  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention were  D.  L.  Gregg  and  F.  C.  Sherman,  of 
Cook ;  John  Dement,  of  Lee  ;  Thomas  L.  Harris,  of 
Menard;  Lewis  W.  Ross, of  Fulton;  and  D.  P.  Bush, 
of  Pike.  Gustavus  Koerner,  of  St.  Clair,  was  nom- 
inated for  Lieutenant  Governor.  For  the  same  offices 
the  Whigs  nominated  Edwin  B.  Webb  and  Dexter  A. 
Knowlton.  Mr.  Matteson  received  80,645  votes  at 
the  election,  while  Mr.  Webb  received  64,408.  Mat- 
teson's  forte  was  not  on  the  stump;  he  had  not  cul- 
tivated the  art  of  oily  flattery,  or  the  faculty  of  being 
all  things  to  all  men.  His  intellectual  qualities  took 
rather  the  direction  of  efficient  executive  ability.  His 
turn  consisted  not  so  much  in  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  party,  or  the  powerful  advocacy  of  great  gov- 
ernmental principles,  as  in  those  more  solid  and 
enduring  operations  which  cause  the  physical  devel- 
opment and  advancement  of  a  State, — of  commerce 
and  business  enterprise,  into  which  he  labored  with 
success  to  lead  the  people.  As  a  politician  he  was 
just  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  both  in  official  and 
private  life  he  then  stood  untainted  and  free  from 
blemish.  As  a  man,  in  active  benevolence,  social 
rirttles  and  all  the  amiable  qualities  of  neighbor  or 
citizen,  he  had  few  superiors.  His  messages  present 
a  perspicuous  array  of  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
State,  and  are  often  couched  in  forcible  and  elegant 
diction. 

The  greatest  excitement  during  his  term  of  office 
was  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  by  Con- 


gress, under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1854,  when  the  bill  was  passed  organizing  the  Terri- 
tory of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  A  large  portion  of 
the  Whig  party  of  the  North,  through  their  bitter  op- 
position to  the  Democratic  party,  naturally  drifted 
into  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  and  thus  led  to  what 
was  temporarily  called  the  "  Anti-Nebraska  "  party, 
while  the  followers  of  Douglas  were  known  as  "  Ne- 
braska or  Douglas  Democrats."  It  was  during  this 
embryo  stage  of  the  Republican  party  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  forward  as  the  "Anti-Nebraska" 
candidate  for  the  United  States  Senatorship,  while 
Gen.  James  Shields,  the  incumbent,  was  re-nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats.  But  after  a  few  ballotings 
in  the  Legislature  (1855),  these  men  were  dropped, 
and  Lyman  Trumbull,  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat, 
was  brought  up  by  the  fomier,  and  Mr.  Matteson, 
then  Governor,  by  the  latter.  On  the  nth  ballot 
Mr.  Trumbull  obtained  one  majority,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly declared  elected.  Before  Gov.  Matteson's 
term  expired,  the  Republicans  were  fully  organized 
as  a  national  party,  and  in  1856  put  into  the  field  a 
full  national  and  State  ticket,  carrying  the  State,  but 
not  the  nation. 

The  Legislature  of  1855  passed  two  very  import- 
ant measures, — the  present  free-school  system  and  a 
submission  of  the  Maine  liquor  law  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  The  latter  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority 
of  the  popular  vote. 

During  the  four  years  of  Gov.  Matteson's  admin- 
istration the  taxable  wealth  of  the  State  was  about 
trebled,  from  §137,818,079  to  $349,951,272;  the  pub- 
lic debt  was  reduced  from  $17,398,985  to  $12,843,- 
144;  taxation  was  at  the  same  time  reduced,  and  the 
State  resumed  paying  interest  on  its  debt  in  New 
York  as  fast  as  it  fell  due;  railroads  were  increased 
in  their  mileage  from  something  less  than  400  to 
about  3,000 ;  and  the  population  of  Chicago  was 
nearly  doubled,  and  its  commerce  more  than  quad- 
rupled. 

Before  closing  this  account,  we  regret  that  we  have 
to  say  that  Mr.  Matteson,  in  all  other  respects  an 
upright  man  and  a  good  Governor,  was  implicated 
in  a  false  re-issue  of  redeemed  canal  scrip,  amount- 
ing to  $224,182.66.  By  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Cir- 
cuit Court  the  State  recovered  the  principal  and  all 
the  interest  excepting  $27,500. 

He  died  in   the  winter  of  1 87  2-3,  at  Chicago. 


^-o..^^-^^^-^- 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


151 


_^  .0  ->v/sc^r>gJS^<%> 


Ipjifll. 


^tgji'iSitig)'<igi'^'iSSit~^i'>.^,'~.y>.'.; ,'  ri'  .'i' ."i. :.  •.'■  .'r'.'i  •.'a.'ttj.'(i£.'»a>'i;^.'t^'t!^t^t^t^ 


IST'^ 


/  '  ^.JiiiJiA''-''"'- 


i.) 


j^II  LIAM  H.  BISSELL,  Gov- 
ernor 1857-60,  was  born 
L^i  I  April  25,  i8ir,  in  the 
l^,;'  State  of  New  York,  near 
/%/  Painted  Post,  Yates  County. 
II13  parents  were  obscure, 
l.o.iest,  God-fearing  people, 
uho  reared  their  children  under  the  daily 
example  of  industry  and  frugality,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  class  of  Eastern 
-■■'  "  society.  Mr.  Bissell  received  a  respecta- 
iile  but  not  thorough  academical  education. 
By  assiduous  application  he  acquired  a 
'  f^^is  ^  knowledge  of  medicine,  and  in  his  early 
''"'^  manhood  came  West  and  located  in  Mon- 
roe County,  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  that  profession.  But  he  was  not  enam- 
ored of  his  calling;  he  was  swayed  by  a  broader 
ambition,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
healing  art  and  its  arduous  duties  failed  to  yield  him 
further  any  charms.  In  a  few  years  he  discovered 
his  clioice  of  a  profession  to  be  a  mistake,  and  when 
he  approached  the  age  of  30  he  sought  to  begin 
anew.  Dr.  Bissell,  no  doubt  unexpectedly  to  him- 
self, discovered  a  singular  facility  and  charm  of 
speech,  the  exercise  of  which  acquired  for  him  a 
ready  local  notoriety.     It  soon  came  to  be  under- 


stood that  he  desired  to  abandon  his  profession  and 
take  up  that  of  the  law.  During  terms  of  Court  he 
would  spend  his  time  at  the  county  seat  among  the 
members  of  the  Bar,  who  extended  to  him  a  ready 
welcome. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  should  drift 
into  public  life.  In  1840  he  was  elected  as  a  Dem- 
ocrat to  the  Legislature  from  Monroe  County,  and 
was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  On  his  re- 
turn home  he  qualified  himself  for  admission  to  the 
Bar  and  speedily  rose  to  the  front  rank  as  an  advo- 
cate. His  powers  of  oratory  were  captivating.  With  a 
pure  diction,  charming  and  inimitable  gestures, 
clearness  of  statement,  and  a  remarkable  vein  of  sly 
humor,  his  efforts  before  a  jury  told  with  irresistible 
effect.  He  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  for  the  Circuit  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  that  position  he  fully  discharged  his  duty  to  the 
State,  gained  the  esteem  of  the  Bar,  and  seldom 
failed  to  convict  the  offender  of  the  law. 

In  stature  he  was  somewhat  tall  and  slender,  and 
with  a  straight,  military  bearing,  he  presented  a  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
jiis  head  well  poised,  though  not  large,  his  address 
pleasant  and  manner  winning.  He  was  exemplary 
in  his  habits,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind  parent. 
He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  James, 


'52 


WILLIAM  H.  BISSELL. 


of  Monroe  County,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
both  daughters.  She  died  soon  after  the  year  1840, 
and  Mr.  B.  married  for  his  second  wife  a  daughter 
of  Elias  K.  Kane,  previously  a  United  States  Senator 
from  this  State.  She  survived  him  hut  a  short  time, 
and  died  without  issue. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  was  declared  in  1 846, 
Mr.  Bissell  enlisted  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  his 
regiment,  over  Hon.  Don  Morrison,  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote, — 807  to  6.  Considering  the  limited 
opportunities  he  had  had,  he  evinced  a  high  order  of 
military  talent.  On  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista 
he  acquitted  himself  with  intrepid  and  distinguished 
ability,  contributing  with  his  regiment,  the  Second 
Illinois,  in  no  small  degree  toward  saving  the  waver- 
ing fortunes  of  our  arms  during  that  long  and  fiercely 
contested  battle. 

After  his  return  home,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he 
was  elected  to  Congress,  his  opponents  being  the 
Hons.  P.  B.  Fouke  and  Joseph  Gillespie.  He  served 
two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  an  ardent  politician. 
Daring  the  great  contest  of  1850  he  voted  in  favor 
of  the  adjustment  measures;  but  in  1854  he  opposed 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  act  and 
therefore  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of  Douglas,  and 
thus  became  identified  with  the  nascent  Republican 
party. 

During  his  first  Congressional  term,  while  the 
Southern  members  were  following  their  old  practice 
of  intimidating  the  North  by  bullying  language, 
and  claiming  most  of  the  credit  for  victories  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  Jefferson  Davis  claiming  for  the 
Mississippi  troops  all  the  credit  for  success  at  Buena 
Vista,  Mr.  Bissell  bravely  defended  the  Northern 
troops  ;  whereupon  Davis  challenged  Bissell  to  a  duel, 
which  was  accepted.  This  matter  was  brought  up 
against  Bissell  when  he  was  candidate  for  Governor 
and  during  his  term  of  office,  as  the  Constitution  of 
this  State  forbade  any  duelist  from  holding  a  State 
office. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party  first  put  forth 
a  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont,  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  same  party  nominated  Mr.  Bissell 
for  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  John  Wood,  of  Quincy, 
for  Lieutenant  Governor,  while  the  Democrats  nomi- 
nated Hon.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  Adams  County, 
for  Governor,  and  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook 
County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.     The  result  of  the 


election  was  a  plurality  of  4,729  votes  over  Richard- 
son. The  American,  or  Know-Nothing,  party  had  a 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  Legislature  was  nearly  bal- 
anced, but  was  politically  opposed  to  the  Governor. 
His  message  to  the  Legislature  was  short  and  rather 
ordinary,  and  was  criticised  for  expressing  the  sup- 
posed obligations  of  the  people  to  the  incorporators 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  and  for  re- 
opening the  slavery  question  by  allusions  to  the 
Kansas  troubles.  Late  in  the  session  an  apportion- 
ment bill,  based  upon  the  State  census  of  1855,  was 
passed,  amid  much  partisan  strife.  The  Governor 
at  first  signed  the  bill  and  then  vetoed  it.  A  furious 
debate  followed,  and  the  question  whether  the  Gov- 
ernor had  the  authority  to  recall  a  signature  was 
referred  to  the  Courts,  that  of  last  resort  deciding  in 
favor  of  the  Governor.  Two  years  afterward  another 
outrageous  attempt  was  made  for  a  re-apportionment 
and  to  gerrymander  the  State,  but  the  Legislature 
failed  to  pass  the  bill  over  the  veto  of  the  Governor. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Bissell's  administration  that 
the  notorious  canal  scrip  fraud  was  brought  to  light 
'mplicating  ex-Gov.  Matteson  and  other  prominent 
State  officials.  The  principal  and  interest,  aggregat- 
ing $255,500,  was  all  recovered  by  the  State  except- 
ing $27,500.     (See  sketch  of  Gov.  Matteson.) 

In  1859  an  attempt  was  discovered  to  fraudu- 
lently refund  the  Macalister  and  Stebbins  bonds  and 
thus  rob  the  State  Treasury  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  Tlife  State  Government  was  impli- 
cated in  this  affair,  and  to  this  day  remains  unex- 
plained or  unatoned  for.  For  the  above,  and  other 
matters  previously  mentioned,  Gov.  Bissell  has  been 
severely  criticised,  and  he  has  also  been  most  shame- 
fully libelled  and  slandered. 

On  account  of  exposure  in  the  army,  the  remote 
cause  of  a  nervovis  form  of  disease  gained  entrance 
into  his  system  and  eventually  developed  paraplegia, 
affecting  his  lower  extremities,  which,  while  it  left 
his  body  in  comparative  health,  deprived  him  of  loco- 
motion except  by  the  aid  of  crutches.  While  he  was 
generally  hopeful  of  ultimate  recovery,  this  myste- 
rious disease  pursued  him,  without  once  relaxing  its 
stealthy  hold,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  March  18, 
i860,  over  nine  months  before  the  expiration  of  hia 
gubernatorial  term,  at  the  eariy  age  of  48  years.  He 
died  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  0/ 
1   ivhich  he  han.  been  a  member  since  1854. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'55 


»5- 


->>Z)- 


■  -;;(  )HN  WOOD,  Governo."  1S60-1,  and 
0»«  the  first  settler  of  Quincy,  111., 
^=  was  born  in  the  town  of  Sempro- 
\.  nius  (now  Moravia),  Cayuga  Co., 
j:  ,.;•■  N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1798.  He  was 
the  second  child  and  only  son  of 
Dr.  Daniel  Wood.  His  mother, 
nee  Catherine  Crause,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  died 
while  he  was  an  infant.  Dr. 
Wood  was  a  learned  and  skillful 
physician,  of  classical  attain- 
ments and  proficient  in  several 
modern  lai.guages,  who,  after 
serving  throughout  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  as  a  Surgeon,  settled  on  the  land  granted 
him  by  the  Government,  and  resided  there  a  re- 
spected and  leading  influence  in  his  section  until  his 
death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  92  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  impelled  by  the  spirit 
of  Western  adventure  then  pervading  everywhere, 
left  his  home,  Nov.  2,  18 1 8,  and  passed  the  succeed- 
ing winter  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  following  sum- 
mer he  pushed  on  to  Illinois,  landing  at  Shawneetown. 
and  spent  the  fall  and  following  winter  in  Calhoun 
County.  In  1820,  in  company  with  Willard  Keyes, 
he  settled  in  Pike  County,  about  30  miles  southeast 
of  Quincy,  where  for  the  next  two  years  he  pursued 
farming.  In  1821  he  visited  "the  Bluffs"  (as  the 
present  site  of  Quincy  was  called,  then  uninhabited) 
and,  pleased  with  its  prospects,  soon  after  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  near  by,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing fall  (1822)  erected  near  the  river  a  small  cabin, 


^ 


18  X  20  feet,  the  first  building  in  Quincy,  of  which 
he  then  became  the  first  and  for  some  months  the 
only  occupant. 

About  this  time  he  visited  his  old  friends  in  Pike 
County,  chief  of  whom  was  William  Ross,  the  lead- 
ing man  in  building  up  the  village  of  Atlas,  of  that 
county,  which  was  thought  then  to  be  the  possible 
commencement  of  a  city.  One  day  they  and  others 
were  traveling  together  over  the  country  between  the 
two  points  named,  making  observations  on  the  com- 
parative merits  of  the  respective  localities.  On  ap- 
proaching the  Mississippi  near  Mr.  Wood's  place, 
the  latter  told  his  companions  to  follow  him  and  he 
would  show  them  where  he  was  going  to  build  a  city. 
They  went  about  a  mile  off  the  main  trail,  to  a  high 
point,  from  which  the  view  in  every  direction  was 
most  magnificent,  as  it  had  been  for  ages  and  as  ye; 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  Before  them  swept 
by  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters,  yet  unburdened  by 
navigation.  After  Mr.  Wood  had  expatiated  at 
length  on  the  advantages  of  the  situation,  Mr.  Ross 
replied,  "  But  it's  too  near  Atlas  ever  to  amount  to 
anything!" 

Atlas  is  still  a  cultivated  farm,  and  Quincy  is  3. 
city  of  over  30,000  population. 

In  1824  Mr.  Wood  gave  a  newspaper  notice, 
as  the  law  then  prescribed,  of  his  intention  to  apply 
to  the  General  Assembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new 
county.  This  was  done  the  following  winter,  result- 
ing in  the  establishment  of  the  present  Adams 
County.  Daring  the  next  summer  Quincy  was  se- 
lected as  the  county  seat,  it  and  the  vicinity  then 
containing  but   four  adult  male  residents  and   half 


ISO 


rOHN  WOOD. 


that  number  of  females.  Since  that  period  Mr. 
Wood  resided  at  the  place  of  his  early  adoption  un- 
til his  death,  and  far  more  than  any  other  man  was 
he  identified  with  every  measure  of  its  progress  and 
history,  and  almost  continuously  kept  in  public  posi- 
tions. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  town  Trustees,  and  after 
the  place  became  a  city  he  was  often  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  many  times  elected  Mayor,  in  the 
face  of  a  constant  large  opposition  political  majority. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  In  1856, 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  was 
chosen  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  on  the 
ticket  with  Wm.  H.  Bissell  for  Governor,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter,  March  18,  i860,  he  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Executive  chair,  which  he  occupied  until 
Gov.  Yates  was  inaugurated  nearly  ten  months  after- 
ward. 

Nothing  very  marked  characterized  the  adminis- 
tration of  Gov.  Wood.  The  great  anti-slavery  cam- 
paign of  i860,  resulting  in  the  election  of  the  honest 
Illinoisan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  occurred  during  the  short  period 
while  Mr.  Wood  was  Governor,  and  tne  e.Kciteraent 
and  issues  of  that  struggle  dominated  over  every 
other  consideration, — indeed,  supplanted  them  in  a 
great  measure.  The  people  of  Illinois,  during  all 
that  time,  were  passing  the  comparatively  petty  strifes 
under  Bissell's  administration  to  the  overwhelming 
issue  of  preserving  the  whole  nation  from  destruction. 

In  1861  ex-Gov.  Wood  was  one  of  the  five  Dele- 
gates from  Illinois  to  the  "  Peace  Convention  "  at 
Washington,  and  in  April  of  tlie  same  year,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the    Rebellion,   he   was   appointed 


Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  which  position 
he  held  throughout  the  war.  In  1864  he  took  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  137th  111.  Vol.  Inf,  with 
whom  he  served  until  the  period  of  enlistment  ex- 
pired. 

Politically,  Gov.  Wood  was  always  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Whig  and  Republican  parties.  Few 
men  have  in  personal  experience  comprehended  so 
many  surprising  and  advancing  local  changes  as 
vested  in  the  more  than  half  century  recollections  of 
Gov.  Wood.  Sixty-four  years  ago  a  solitary  settler 
on  the  "Bluffs,"  with  no  family,  and  no  neighbor 
within  a  score  of  miles,  the  world  of  civilization  away 
behind  him,  and  the  strolling  red-man  almost  his 
only  visitant,  he  lived  to  see  growing  around  him, 
and  under  his  auspices  and  aid,  overspreading  the 
wild  hills  and  scraggy  forest  a  teaming  city,'  second 
only  in  size  in  the  State,  and  surpassed  nowhere  in 
beauty,  prosperity  and  promise ;  whose  people  recog- 
nize as  with  a  single  voice  the  proverbial  honor  and 
liberality  that  attach  to  the  name  and  lengthened 
life  of  their  pioneer  settler,  "the  old  Governor." 

Gov.  Wood  was  twice  married, — first  in  January, 
1826,  to  Ann  M.  Streeter,  daughterof  Joshua  Streeter, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  had 
eight  children.  Mrs.  W.  died  Oct.  8,  1863,  and  in 
June,  1865,  Gov.  Wood  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  widow 
of  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Holmes.  Gov.  Wood  died  June  4, 
1880,  at  his  residence  in  Quincy.  Four  of  his  eight 
children  are  now  living,  namely:  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
Gen.  John  Tillson;  Daniel  C,  who  married  Mary  J. 
Abernethy;  John,  Jr.,  who  married  Josephine  Skinner, 
and  Joshua  S.,  who  married  Annie  Bradley.  The 
last  mentioned  now  resides  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
all  the  rest  are  still  at  Quincy. 


I 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


159 


1^. 


J^i'(?l|.art    YatQ^ 


:.*=>- 


:;?^ICHARD  YATES,  the  "War 
I**  Governor,"  1 86 1-4,  was  born 
i^»  Jan.  18,  18 18,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  Warsaw, 
-^  Gallatin  Co.,  Ky.  His  father 
f^^  moved  in  1831  to  Illinois,  and 
after  stopping  for  a  time  in 
Springfield,  settled  at  Island 
Grove,  Sangamon  County.  Here, 
after  attending  school,  Richard  joined 
tlie  family.  Subsequently  he  entered 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville, 
where,  in  1837,  he  graduated  with 
first  honors.  He  chose  for  his  pro- 
fession the  law,  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Har- 
din being  his  instructor.  After  ad- 
mission to  the  Bar  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  an 
advocate. 

Gifted  with  a  fluent  and  ready  oratory,  he  soon 
appeared  in  the  political  hustings,  and,  being  a 
passionate  admirer  of  the  great  Whig  leader  of  the 
West.  Henry  Clay,  he  joined  his  political  fortunes  to 
■he  party  of  his  idol.  In  1840  he  engaged  with  great 
^rdor  in  the  exciting  "  hard  cider  "  campaign  for 
Tlarrison.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  Morgan  County,  a  Democratic 
stronghold.  He  served  three  or  four  terms  in  the 
Legislature,  and  such  was  the  fascination  of  his  ora- 
-;'>ry  that  by  1850  liis  large  Congressional  District, 
extending  from  Morgan  and  Sangamon  Counties 
.  orth  to  include  LaSalle,  unanimously  tendered  him 
^  tne  Whig  nomination  for  Congress.  His  Democratic 
opponent  was  Maj.  Thomas  L.  Harris,  a  very  pop- 
ular man  who  had  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  in  the  Me.\ican  War,  and  who  had 
oeaten  Hon.  Stephen  T,  Logan  for  the  same  position, 


two  years  before,  by  a  large  majority.  Yates  wa; 
elected.  Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected,  over 
John  Calhoun. 

It  was  during  Yates  second  term  in  Congress  that 
the  great  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  agitated,  and  the  bars  laid  down  for  re- 
opening the  dreaded  anti-slavery  question.  He  took 
strong  grounds  against  the  repeal,  and  thus  became 
identified  with  the  rising  Republican  party.  Conse- 
quently he  fell  into  the  minority  in  his  district,  which 
was  pro-slavery.  Even  then,  in  a  third  contest,  he 
fell  behind  Major  Harris  only  zoo  votes,  after  the 
district  had  two  years  before  given  Pierce  2,000 
majority  for  President. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  of  i860  met  at 
Decatur  May  9,  and  nominated  for  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor Mr.  Yates,  in  preference  to  Hon.    Norman  B. 
Judd,  of  Chicago,  and  Leonard  Swett,  of  Blooming- 
ton,  two  of  the  ablest   men  of  the   State,  who  were 
also  candidates  before  the   Convention.     Francis  A. 
Hoffman,   of   DuPage   County,    was    nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.     This  was  the  year  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  was  a  candidate  for  President,  a  period  re- 
membered as  characterized  by   the  great  whirlpool 
which  precipitated  the  bloody  War  of  the  Rebellion. 
The  Douglas  Democrats  nominated   J.   C.   Allen  of 
Crawford  County,  for  Governor,  and   Lewis  W.  Ross, 
of  Fulton  County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.     The 
Breckenridge  Democrats  and  the  Bell-Everett  party 
had  also  full  tickets  in  the  field.     After  a  most  fear- 
ful campaign,  the  result  of  the   election  gave  Mr. 
Yates  172,196  votes,  and   Mr.   Allen   159,253.     Mr. 
Yates  received  over  a  thousand  more  votes  than  did 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 
Gov.  Yates  occupied  the  chair  of  State  during  the 


i6o 


RICHARD    YATES. 


most  critical  period  of  our  country's  history.  In  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  involved  that  of  each  State. 
The  life  struggle  of  the  former  derived  its  sustenance 
from  the  loyalty  of  the  latter;  and  Gov.  Yates 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation,  and  proved  himself 
both  loyal  and  wise  in  upholding  the  Government. 
He  had  a  deep  hold  upon  the  affections  of  the 
people,  won  by  his  moving  eloquence  and  genial 
manners.  Erect  and  symmetrical  in  person,  of  pre- 
possessing appearance,  with  a  winning  address  and  a 
magnetic  power,  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  ele- 
ments of  popularity.  His  oratory  was  scholarly  and 
captivating,  his  hearers  hardly  knowing  why  they 
were  transported.  He  was  social  and  convivial.  In 
the  latter  respect  he  was  ultimately  carried  too  far. 

The  very  creditable  military  efforts  of  this  State 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  putting  into  the 
field  the  enormous  number  of  about  200,000  soldiers, 
were  ever  promptly  and  ably  seconded  by  his  excel- 
lency ;  and  the  was  ambitious  to  deserve  the  title  of 
"the  soldier's  friend."  Immediately  after  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  repaired  to  the  field  of  carnage  to  look 
after  the  wounded,  and  his  appeals  for  aid  were 
promptly  responded  to  by  the  people.  His  procla- 
mations calling  for  volunteers  were  impassionate 
appeals,  urging  upon  the  people  the  duties  and  re- 
quirements of  patriotism;  and  his  special  message 
ill  1863  to  the  Democratic  Legislature  of  this  State 
pleading  for  material  aid  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  of  Illinois  regiments,  breathes  a  deep  fervor 
of  noble  sentiment  and  feeling  rarely  equaled  in 
beauty  or  felicity  of  expression.  Generally  his  mes- 
sages on  political  and  civil  affairs  were  able  and  com- 
prehensive. During  his  administration,  however, 
there  were  no  civil  events  of  an  engrossing  character, 
although  two  years  of  his  time  were  replete  wiili 
partisan  quarrels  of  great  bitterness.  Military  ar- 
rests, Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  riot  in  Fulton 
County,  attempted  suppression  of  the  Chicago  Times 
and  the  usurping  State  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1862,  were  the  chief  local  topics  that  were  exciting 
during  the  Governor's  term.  This  Convention  assem- 
bled Jan.  7,  and  at  once  took  the  high  position  that 
he  law  calling  it  was  no  longer  binding,  and  that  it 
ad  supreme  power;  that  it  represented  a  virtual 
assemblage  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  was 
sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  all  power  necessary  to 
effect  a  peaceable  revolution  of  the  State  Government 


and  to  the  re-establishment  of  one  for  the  "happiness, 
prosperity  and  freedom  of  the  citizens,"  limited  only 
by  the  Federal  Constitution.  Notwithstanding  the 
law  calling  the  Convention  required  its  members  to 
take  an  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  State 
as  well  as  that  of  the  general  Government,  they 
utterly  refused  to  take  such  oath.  They  also  as- 
sumed legislative  powers  and  passed  several  import- 
ant "laws!"  Interfering  with  the  (then)  present 
executive  duties.  Gov.  Yates  was  provoked  to  tell 
them  plainly  that  "  he  did  not  acknowledge  the  right 
of  the  Convention  to  instruct  him  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty." 

In  1863  tlie  Governor  astonished  the  Democrats 
by  "  proroguing  "  their  Legislature.  This  body,  after 
a  recess,  met  June  2,  that  year,  and  soon  began  to 
waste  time  upon  various  partisan  resolutions ;  and, 
while  the  two  houses  were  disagreeing  upon  the 
question  of  adjourning  sine  die,  the  Governor,  having 
the  authority  in  such  cases,  surprised  them  all  by 
adjourning  them  "  to  the  Saturday  next  preceding  the 
first  Monday  in  January,  1865  !  "  This  led  to  great 
excitement  and  confusion,  and  to  a  reference  of  the 
Governor's  act  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  decided  in 
his  favor.  Then  it  was  the  Court's  turn  to  receive 
abuse  for  weeks  and  months  afterward. 

During  the  autumn  of  1864  a  conspiracy  was  de- 
tected at  Chicago  which  had  for  its  object  the  liber- 
ation of  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Douglas,  the 
burning  of  the  city  and  the  inauguration  of  rebellion 
in  the  North.  Gen.  Sweet,  who  had  charge  of  the 
camp  at  the  time,  first  had  his  suspicions  of  danger 
aroused  by  a  number  of  enigmatically  worded  letters 
which  passed  through  the  Camp  postoffice.  A  de- 
tective afterward  discovered  that  the  rebel  Gen. 
Marmaduke  was  in  the  city,  under  an  assumed 
name,  and  he,  with  other  rebel  officers — Grenfell, 
Morgan,  Cantrell,  Buckner  Morris,  and  Charles 
Walsh — was  arrested,  most  of  whom  were  convicted 
by  a  court-martial  at  Cincinnati  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment, — Grenfell  to  be  hung.  Tiie  sentence 
of  the  latter  was  afterward  commuted  to  imprison- 
ment for  life,  and  all  the  others,  after  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  were  pardoned. 

In  March,  1873,  Gov.  Yates  was  appointed  a  Gov- 
ernment Director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in 
which  office  he  continued  until  his  decease,  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  the  27th  of  November  following. 


jjS^uS' 


f 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


■63 


#' 
-^« 


Mieliard  J. 


0(ylesh 


IB  O) 


;^>f  ;'^-.UCHARD  J.  OGLESBY,  Gov- 
ernor 1865-S,  and  re-elected 
in  1872  and  1884,  was  born 
July  25,  1824,  in  Oldham  Co., 
Ky., — the  State  which  might 
,  .  be  considered  the  "  mother  of 

"^^^Wlly^^  Illinois  Governors."  Bereft  of 
K?^Q;'FJ)f'r;i^,  ^  his  parents  at  the  tender  a."t 
j|7<'vg^f'  -^V  of  eight  years,  his  early  education 
was  neglected.  When  12  years  of 
age,  and  after  he  had  worked  a  year 
and  a  half  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
he  removed  with  an  uncle,  Willis 
Oglesby,  into  whose  care  he  had 
been  committed,  to  Decatur,  this 
State,  where  he  continued  his  ap- 
prenticeship as  a  mechanic,  working  si.x  months  for 
Hon.  E.  O.  Smith. 

In  1844  he  commenced  studying  law  at  Spring- 
field, with  Judge  Silas  Robbins,  and  read  with  him 
one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1S45,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at 
Sullivan,  the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  next  year  the  war  with  Mexico  was  com- 
menced, and  in  June,  1846,  Mr.  Oglesby  volunteered, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  Fourth  Illinois 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo. 

On  his  return  he  sought  to  perfect  his  law  studies 
by  attending  a  course  of  lectures  at  Louisville,  but 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  California  "gold  fever  "  in 
1849,  he  crossed  the  plains  and  tnountains  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  driving  a  six-mule  team,  with  a  com- 


pany of  eight  men,  Henry  Prather  Ijeing  the  leader. 

In  1852  he  returned  home  to  Maco.i  Cjuaty,  and 
was  placed  that  year  by  the  Whig  party  on  llie  ticket 
of  Presidential  Electors.  In  1856  he  visited  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa,  being  absent  20  months.  On  liis 
return  home  he  resu'.ned  the  practice  of  law,  as  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Gallagher,  Wait  &  Oglesby. 
In  1858  he  was  the  Republican  no.ninee  for  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  th.; 
Hon.  James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat.  In  i860  lie 
was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  Senate ;  and  on  the 
evening  the  returns  of  this  election  were  coming  in, 
Mr.  Oglesby  had  a  fisticuff  encounter  with  "  Cerro 
Gordo  Williams,"  in  which  he  came  out  victorious, 
and  which  was  regarded  as  "  the  first  fight  of  the 
Rebellion."  The  following  spring,  when  the  war 
had  commenced  in  earnest,  his  ardent  nature 
quickly  responded  to  the  demands  of  patriotism  and 
he  enlisted.  The  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
the  second  one  in  the  State  raised  to  suppress  the 
great  Rebellion. 

He  was  shortly  entrusted  with  important  com- 
mands. For  a  time  he  was  stationed  at  Bird's  Point 
and  Cairo;  in  April  he  was  promoted  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral ;  at  Fort  Donelson  his  brigade  was  in  the  van, 
being  stationed  on  the  right  of  General  Grant's  army 
and  the  first  brigade  to  be  attacked.  He  lost  500 
men  before  re-inforcements  arrived.  Many  of  these 
men  were  from  Macon  County.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Corinth,  and,  in  a  brave  charge  at  this 
place,  was  shot  in  the  left  lung  with  an  ounce  ball, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in  expectation  of  jna- 


164 


RICHARD  J.    OGLESBY. 


mediate  death.  That  rebel  ball  he  carries  to  this 
day.  On  his  partial  recovery  he  was  promoted  as 
Major  General,  for  gdlantry,  his  commissioa  to  rank 
from  November,  1862.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  i6th  Army 
Corps,  but,  owing  to  inability  froai  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  he  relinquished  this  command  in  July,  that 
year.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  refused  to  accept  his 
resignation,  and  he  was  detailed,  in  December  follow- 
ing, to  court-martial  and  try  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Army  at  Washington,  where  he  remained  until 
May,  1864,  when  he  returned  home. 

The  Republican,  or  Union,  State  Convention  of 
1864  was  held  at  Springfield,'  May  25,  when  Mr. 
Oglesby  was  nominated  for  the  ofSce  of  Governor, 
while  other  candidates  before  the  Convention  were 
Allen  C.  Fuller,  of  Boone,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  of  Sanga- 
mon, and  Johu  M.  Palmer,  of  Macoupin.  VVm. 
Bross,  of  Chicago,  was  nominated  for  Lieutenant 
Governor.  On  the  Democratic  State  ticket  were 
James  C.  Robinson,  of  Clark,  for  Governor,  and  S. 
Corning  Judd,  of  Fulton,  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  general  election  gave  Gen.  Oglesby  a  majority 
of  about  31,000  votes.  The  Republicans  had  also  a 
majority  in  both  the  Legislature  and  in  the  repre- 
sentation in  Congress. 

Gov.  Oglesby  was  duly  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1S65. 
The  day  before  the  first  time  set  for  his  installation 
death  visited  his  home  at  Decatur,  and  took  from  it 
his  only  son,  an  intelligent  and  sprightly  lad  of  six 
years,  a  great  favorite  of  the  bereaved  parents.  This 
caused  the  inauguration  to  be  postponed  a  week. 

The  political  events  of  the  Legislative  session  of 
T865  were  the  election  of  ex-Gov.  Yates  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  ratification  of  the  13th 
amend.nent  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
abolishing  slavery.  This  session  also  signalized 
itself  by  repealing  the  notorious  "  black  laws,"  part 
of  which,  although  a  dead  letter,  jiad  held  their  place 
upon  the  statute  books  since  1819.  Also,  laws  re- 
quiring the  registration  of  voters,  and  establishing  a 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  were  passed  by  this  Leg- 
islature. But  the  same  body  evinced  that  it  was  cor- 
ruptly influenced  by  a  mercenary  lobby,  as  it  adopted 
some  bad  legislation,  over  the  Governor's  veto,  nota- 
bly an  amendment  to  a  charter  for  a  Chicago  horse 
railway,  granted  in  1859  for  25  years,  and  now 
sought  to  be  extended  99  years.  As  this  measure 
was  promptly  passed  over  his  veto  by  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  he  deemed  it  useless  further  to 
attempt  to  check  their  headlong  career.  At  this 
session  no  law  of  a  general  useful  character  or  public 
interest  was  perfected,  unless  we  count  such  the 
'^urning  over  of  the  canal  to  Chicago  to  be  deepened. 
The  session  of  1867  was  still  more  productive  of 
private  and  special  acts.  Many  omnibus  bills  were 
orcpcsed,  and  some  passed.  Tiie  contests  over  the 
-c-cation  of  the   Industrial  College,  the  Capital,  the 


Soutliern  Penitentiary,  and  the  canal  enlargement 
and  Illinois  River  improvement,  dominated  every- 
thing else. 

During  the  year  1872,  it  became  evident  that  i( 
the  Republicans  could  re-elect  Mr.  Oglesby  to  the 
office  of  Governor,  they  could  also  elect  liim  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  they  desired  to  do. 
Accordingly  they  re-nominated  him  for  the  Execu- 
tive cliair,  and  placed  upon  the  ticket  with  him  for 
Lieutenant  Governor,  John  L.  Beveridge,  of  Cook 
County.  On  the  other  side  the  Democrats  put  into 
the  field  Gustavus  Koerner  for  Governor  and  John 
C.  Black  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  election 
gave  the  Republican  ticket  majorities  ranging  from 
35'334  to  56,174, — the  Democratic  defection  being 
caused  mainly  by  their  having  an  old-time  Wliig  and 
Abolitionist,  Horace  Greeley,  on  the  national  ticket 
for  President.  According  to  the  general  understand- 
ing had  beforehand,  as  soon  as  the  Legislature  met 
it  elected  Gov.  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
whereupon  Mr.  Beveridge  became  Governor.  Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's  term  expired  March  4,  1879,  having 
served  his  party  faithfully  and  exhibited  an  order  of 
statesmanship  beyond  criticism. 

During  the  campaign  of  1884  Mr.  Oglesby  was 
nominated  for  a  "third  term"  as  Executive  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  against  Carter  H.  Harrison,  Mayor 
of  Chicago,  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  Both 
gentlemen  "stumped  "  the  State,  and  while  the  peo- 
ple elected  a  Legislature  which  was  a  tie  on  a  joint 
ballot,  as  between  the  two  parties,  they  gave  the 
jovial  "  Dick"  Oglesby  a  majority  of  15,018  for  Gov- 
ernor, and  he  was  inaugurated  Jan.  30,  1885.  The 
Legislature  did  not  fully  organize  until  this  date,  on 
account  of  its  equal  division  between  the  two  maiu 
parties  and  the  consequent  desperate  tactics  of  each 
party  to  checkmate  the  latter  in  the  organization  of 
the  House. 

Gov.  Oglesby  is  a  line-appearing,  affable  man,  with 
regular,  well  defined  features  and  rotund  face.  In 
stature  he  is  a  little  above  medium  height,  of  a  large 
frame  and  somewhat  fleshy.  His  physical  appear- 
ance is  striking  and  prepossessing,  while  his  straight- 
out,  not  to  say  bluff,  manner  and  speech  are  well 
calculated  favorably  to  impress  the  average  masses. 
Ardent  in  feeling  and  si rongly  committed  to  the  pol- 
icies of  his  party,  he  intensifies  Republicanism 
anwng  Republicans,  while  at  the  same  time  his  jovial 
and  liberal  manner  prevents  those  of  the  opposite 
party  from  hating  him. 

He  is  quite  an  effective  stump  orator.  With  vehe- 
ment, jiassionate  and  scornful  tone  and  gestures, 
tremendous  physical  power,  whicli  in  speaking  he 
exercises  to  the  utmost;  with  frecpient  descents  to 
the  grotesque;  and  with  abundant  homely  comj)ari- 
sons  or  frontier  figures,  expressed  in  the  broadest 
vernacular  and  enforced  with  stentorian  emphasis, 
he  delights  a  promiscuous  audience  beyond  measure. 


Sl.^-^'^Cl^ 


GO  VER IVORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


J  0-  MN  3£  Pa  l  mem 


-— ">5— *— «<s§<i)Si>-^>c 


[  |OHN  Mc  AULEY  PALMER,  Gov- 
p*«  ernor  1869-72,  was  born  on 
Engle  Creek,  Scott  Co.,  Ky  , 
Sept.  13,  1817.  During  his  in- 
fancy, his  father,  who  had  been 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  re- 
moved to  Christian  Co.,  Ky., 
where  lands  were  cheap.  Here 
the  future  Governor  of  the  great 
Prairie  State  spent  his  childhood 
and  received  such  meager  school- 
ing as  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled country  afforded.  To  this 
he  added  materially  bj-  diligent 
reading,  for  v;hich  he  evinced  an 
ea.ly  aptitude.  His  father,  an  ardent  Jackson  man, 
was  also  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  sentiments,  which 
lie  thoroughly  impressed  upon  his  children.  In  1831 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  County. 
Here  the  labor  of  improving  a  farm  was  pursued  for 
a'.'iiut  two  years,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
i:;i]!her  broke  up  tiie  family.  About  this  time  Alton 
College  was  opened,  on  the  "manual  labor  "  system, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1834  young  Palmer,  with  his 
ehler  brother,  Elihu,  entered  this  school  and  remained 
18  months.  Next,  for  over  three  years,  he  tried 
variously  coopering,  peddling  and  school-teaching. 

During    the   summer  of   1838  he  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then   making  his 


first  canvass  for  Congress.  Young,  eloquent  and  in 
political  accord  with  Mr.  Palmer,  he  won  his  confi- 
dence, ilred  his  ambition  and  fixed  his  purpose.  The 
following  winter,  while  teaching  near  Canton,  he  be- 
gan to  devote  his  spare  time  to  a  desultory  reading 
of  law,  and  in  the  spring  entered  a  law  office  at  Car- 
linville,  making  his  home  with  his  elder  brother, 
Elihu.  (The  latter  was  a  learned  clergyman,  of  con- 
siderable orginatity  of  thought  and  doctrine.)  On 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar,  Douglas  being  one  of  his  examiners. 
He  was  not  immediately  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  would  have  located  elsewhere  than  Carlinville 
had  he  the  requisite  means.  Thus  his  early  poverty 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  to  it  he  now  attributes 
the  success  of  his  life. 

From  1839  on,  while  he  diligently  pursued  his 
profession,  he  participated  more  or  less  in  local 
politics.  In  1843  he  became  Probate  Judge.  Iv 
1847  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, where  he  took  a  leading  part.  In  1852  ht, 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the  special 
session  of  February,  1854,  true  to  the  anti-slavery 
sentiments  bred  in  him,  he  took  a  firm  stand  in  op- 
position to  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise, 
and  when  the  Nebraska  question  became  a  partj 
issue  he  refused  to  receive  a  re-nomination  for  th( 
Senatorship  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  issuin;. 
a  circular  to  that  effect.     A    few    weeks   afterward 


j68 


JOHN  MC  AULEY  PALMER. 


however,  hesitating  to  break  with  his  party,  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  Congressional  Convention  which  nomi- 
T.  L.  Harris  against  Richard  Yates,  and  which 
anqualifiedly  approved  the  principles  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act.  But  later  in  the  campaign  he  made 
the  plunge,  ran  for  the  Senate  as  an  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat,  and  was  elected.  The  following  winter 
he  put  in  nomination  for  the  ^United  States  Senate 
Mr.  Trumbull,  and  was  one  of  the  five  steadfast  men 
who  voted  for  him  until  all  the  Whigs  came  to  their 
support  and  elected  their  man. 

In  1856  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Convention  at  Bloomington.  He  ran  for  Congress  in 
1859,  but  was  defeated.  In  i860  he  was  Republican 
Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  at  large.  In  1861 
ne  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  Delegates  (all  Re- 
publicans) sent  by  Illinois  to  the  peace  congress  at 
Washington. 

When  the  civil  conflict  broke  out,  he  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the 
i4ih  111.  Vol.  Inf ,  and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Island  No.  10;  at  Farmington,  where  he  skillfully 
extricated  his  command  from  a  dangerous  position  ; 
at  Stone  River,  where  his  division  for  several  hours, 
Dec.  31,  1862,  held  the  advance  and  stood  like  a 
rock,  and  for  his  gallantry  there  he  was  made  Major 
General;  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  and  Van  Cleve's 
divisions  for  two  hours  maintained  their  position 
when  they  were  cut  off  by  overpowering  numbers. 
Under  Gen.  Sherman^  he  was  assigned  to  the  i4lh 
Army  Corps  and  participated  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
At  Peach-Tree  Creek  his  prudence  did  much  to  avert 
disaster.  In  February,  11865,  Gen.  Palmer  was  as- 
signed to  the  military  administration  of  Kentucky, 
whicli  was  a  delicate  post.  That  State  was  about 
half  rebel  and  half  Union,  and  those  of  the  latter 
element  were  daily  fretted  by  the  loss  of  their  slaves. 
He,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  rules  of  common  law, 
trembled  at  the  contemplation  of  his  extraordinary 
power  over  the  persons  and  property  of  his  fellow 
men,  with  which  he  was  vested  in  his  capacity  as 
military  Governor;  and  he  exhibited  great  caution  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  post. 

Gen.  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois by  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met 
at  Peoria  May  6,  1868,  and  his  nomination  would 
probably  have  been  made  by  acclamation  had  he  not 
persistently  declared  that  he  could  not  accept  a  can- 


didature for  the  office.  The  result  of  the  ensuing 
election  gave  Mr.  Palmer  a  majority  of  44,707  over 
John  R.  Eden,  the  Democratic  nominee. 

On  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  January, 
1869,  the  first  thing  to  arrest  public  attention  was 
that  portion  of  the  Governor's  message  which  took 
broad  State's  rights  ground.  This  and  some  minor 
paints,  which  were  more  in  keeping  with  the  Demo- 
cratic sentiment,  constituted  the  entering  wedge  f  jr 
the  criticisms  and  reproofs  he  afterward  received 
from  the  Republican  party,  and  ultimately  resulted 
in  his  entire  aleniation  from  the  latter  element.  The 
Legislature  just  referred  to  was  noted  for  the  intro- 
duction of  numerous  bills  in  the  interest  of  private 
parties,  which  were  embarrassing  to  the  Governor. 
Among  the  public  acts  passed  was  that  which  limited 
railroad  charges  for  passenger  travel  to  a  maximum 
of  three  cents  per  mile ;  and  i-t  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto.  Also,  they  passed,  over  his  veto, 
the  "tax-grabbing  law"  to  pay  rmlrosd  subscriptions, 
the  Chicago  Lake  Front  bill,  etc.  The  u^v^  State 
Constitution  of  1870,  far  superior  to  the  old,  was  a 
peaceful  "  revolution"  which  took  place  during  Gov. 
Palmer's  term  of  office.  The  suffering  caused  by  the 
great  Chicago  Fire  of  October,  187 1,  was  greatly 
alleviated  by  the  prompt  responses  of  his  excellency. 

Since  the  expiration  of  Gov.  Palmers 's  term,  he  has 
been  somewhat  prominent  in  Illinois  politics,  and 
has  been  talked  of  by  many,  especially  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  as  the  best  man  in  the  State  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  His  business  during  life  has 
been  that  of  the  law.  Few  excel  him  in  an  accurate 
appreciation  of  the  depth  and  scope  of  its  principles- 
The  great  number  of  his  able  veto  messages  abun- 
dantly testify  not  only  this  but  also  a  rare  capacity  to 
point  them  out.  He  is  a  logical  and  cogent  reasoner 
and  an  interesting,  forcible  and  convincing  speaker, 
though  not  fluent  or  ornate.  Without  brilliancy,  his 
dealings  are  rather  with  facts  and  ideas  than  with 
appeals  to  passions  and  prejudices.  He  is  a  patriot 
and  a  statesman  of  very  high  order.  Physically  he  is 
above  the  medium  heiglit,  of  robust  frame,  ruddy 
complexion  and  sanguine-nervous  temperament.  He 
has  a  large  cranial  development,  is  vivacious,  social 
in  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  unostentatious  in  his 
habits  of  life,  democratic  in  his  habits  and  manners 
and  is  a  true  American  in  his  fundamental  principle* 
of  statesmanship. 


^^^/^r^n^iyjL^/A^^ly^^-^i^-^^ 


GV  VERNORS  OF  JLLTATOIS. 


171 


m, 


1^ 


-si^r 


OHN  LOWRiE  BEVER- 
IDGE,  Governor  187  3-6,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  6,  1824.  His  parents 
:;  ;  y  were  George  and  Ann  Bever- 
-■*)  idge.  His  father's  parents,  An- 
I  drew  and  Isabel  Beveridge,  be- 
■J  fore  their  marriage  emigrated 
I  from  Scotland  just  before  the 
\1  Revolutionary  War,  settling  in 
^  Washington  County.  His  father 
was  the  eldest  of  eight  brothers,  the 
youngest  of  whom  was  60  years  of 
age  when  the  first  one  of  the  num- 
ber died.  His  mother's  parents, 
James  and  Agnes  Hoy,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  also  in 
|Q  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  their 
^  first-born,  whose  "  native  land  "was 
the  wild  ocean.  His  parents  and 
iij-y  grandparents  lived  beyond  the  time 
allotted  to  man,  their  average  age 
being  over  80  years.  They  belonged  to  the  "  Asso- 
ciate  Church,"   a   seceding   Presbyterian    body    of 


America  from  the  old  Scotch  school ;  and  so  rigid 
was  the  training  of  young  Beveridge  that  he  never 
heard  a  sermon  from  any  other  minister  except  .that 
of  his  own  denomination  until  he  was  in  his  19th 
year.  Later  in  life  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  relation  he  still 
holds. 

Mr.  Beveridge  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, but  his  parents,  who  could  obtain  a  livelihood 
only  by  rigid  economy  and  industry,  could  not  send 
him  away  to  college.  He  was  raised  upon  a  farm, 
and  was  in  his  i8th  year  when  the  family  removed 
to  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  when  that  section  was 
very  sparsely  settled.  Chicago  had  less  than  7,000 
inhabitants.  In  this  wild  West  he  continued  as  a 
farm  laborer,  teaching  school  during  the  winter 
months  to  supply  the  means  of  an  education.  In  the 
fall  of  1 84 2  he  attended  one  term  at  the  academy  at 
Granville,  Putnam  Co.,  111.,  and  subsequently  several 
terms  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Ogle  Co.,  111.,  completing  the  academic  course.  At 
this  time,  the  fall  of  1845,  his  parents  and  brothers 
were  anxious  to  have  him  go  to  college,  even  though 
.he  had  not  money  sufficient;  but,  njt  willing  to  bur- 
den the  family,  he  packed  his  trunk  and  with  only 
§40   in  money   started    South    to  seek    his  fortune. 


172 


JOHN-  L.  BEVERIDGE. 


Poor,  alone,  without  friends  and  influence,  he  thus 
entered  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

First,  he  taught  school  in  Wilson,  Overton  and 
Jackson  Cos.,  Tenn.,  in  whicli  experience  he  under- 
went considerable  mental  drill,  both  in  book  studies 
and  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  the  South,  but  did  not  learn 
to  love  the  institution  of  slavery,  although  he  ad- 
mired many  features  of  Southern  character.  In  De- 
cember, 1847,  he  returned  North,  and  Jan.  20,  184S, 
he  married  Miss  Helen  M.  Judson,  in  the  old  Clark- 
Street  M.  E.  church  in  Chicago,  her  father  at  that 
time  being  Pastor  of  the  society  there.  In  the  spring 
of  1848  he  returned  with  his  wife  to  Tennessee, 
where  his  two  children.  Alia  May  and  Philo  judson, 
were  born. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  through  the  mismanagement 
of  an  associate,  he  lost  what  little  he  had  accumu- 
lated and  was  left  in  debt.  He  soon  managed  to 
earn  means  to  pay  his  debts,  returned  to  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sycamore,  the  county  seat.  On  arrival 
from  the  South  he  had  but  one-quarter  of  a  dollar  in 
money,  and  scanty  clothing  and  bedding  for  himself 
and  family.  He  borrowed  a  little  money,  practiced 
law,  worked  in  public  offices,  kept  books  for  some  of 
the  business  men  of  the  town,  and  some  railroad  en- 
gineering, till  the  spring  of  1854,  when  he  removed 
to  Evanston,  12  miles  north  of  Chicago,  a  place  then 
but  recently  laid  out,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Northwestern  University,  a  Methodist  institution. 
Of  the  latter  his  father-in-law  was  then  financial 
agent  and  business  manager.  Here  Mr.  Beveridge 
prospered,  and  the  next  year  (1855)  opened  a  law 
office  in  Chicago,  where  he  found  the  battle  some- 
what hard;  but  he  persevered  with  encouragement 
and  increasing  success. 

Aug.  12,  1861,  his  law  partner,  Gen.  John  F. 
Farnsworth,  secured  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  authorized  Mr.  Beveridge  to  raise  a 
company  for  it.  He  succeeded  in  a  few  days  in  rais- 
ing the  company,  of  course  enlisting  himself  along 
with  it.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  St.  Charles, 
111.,  was  mustered  in  Sept.  18,  and  011  its  organiza- 
tion Mr.  B.  was  elected  Second  Major.  It  was  at- 
tached, Oct.  II,  to  the  Eighth  Cavalry  and  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  served  with  the  regiment 
until  November,  i86j,  participating  in  some  40  bat- 


tles and  skirmishes  :  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  the  seven  days' 
fight  around  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  He  commanded  the  regiment 
the  greater  part  of  the  summer  of  1 863,  and  it  was  while 
lying  in  camp  this  year  that  he  originated  the  policy 
of  encouraging  recruits  as  well  as  the  fighting  capac- 
ity of  the  soldiery,  by  the  wholesale  furlough  system. 
It  worked  so  well  that  many  other  officers  adopted 
it.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  recruited  another  com- 
pany, against  heavy  odds,  in.  January,  1864,  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  the  17th  111.  Cav.,  and 
skirmished  around  in  Missouri,  concluding  with  the 
reception  of  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith's 
army  in  Arkansas.  In  1865  he  commanded  various 
sub-districts  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  mustered 
out  Feb.  6,  1866,  safe  from  the  casualties  of  war  and 
a  stouter  man  than  when  he  first  enlisted.  His  men 
idolized  him. 

He  then  returned  to  Chicago,  to  practice  law,  with 
no  library  and  no  clientage,  and  no  political  experi- 
ence except  to  help  others  into  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1866  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Cook  County,  serving 
one  term;  next,  until  November,  1870,  he  practiced 
law  and  closed  up  the  unfinished  business  of  his 
office.  He  was  then  elected  State  Senator;  in  No- 
vember, 187 1,  he  was  elected  Congressman  at  large; 
in  November,  1872,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Oglesby  ;  the  latter  be- 
ing elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  Mr.  Beveridge  became 
Governor,  Jan.  2t,  1873.  Thus,  inside  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  Congressman  at  large.  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  Governor.  The  principal  events  oc- 
curring during  Gov.  Beveridge 's  administration  were: 
The  completion  of  the  revision  of  the  statutes,  begun 
in  1869;  the  partial  success  of  tlie  "farmers'  move- 
ment;" "Haines'  Legislature  "  and  Illinois'  exhibit  at 
the  Centennial. 

Since  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term  ex-Gov^ 
Beveridge  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bever- 
idge &  Dewey,  bankers  and  dealers  in  commercial 
paper  at  7 1  Dearborn  Street  (McCormick  Block), 
Chicago,  and  since  November,  1S81,  he  has  also  been 
Assistant  United  States  Treasurer  •  office  in  flie 
Government  Building.  His  residence  is  still  at  Ev- 
anston. 

He  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  yet  residing  in 
De  Kalb  County — James  H.  Beveridge,  Mrs.  Jennet 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Isabel  French. 


,.  ^  \ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


175 


^BMLBY  M,   CULLOM. 


A> 


^•^##r€^». 


HELBY  U.  CULLOM,  Gover- 
nor 1877-83,13  the  sixth  child 
of  the  lale  Richard  N.  Cullom, 
and  was  born  Nov.  22,  1829,10 
Wayne  Co.,  Ky.,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided,  and  whence 
"  both  the  Illinois  and  Tennessee 

branches  of  the  family  originated.  In 
the  following  year  the  family  emi- 
grated to  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
Tazewell  Co.,  111.,  when  that  secfion 
was  very  sparsely  settled.  They  lo- 
cated on  Deer  Creek,  in  a  grove  at 
the  time  occupied  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, attracted  there  by  the  superior 
hunting  and  fishing  afforded  in  that 
vicinity.  The  following  winter  was 
known  as  the  "  hard  winter,"  the  snow  being  very 
deep  and  lasting  and  the  weather  severely  cold;  and 
the  family  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  boiled  corn  or 
hominy,  and  some  wild  game,  for  several  weeks.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  R.  N.  Cullom  became  a  prom- 
inent citizen  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
Legislature,  both  before  and  after  the  removal  of  the 
catdtal  from  Vandalia  to  Springfu^ld.    He  died  about 

'873- 

Until  about  19  years  of  age  young  Cullom  grew  up 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  school  as  he  had 
opportunity  during  the  winter.  Within  this  time, 
nov/ever,  he  spent  several  months  teaching  sr.hool. 


and  in  the  following  summer  he  "broke  prairie  "with 
an  ox  team  for  tlie  neighbors.  With  the  money  ob- 
tained by  these  various  ventures,  he  undertook  a 
course  of  study  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary,  a 
Methodist  institution  at  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  County; 
but  the  sudden  change  to  the  in-door  life  of  a  stu- 
dent told  severely  upon  his  health,  and  he  was  taken 
home,  being  considered  in  a  hopeless  condition.  While 
at  Mt.  Morris  he  heard  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  make 
his  first  speech. 

On  recovering  health,  Mr.  Cullom  concluded  to 
study  law,  under  the  instruction  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
at  Springfield,  who  had  by  this  time  attained  some 
notoriety  as  an  able  lawyer;  but  the  latter,  being  ab- 
sent from  his  office  most  of  the  time,  advised  Mr. 
Cullom  to  enter  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards. 
After  about  a  year  of  study  there,  however,  his  health 
failed  again,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  once  more 
to  out-door  life.  Accordingly  he  bought  hogs  for 
packing,  for  A.  G.  Tyng,  in  I'eoria,  and  while  he  re- 
gained his  health  he  gained  in  purse,  netting  $400  in 
a  few  weeks.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
went  to  Springfield,  where  he  was  soon  elected  City 
Attorney,  on  the  .\nti-Nebraska  ticket. 

In  1856  he  ran  on  the  Fillmore  ticket  as  a  Presi- 
dential Elector,  and,  although  failing  to  be  elected  as  | 
such,  he  was  at  the  same  time  elected  a  Representa-  ! 
tive  in  the  Legislature  from  Sangamon  County,  by  a 
local  coalition  of  the  American  and  Republican  par- 
ties. On  the  organization  of  the  House,  he  received 
the  vote  of  the  Fillmore  men  for  Speaker.    Practicing 


fj6 


SHELB  V  M.    CULLOM. 


law  until  i860,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  a  Republican,  while  the  county  went  Demo- 
cratic on  the  Presidential  ticket.  In  January  follow- 
ing he  was  elected  Speaker,  probably  the  youngest 
man  who  had  ever  presided  over  an  Illinois  Legis- 
lature. After  the  session  of  1861,  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  called  for 
that  year,  but  was  defeated,  and  thus  escaped  the 
disgrace  of  being  connected  with  that  abortive  jjarly 
scheme  to  revolutionize  the  State  Government.  In 
1862  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  but 
was  defeated.  The  same  year,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln  on  a  Government 
Commission,  in  company  with  Gov.  Boutwell  of 
Massachusetts  and  Cnarles  A.  Dana,  since  of  the 
New  York  Sun,  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Quartermaster's  and  Commissary  Departments  at 
Cairo.     He  devoted  several  months  to  this  duty. 

In  1864  he  enteted  upon  a  larger  political  field, 
being  nominated  as  the  Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  Eighth  (Springfield)  District,  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  JohnT.  Stuart,  who  had 
been  elected  in  1862  by  about  1,500  majority  over 
Leonard  Swett,  then  of  Bloomington,  now  of  Chicago. 
The  result  was  the  election  of  Mr.  Cullom  in  Novem- 
ber following  by  a  majority  of  1,785.  In  1866  he 
was  re-elected  to  Congress,  over  Dr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  by 
the  magnificent  majority  of  4,103!  In  1868  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  defeating  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Edwards, 
another  of  his  old  preceptors,  by  2,884  votes. 

During  his  first  term  in  Congress  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  Expenditures  in 
the  Treasury  Department;  in  his  second  term,  on 
the  Committees  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  on  Territories  • 
and  in  his  third  term  he  succeeded  Mr.  Ashley,  of 
Ohio,  to  the  Chairmanship  of  the  latter.  He  intro- 
duced a  bill  in  the  House,  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
law  in  Utah,  which  caused  more  consternation  anion i; 
the  Mormons  than  any  measure  had  previously,  but 
which,  though  it  passed  the  House,  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

The  Republican  Convention  which  met  May  25, 
1876,  nominated  Mr.  Cullom  for  Governor,  while  the 
other  contestant  was  Gov.  Beveridge.  For  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor they  nominated  Andrew  Shuman,  editor 
of  the  Chicago  Journal.  For  the  same  offices  the 
Democrats,  combining  with  the  Anti-Monopolists, 
placed    in    nomination    Lewis   Steward,    a  wealthy 


farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  K.  A.  Glenn.  The 
result  of  the  election  was  rather  close,  Mr.  Cullom 
obtaining  only  6,800  majority.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  8,  1877. 

Great  depression  prevailed  in  financial  circles  at 
this  time,  as  a  consequence  of  the  heavy  failures  of 
1873  and  afterward,  the  effect  of  which  had  seemed 
to  gather  force  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  Gov. 
Cullom's  first  administration.  This  unspeculative 
period  was  not  calculated  to  call  forth  any  new 
issues,  but  the  Governor's  energies  were  at  one  time 
put  to  task  to  quell  a  spirit  of  insubordination  that 
had  been  begun  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  among  the  laboring 
classes,  and  transferred  to  Illinois  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis  and  Braidwood,  at  which  places  laboring 
men  for  a  short  time  refused  to  work  or  allow  others 
to  work.  These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  and 
the  wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion. 

In  May,  1880,  Gov.  Cullom  was  re-nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  against  Lyman  Trumbull,  by  the 
Democrats;  and  although  the  former  party  was  some- 
what handicapped  in  the  campaign  by  a  zealous 
faction  opposed  to  Grant  for  President  and  to  Grant 
men  for  office  generally,  Mr.  Cullom  was  re-elected 
by  about  314,565,  to  277,532  for  the  Democratic  State 
ticket.  The  Greenback  vote  at  the  same  tmie  was 
about  27,000.  Both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  again 
became  Republican,  and  no  representative  of  the 
Greenback  or  Socialist  parties  were  elected.  Gov. 
Cullom  was  inaugurated  Jan.  10,  iSSi.  In  his  mes- 
sage he  announced  that  the  last  dollar  of  the  State 
debt  had  been  provided  for. 

March  4,  1883,  the  term  of  David  Davis  as  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois  expired,  and  Gov.  Cul- 
lom was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  This  promoted 
Lieutenant-Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the  Gov- 
ernorship. Senator  Cullom's  term  in  the  United 
States  Senate  will  expire  March  4,  1889. 

At  a  practitioner  of  law  Mr.  C.  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cullom,  Scholes  &  Mather,  at  Spring- 
field ;  and  he  has  also  been  President  of  the  State 
National  Bank. 

He  has  been  married  twice, — the  first  time  Dec. 
12,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  by  whom  he  had 
two  daughters;  and  the  second  time  May  5,  1863, 
to  Julia  Fisher.  Mrs.  C  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  with  which  religious  body  Mr. 
C,  is  al§o  in  sympathy. 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'79 


'**A^#?'''^*S's-«»5"S-«»SvS-«»s;S'*-sjS-^;;.'s-r4T::;: 


■  ■  c  *^  X!X  "^  ^'!^  ^*  ^!vC  1^  ^XC  #  Ix^!^  ^ 


^«8H^^ 


OHN  MARSHALL  HAMIL- 
^y,_  TON,  Governor  1883-5,  was 
born  May  28,  1847,  in  a  log 
bouse  upon  a  farm  about  two 
miles  from  Richwood,  Union 
County,  Ohio.  His  father  was 
Samuel  Hamilton,  the  eldest  son 
of  Rev.  VVm.  Hamilton,  who,  to- 
gether with  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Hamilton,  was  among  the 
early  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in 
Ohio.  The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was,  before  her  marriage, 
Mrs.  Nancy  McMorris,  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  Fauquier  or  Lou- 
doun County,  Va.,  and  related  to  the 
two  large  families  of  Youngs  and  Marshalls,  well 
known  in  that  commonwealth ;  and  from  the  latter 
family  name  was  derived  the  middle  name  of  Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton's  father  sold  out 
his  little  pioneer  forest  home  in  Union  County,  O., 
and,  loading  his  few  household  effects  and  family 
(of  six  children)  into  two  emigrant  covered  wagons, 
moved  to  Roberts  Township,  Marshall  Co.,  111.,  being 
21  days  on  the  route.  Swamps,  unbridged  streams 
and  innumerable  hardships  and  privations  met  them 
on  their  way.  Their  new  home  had  been  previously 
selected  by  the  father.  Here,  after  many  long  years 
of  toil,  they  succeeded  in  paying  for  the  land  and 
making  a  comforta*^''^  home.     John  was,  of  course, 


brought  up  to  hard  manual  labor,  wiih  no  schooling 
except  three  or  four  months  in  the  year  at  a  common 
country  school.  However,  he  evinced  a  capacity 
and  taste  for  a  high  order  of  self-education,  by 
studying  or  reading  what  books  he  could  borrow,  as 
the  family  had  but  very  few  in  the  house.  Much  of 
his  study  he  prosecuted  by  the  light  of  a  log  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  chimney  place.  The  financial 
panic  of  1857  caused  the  family  to  come  near  losing 
their  home,  to  pay  debts;  but  the  father  and  two 
sons,  William  and  John,  "buckled  to"  and  perse 
vered  in  hard  labor  and  economy  until  they  redeemed 
their  place  from  the  mortgage. 

When  the  tremendous  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  i860  reached  the  neighborhood  of  Rob- 
erts Township,  young  Hamilton,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  took  a  zeal- 
ous part  in  favor  of  Lincoln's  election.  Making  special 
efforts  to  procure  a  little  money  to  buy  a  uniform,  he 
joined  a  company  of  Lincoln  Wide-Awakes  at  Mag- 
nolia, a  village  not  far  away.  Directly  after  the 
ensuing  election  it  became  evident  that  trouble 
would  ensue  with  the  South,  and  this  Wide-Awake 
company,  like  many  others  throughout  the  country, 
kept  up  its  organization  and  transformed  itself  into  a 
military  company.  During  the  ensuing  summer  they 
met  often  for  drill  and  became  proficient ;  but  when 
they  offered  themselves  for  the  v.-ar,  young  Hamiho.'i 
was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth,  he  being  then 
but  14  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of  1863-4  lie 
attended  an  academy  at   Henry,   Marshall  County 


i8o 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON. 


and  in  the  following  May  he  again  enlisted,  for  the 
fourth  time,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  141st  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  a  regiment  then  being  raised  at  Elgin,  111., 
for  the  100-day  service.  He  took  with  him  13  other 
lads  from  his  neighborhood,  for  enlistment  in  the 
service.  This  regiment  operated  in  Southwestern 
Kentucky,  for  about  five  months,  under  Gen.  Paine. 

The  following  winter,  1864-5,  ^''-  Hamilton  taught 
school,  and  during  the  two  college  years  1865-7,  he 
went  through  three  years  of  the  curriculum  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  The 
third  year  he  graduated,  the  fourth  in  a  class  of  46, 
in  the  classical  department.  In  due  time  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  For  a  few  months  he  was  the 
Principal  of  Marshall  "  College  "  at  Henry,  an  acad- 
emy under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By 
this  time  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
after  earning  some  money  as  a  temporary  Professor 
of  Latin  at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  at 
Bloomington,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Weldon, 
Tipton  &  Benjainin,  of  that  city.  Each  member  of 
this  firm  has  since  been  distinguished  as  a  Judge. 
Admitted  to  the  Bar  in  May,  1870,  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  given  an  interest  in  the  same  firm,  Tipton  hav- 
ing been  elected  Judge.  In  October  following  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Rowell,  at  that  time 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Their  business  was  then 
small,  but  they  increased  it  to  very  large  proportions, 
practicing  in  all  grades  of  courts,  including  even  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  and  this  partnership  continued 
unbroken  until  Feb.  6,  1883,  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  sworn  in  as  Executive  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th 
of  March  following  Mr.  Rowell  took  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress. 

In  July,  187 1,  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Helen 
M.  Williams,  the  daugliter  of  Prof.  \Vm.  G.  Williams, 
Professor  of  Greek  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  have  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  State  Senate,  over  other  and  older 
competitors.  He  took  an  active  part  "  on  the  stump  " 
in  the  campaign,  for  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was 
sleeted  by  a  majority  of  1,640  over  his  Democratic- 
Greenback  opponent.  In  the  Senate  he  served  on 
the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Revenue,  State  Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations,  Education,  and  on  Miscel- 
lany ;  and  during  the  contest  for  the  election  of  a 
U.  S.  Senator,  the  Republicans  endeavoring  to  re- 


elect John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  for  the  war  chief  on 
every  ballot,  even  alone  when  all  the  other  Republi- 
cans had  gone  over  to  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Lawrence  and 
the  Democrats  and  Independents  elected  Judge 
David  Davis.  At  this  session,  also,  was  passed  the 
first  Board  of  Health  and  Medical  Practice  act,  of 
which  Mr.  Hamilton  was  a  champion,  against  :; 
much  opposition  that  the  bill  was  several  times 
"laid  on  the  table."  Also,  this  session  authorized 
the  location  and  establishment  of  a  southern  peni- 
tentiary, which  was  fixed  at  Chester.  In  the  session 
of  1879  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  President//-;? /^»z. 
of  the  Senate,  and  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  John 
A.  Logan  for  the  U.  S.  Senate,  who  wa3  this  time 
elected  without  any  trouble. 

In  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  his 
principal  competitors  before  the  Convention  being 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  James,  ex-Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  Wabash 
County,  Hon.  T.  T.  Fountain,  of  Perry  County,  and 
Hon.  M.  M.  Saddler,  of  Marion  County.  He  engaged 
actively  in  the  campaign,  and  his  ticket  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  41,200.  As  Lieutenant  Governor, 
he  presided  almost  continuously  over  the  Senate  in 
the  32d  General  Assembly  and  during  the  early  days 
of  the  33d,  until  he  succeeded  to  the  Governorship. 
When  the  Legislature  of  1883  elected  Gov.  Cullom 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  Lieut.  Gov.  Hamilton 
succeeded  him,  under  the  Constitution,  taking  the 
oath  of  office  Feb.  6,  1883.  He  bravely  met  all  the 
annoyances  and  embarrassments  incidental  upon 
taking  up  another's  administration.  The  principal 
events  with  which  Gov.  Hamilton  was  connected  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  State  were,  the  mine  dis- 
aster at  Braidwood,  the  riots  in  St.  Clair  and  Madison 
Counties  in  May,  1883,  the  appropriations  for  the 
State  militia,  the  adoption  of  the  Harper  high-license 
liquor  law,  the  veto  of  a  dangerous  railroad  bill,  etc. 

The  Governor  was  a  Delegate  at  large  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  June, 

1884,  where  his  first  choice  for  President  was  John 
A.  Logan,  and  second  choice  Chester  A.  Arthur;  but 
he  afterward  zealously  worked  for  the  election  of  Mr. 
Blaine,  true  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  term  as  Governor  expired  Jan.  30, 

1885,  when  the  great  favorite  "  Dick  "  Oglesby  was 
inaugurated. 


I 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


183 


fel.'ifij.ja,-  .        --^^ 


^:a«—      t-^t&a^^? 


> ^.o*o.-(9JA>,A^S5..o*o.. 


,  ( ).SEPH 


.■^fi^l^^^  JOSEPH  WILSON  FIFER.  This 
distinguished  gentleman  was 
||j^»»  elected  Governor  of  Illinois 
November  6,  1888.  He  was 
popularly  known  during  the 
campaign  as  "Private  Joe."  He 
had  served  witii  great  devotion 
to  his  country  during  the  Re- 
bellion, in  the  Thirty-third 
Illinois  Infantry'.  A  native  of 
Virginia,  he  was  liorn  in  1840. 
His  parents,  John  and  ~Slary 
(Daniels)  Fifer,  were  American 
born,  though  of  German  de- 
scent. His  father  was  a  luick 
and  stoue  mason,  and  an  old 
Henry  Clay  Whig  in  polities.  John  and  Mar_v 
Fifer  had  nine  children,  of  whom  Joseph  was  the 
sixth,  and  naturally  with  so  large  a  family  it  was 
all  the  father  could  do  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the 
door;  to  saj'  nothing  of  giving  his  children  any- 
thing like  good  educational  advantages. 

Young  Joseph  attended  school  some  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  it  was  not  a  good  school,  and  when 
his  father  removed  to  the  West,  in  1857,  Joseph  had 
not  advanced  much  further  than  tlie  "First  Reader." 


Our  subject  was  sixteen  then  and  suffered  a  great 
misfortune  in  the  loss  of  his  mother.  After  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Fifer,  which  occurred  in  Missouri,  the 
family  returned  to  Virginia,  but  remained  only  a 
short  time,  as  during  the  same  year  Mr.  Fifer 
came  to  Illinois.  He  settled  in  McLean  County  and 
started  a  brickyard.  Here  Joseph  and  his  broth- 
ers were  put  to  work.  The  elder  Fifer  soon 
bought  a  farm  near  Bloomington  and  began  life  as 
an  agriculturalist.  Here  Joe  worked  and  attended 
the  neighboring  school.  He  alternated  farm-work, 
briek-la3nng,  and  going  to  the  district  school  for 
the  succeeding  few  years.  It  was  all  work  and  no 
play  for  Joe,  yet  it  by  no  means  made  a  dull  boy 
of  him.  All  tlie  time  he  was  thinking  of  the  great 
world  outside,  of  which  he  had  caught  a  gfimpse 
when  coming  from  A'irginia,  yet  he  tlid  not  know 
just  how  he  was  going  to  get  out  into  it.  He 
could  not  feel  that  the  woods  around  the  new 
farm  and  the  log  cabin,  in  which  tlio  family  lived, 
were  to  hold  him. 

The  o|)portunity  to  get  out  into  the  w-orld  was 
soon  offered  to  young  Joe.  He  traveled  a  dozen 
miles  barefoot,  in  company  with  his  brother  (ieorge, 
and  enlisted  in  Com[)any  C.  33d  Illinois  Infantry; 
he  being  then  twenty  years  old.     In  a   few   d.iys 


184 


JOSEPH  W.  FIFER. 


the  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Butler,  and  then 
over  into  Missouri,  ami  saw  some  vignrous  service 
there.  After  a  sefOiid  time  helping  to  chase  Price 
out  of  Missouri,  the  33d  Regiment  went  down 
to  Milliken's  Bend,  and  for  several  weeks  "Private 
•Joe"  worked  on  Grant's  famous  ditch.  The  regi- 
ment then  joined  the  forces  operating  against  Port 
Gibson  and  Vickslnirg.  Joe  was  on  guard  duty  in 
the  front  ditches  when  the  flag  of  surrender  was 
run  up  on  the  4th  of  Jul}',  and  stuck  the  bayonet 
of  his  gun  into  the  embankment  and  went  into  the 
cit}'  with  the  vanguard  of  Union  soldiers. 

The  next  day,  July  5,  the  33d  joined  the  force 
after  Johnston,  who  had  been  threatening  Grant's 
rear;' and '_  Anally  an  assault  was  made  on  him  at 
Jackson,  Miss.  In  this  charge  "Private  Joe"  fell,  ter- 
ribly wounded.  He  was  loading  his  gun  when  a 
minie-ball  struck  him  and  passed  entirely  tlirough 
his  body.  Heiwas  regarded  as  mortally  wounded. 
Ills  brother,  George,  who  had  been  made  a  Lien- 
tenant,  proved  to  be  the  means  of  saving  his  life. 
The  Surgeon  told  him  unless  he  had  ice  his  brother 
Joe  could  not  live.  It  was  fift3'  miles  to  the  nearest 
point  where  ice  could  be  obtained,  and  the  roads 
were  rough.  A  comrade,  a  McLean  county  man,  who 
liad  lieen  wounded,  offered  to  make  the  trip.  An 
ambulance  was  secured  and  the  brother  soldier 
started  on  the  journey.  He  returned  with  the  ice, 
but  the  trip,  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the  roads, 
was  very  bard  on  him.  After  a  few  months'  care- 
ful nursing  Mr.  Fifer  was  able  to  come  home.  The 
33d  came  home  on  a  furlough,  and  when  the 
boys  were  ready  to  return  to  the  tented  field, 
young  Fifer  was  ready  to  go  with  them;  for  he  was 
determined  to  finish  his  term  of  three  years.  He 
was  mustered  out  in  October,  1804,  having  been 
in    the  service   three  years  and  two  months. 

"Private  Joe"  came  out  of  the  army  a  tall, 
tanned,  and  awkward  young  man  of  twenty-four. 
About  all  he  possessed  was  ambition  to  be  some- 
body— and  pluck.  Though  at  an  age  when  most 
men  liave  finished  their  college  course,  the  j-oung 
soldier  saw  that  if  he  was  to  be  anybody  he  must 
have  an  education.  Yet  he  had  no  means  to  ena- 
ble him  to  enter  school  as  most  young  men  do. 
He  was  determined  to  have  an  education,  however, 
and  that  to  him  meant  success.     For  the  following 


four  years  he  struggled  with  his  books.  He  entered 
Wer^ieyan  University  Jan.  1.  1865.  He  was  not  a 
brilliant  student,  being  neither  at  the  head  nor  the 
foot  of  his  class.  He  was  in  great  earnest,  how- 
ever, studied  hard  and  came  forth  with  a  well- 
stored  and  disci[)lined  mind. 

Immediately  after  being  graduated  he  entered 
an  office  at  Bloomington  as  a  law  student.  He  had 
already  read  law  some,  and  as  he  continued  to  work 
hard,  with  the  spur  of  poverty  and  promptings  of 
ambition  ever  with  him,  he  was  ready  to  hang  out 
his  professional  shingle  in  18G9.  Being  trust- 
worthy he  soon  gathered  about  him  some  influen- 
tial friends.  In  1.S71  he  was  elected  Corporation 
Counsel  of  Bloomington.  In  1872  he  was  elected 
State's  Attorney  of  McLean  County.  This  oHice 
he  held  for  eight  years,  when  he  took  his  seat  in 
the  State  Senate.  Here  he  served  for  four  years. 
His  ability  to  perform  abundance  of  hard  work 
made  him  a  most  valued  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture. 

Mr.  i'ifer  was  married  in  1870  to  Gertie,  daugh- 
ter of  William  J.  Lewis,  of  Bloomington.  Mr. 
Fifer  is  six  feet  in  height  and  is  spare,  weighing 
only  150  pounds.  He  has  a  swarthy  complexion, 
keen  black  e^'es,  quick  movement,  and  possesses  a 
frank  and  s_ympathetic  nature,  and  naturally  makes 
friends  wherever  he  goes.  During  the  late  Guber- 
natorial campaign  his  visits  throughout  the  State 
proved  a  great  power  in  his  behalf.  His  happy 
faculty  of  winning  the  confidence  and  good  wishes 
of  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  i)ersonal  contact  is  a 
source  of  great  popularity,  especiall}-  during  a  polit- 
ical battle.  As  a  speaker  he  is  fluent,  his  language 
is  good,  voice  clear  and  agreeable,  and  manner 
forcible.  His  manifest  earnestness  in  what  he  says 
as  well  as  his  tact  as  a  public  speaker,  and  his  elo- 
quent and  forceful  language,  makes  him  a  most 
valuable  campaign  orator  and  a  powerful  pleader 
at  the  bar.  At  the  Republican  State  Convention, 
held  in  May,  1888,  Mr.  Fifer  was  chosen  as  its  candi- 
date for  Governor.  He  proved  a  popular  nominee, 
and  the  name  of  "Private  Joe"  became  familiar 
to  everyone  throughout  the  State.  He  waged  a 
vigorous  campaign,  was  elected  by  a  good  majority, 
and  in  due  time  .assumed  the  duties  of  the  Chief 
Executive  of  Illinois. 


mimii 


g»s*»# 


,^ 


[g 


^^^(^^%m^. , 


I 


I 


introduqt:"o 


^<s«-«»^®^ 


SHE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes  the    duty    of   the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their    early    settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.     The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age 
and  the  duty  that  men  of  the  pres- 
ent time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
*>w  V2i«»        enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
^  "^  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 

safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  ijrinie  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days 
af  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  tlie  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scytlie  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  been  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
Th^  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mauons  made  by  the  archeologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  something  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All 
these  works,  though  many  of  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  un- 
limited in  e.xtent  and  perpetual  in  its  action;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme- 
tery will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  ashamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  lives 
are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


TRANSPORTATION. 


The  Wabash. 

iO  THE  public  aii'l  our  thousands  of  readers 
^.  in  general: — It  will  no  doubt  be  interesting 
'J  to  all  if  we  give  a  brief  description  of 
this  road.  The  Wabash,  as  now  known,  h.as  been 
operated  under  several  names  from  time  to  time. 
It  is  the  offspring,  as  it  were,  of  the  first  line  of 
road  projected  in  Illinois,  then  known  as  the 
Northern  Cross  Railro.ad,  extending  from  Dan- 
ville to  Quincy.  This  w.as  chartered  in  1837.  and 
upon  it  the  first  locomotive  was  placed  in  the 
winter  of  1838-31),  running  from  Meredosia,  on 
the  Illinois  River,  to  Jacksonville.  In  1842  the 
road  was  completed  from  Jacksonville  to  Spring- 
field, and  three  trips  were  m.ade  per  week.  The 
track  was  of  the  old  flat  rail  style,  which  was  made 
by  nailing  thin  strips  of  iron  on  two  parallel  lines 
of  timbers  placed  at  the  proper  distance  apart,  and 
running  lengthways  of  the  road.  The  engine  as 
well  as  the  road  soon  became  so  impaired  that  the 
former  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  mules  substituted 
as  the  motor  power.  However,  such  locomotion 
was  destined  to  be  of  short  duration,  for  the  State 
soon  after  sold  the  entire  road  for  a  nominal  sum, 
and  thus  for  a  short  time  was  suspended  one  of  the 
first  railroad  enterprises  in  Illinois.  But  in  the 
West  a  new  era — one  of  prodigious  industrial 
activity  and  far-reaching  results  in  the  practical 
arts — was  dawning,  and  within  thirty  years  of  the 
temporarj'  f.ailure  of  the  road  mentioned,  Illinois 
had  outstripped  all  others  in  gigantic  internal  im- 
provements, and  at  present  has  more  miles  of  rail- 
rciad  than  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 

The  Great  Western,  whose  name  has  been  suc- 
cessively changed  to  Toledo,  Wabash  &  Western, 
Wabash,  and  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific,  and 
Wabash  Railroad,  and  The  Wabash,  the  last  of 
which  it  still  bears, w.as  an  extension  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad,  above  mentioned, and  traverses  some 
of  the  finest  portions  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio. 
It  soon  became  the  popular  highway  of  travel  and 
traffic  between  the  East  and  the  West.  Through  a 
system  of  consolidation,  unparalleled  in  American 
railways,  it  has  become  a  gi.ant  among  them,  and 
has  added  many  millions  of  dollars  to  the  value  of 
bonds  and  shares  of  the  various  companies  now 
incorporated   in    the  Wabash   system.     The  road 


takes  its  title  from  the  river  of  that  name,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Ohio,  which  ic  part  separates  the  States 
of  Illinois  and  Indiana.  In  looking  over  the  map 
of  the  Wabash  Railroad  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
line  extends  through  the  most  fertile  and  wealth}' 
[jorlions  of  the  center  of  the  United  States,  having 
termini  at  more  large  cities  than  any  other  West- 
ern road.  It  was  indeed  a  far-reaching  sagacity 
which  consolidated  these  various  lines  into  the 
Wabash  system,  forming  one  immense  chain  of 
great  commercial  activity  and  power.  Its  ter- 
minal facilities  are  unsurpassed  by  any  competing 
line.  Its  home  offices  are  established  in  commo- 
dious quarters  in  St.  Louis.  Tiie  lines  of  the  road 
are  co-extensive  with  the  importance  of  the  great 
transportation  facilities  required  for  the  products 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  '1  his  line  passes  through 
the  States  of  Iowa,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio 
and  Michigan. 

The  various  lines  of  load    may   be  divided  into 
the  following: 

Miles. 

St.  Louis  to  Chicago 286 

Toledo  to  Kansas  City 602 

St.  Louis  to   Dos  Moines 360 

Logansport  to  Detroit 207, 

Chicago  to  Laketon  Junction 123 

Clayton  to  Keokuk 42 

Bluffs  to  Quincy 1 0.5 

Slreator  to  Forest 37 

Attica  to  Covington 15 

Champaign    to  Sidney 12 

Edwardsville  to  Edwardsville 

Crossing !' 

Bement  to  Altamont  and  P^ffingham        63 

Brunswick  to  Omaha 225 

Roseberry  ta  Clarinda 21 

Salisbury  to  Glasgow 

Centralia  to  Columbia 


15 
22 


Miles  of  main  lines  and  branches. .    2204 

From  the  above  main  line  and  branches  as  in- 
dicated, it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  Wabash 
connects  with  more  large  cities  and  great  marts  of 
trade  than  any  other  line,  bringing  Omaha,  Kansas 
City.  Des  Moines,  Keokuk,  Quincy,  St.  Louis, 
Chicago,  Toledo  and  Detroit  together  with  one 
continuous  line  of  steel  rails.  This  road  has  an 
immense  freight  traffic  of  the  cereals,  live-stock, 
various  productions  and  manufactured  articles  of 


I 


TRANSPORTATION. 


the  West  and  the  States  through  which  it  passes. 
Its  facilities  for  rapid  transit  for  the  vast  produc- 
tions of  the  packing  houses  of  Kansas  City  and 
St.  Louis,  to  Detroit,  Toledo  and  the  Eastern  marts 
of  lra<le,  is  unequalled.  A  large  portion  of  the 
grain  |)roductions  of  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Mis- 
souri, Illinois  and  Indiana,  finds  its  way  to  the 
Eastern  markets  over  the  lines  of  this  road.  The 
Wabash  has  always  taken  an;advanced  position  in 
tariffs,  and  its  course  toward  its  patrons  has  been 
just  and  liberal,  so  that  it  has  always  enjoyed  the 
commendation  of  the  business  and  traveling  ])ublic. 
The  road  bed  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  country,  and 
is  liallasted  with  gravel  and  stone,  well  tied  and 
laid  with  steel  rails.  The  bridges  along  the  var- 
iou!--  lines  and  branches  are  substantial  structuies. 
Tlie  depots,  grounds  and  general  property  of  the 
road  are  in  good  condition.  The  management  of 
Ihi'  Wabash  is  fully  abreast  of  the  times.  The 
road  is  progressive  in  every  respect.  The  finest 
passenger  cars  on  the  continent  are  run  on  its  lines, 
and  every  effort  made  to  advance  the  interests  of 
its  i)atrons.  The  passenger  department  is  unex- 
celled for  the  elegant  and  substantial  comfort 
afforded  travelers.  On  several  of  the  more  im- 
portant branches  of  the  sj'stem,  dining  cars  are 
run. 

Chicago  &  Alton   Railroad. 

'HIS  road  traverses  some  of  the  best  territory 
of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  vvith  its  western 
terminus  in  Kansas  City  and  southern  in  St. 
Louis,  and  the  principal  terminus  and  headquarters 
in  Chicago.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important  roads 
of  the  great  system  of  railroads  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley.  The  air-line  between  St.  Louis  and  Chi- 
cago, the  most  prominent  cities  of  the  Great  West, 
and  the  most  pronounced  commercial  rivals,  occu- 
I)ies  a  prominent  position  among  the  trans-Missis- 
sipiji  railroads.  This  may  be  attributed  partly  to 
the  manner  in  which  the  management  has  fostered 
and  developed  the  local  business  along  the  line  of 
the  road  since  its  organization  in  KSC2i  Its  man- 
agement has  always  kept  abreast  of  the  times. 


The  length  of  the  system  is  practically  nine 
hundred  miles.  In  brief  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
Railroad  has  by  a  judicious  system  of  permanent 
improvement,  and  by  the  introduction  of  modern 
appliances  which  tend  to  the  preservation  (jf  life 
and  property,  placed  itself  in  such  a  condition, 
materially  and  physically,  that  its  financial  condi- 
tion is  not  easily  affected.  Its  success  as  one  of  the 
great  highways  of  the  West  is  an  assnred  reality.  It 
might  be  appropriately  noted  here  that  while  much 
of  this  road's  p.ast  success  may  be  attributed  to  its 
admirable  geographical  location,  embracing  a  very 
rich  section  of  the  country  for  local  tratlic,  and 
with  termini  on  Lake  Michigan  and  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  Rivers,  yet  equally  as  much  is  due  to 
the  wisdom  and  stabilitj-  of  the  management. 


Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Ralli-oad. 

(i^^H E  Quincy  &  Louisiana  branch  of  this  ex- 
({(^^  tensive  system  passes  through  a  portion  of 
vL^  Pike  Connty.  It  strikes  the  county  at  See- 
horn,  running  in  a  southeasterly  direction  to  Rock- 
port,  where  it  diverges  in  a  southwesterly  direction 
to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  crosses  the  Chicago  & 
Alton  Railroad  bridge  to  Louisiana,  Mo.  At 
Hulls  it  crosses  the  Wabash  Railroad.  The  prin- 
cipal stations  on  this  line  in  the  county  are  New 
Canton  and  Rockport.  It  furnishes  an  excellent 
feeder  for  the  system,  and  is  an  important  auxiliary 
to  the  transportation  facilities  for  the  people  of 
the  west  side  of  the  county. 


'■    '    ^z 


EP^ 


Water  Transportation. 

I ITHER  of  these  two  counties  has  more 
river  frontage  than  any  other  county  in  the 
Jii_^  State.  The  Mississippi  washes  their  shores 
on. the  west  for  at  least  one  hundred  and  ten  miles, 
and  on  the  eastern  side  the  Illinois  River  about 
eighty-five  miles,  thus  furnishing  (.splendid  and 
cheap  water. transportation  luv  the  varied  products 


TRANSPORTATION. 


of  these  counties.  Hence,  while  in  the  early  daj's 
of  the  settlement  of  the  State,  when  other  counties 
were  devoid  of  railroads,  Pike  and  Calhoun  on  the 
other  hand  were  enriching  tlieniselvcs  by  means  of 
tlie  clieap  commerce  incident  to  their  superior 
waterways,  and  even  to  this  day  Calhoun,  being  a 
peninsular  county,  has  no  railroads.  These  coun- 
ties, by  means  of  the  excellent  steamboat  system 
plying  on  the  rivers  are  placed  within  a  few  hours 
of  the  markets  of  St.  Louis,  Peoria  and  the  larger 
towns  of  the  Mississippi.  Frequently  the  fruit 
crop  of  Calhoun  is  transported  by  river  to  St.  Paul 


1  and  when  the  enterprising  citizens  of  the  peninsular 
county  wisli   to  visit  the   outside  world   they  step 

[  aboard  the  floating  palaces  on  either  river  and  pro- 
ceed to  their  destination  surrounded  by  the  com- 
forts of  a  well-ordered  home  and  free  from  the  dust 
or  iostle  of  railroad  travel,  and  when  meal  time 
has  arrived  there  are  spread  before  them  the  most 
delicate  viands  that  would  tempt  the  appetite 
of  an  epicure,  while  from  the  forward  cabin  are 
wafted  back  strains  of  sweet  music  from  the  band. 
Under  such  pleasing  and  soothing  surroundings  the 
passenger  flnishes  his  meal. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


191 


p    iBi[TOTrRaiP:f(ia^ 


.'■^S-'i 


>.  •<S-^' 


^^.SAAC  A.  HATCH.     Undoubtedly 
the  front  laiik  in  the    financial, 
il^stf   business    nnd    social   circles  of 
Griggsviilc.  Pil<e  County-,  is  held 
by  the  gentleman  above  named, 
who  is  Cashier  of  the  Griggs- 
ville  National    Bank.     He  was 
born    at     Hillsboro,    Hillsboro 
County,  N.   H.,  .September    13, 
1812,  and  is  descended  from  old 
Welsh  and  Irish  ancestors.    The 
Hatch    faniil}^    settled  in    Con- 
necticut about  two  hundred  and 
fift\'     years     ago,    niakinu    that 
State  their  abode  until    Reuben 
Hatch     Sr.,     settled     in      New 
One  of  that  goitleman's  brothers  lo- 
cated in  Vermont  ami  one  in  Maine. 

Reuben  Hatch,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  Granite  State  and  became  a  skillful 
physician.  He  married  Lucy  Andrews  and  reare<l 
a  family  of  nine  children,  uur  subject  being  the 
second  In  order  of  birth.  The  first-born  was  Seth 
C,  a  phj'sician  and  surgeon  in  the  Sixty-second 
Illinois  Infantry-,  who  died  in  Barrj',  Pike  County, 
111.;  0.  M.  who  was  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of 
Pike  Count3-  for  eight  years  and  Secretary  of  State 
an  equal  length  of  time;  he  is  now  retired  and  liv- 


Hampshire. 


ing  in  Springfield  ;  Sylvanus,  deceased,  was  a  farmer 
in  Pike  County;  Reuben,  also  deceased,  was  a 
merchant  in  Griggsville;  he  was  Quartermaster  in 
an  Illinois  regiment  and  died  of  disease  contracted 
in  the  service;  Rebecca  was  the  wife  of  Alexander 
.Starr,  a  merchant  and  politician  in  Griggsville; 
John  is  novv  deceased;  Franklin  is  a  farmer  in 
Griggsville  Township;  Lutinda  is  the  wife  of  L. 
B.  Bush  of  Portland,  Ore.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  the  daughter  of  Maj.  Isaac  Andrews,  an 
officer  in  the  War  of  1812;  she  died  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  her  husband  came  to  this  State  in  Janu- 
ary, 1836,  settling  at  Griggsville,  where  he  died 
when  past  the  age  of  fourscore  yeai's. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  seven- 
teen years  of  his  life  in  his  native  town  and  ac- 
quired a  good  common-school  education.  He  was 
very  anxious  to  take  a  more  thorough  course  of 
study,  and  went  to  Boston  with  a  drover,  thinking 
that  in  that  educational  center  he  would  be  able  to 
gratify  his  wish.  He  found,  liowever,  that  a  poor 
boy  would  not  be  able  to  advance  his  knowledge  in 
an3-  of  the  institutions  tliere,  and  lie  became  con- 
nected with  a  dealer  in  West  India  goods,  whose 
trade  w.as  mostl}'  wholesale.  In  1832  tiie  j'oung 
man  returned  to  his  native  State  and  became  clerk 
in  a  general  mcrcliandise  business,  remaining  in 
Hillsboro  until  became  to  Illinois. 


192 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


After  reaching  this  State  Mr.  Hatch  came  direct 
to  Griggsville  and  embariicd  in  the  sale  of  mer- 
chandise, finding  it  an  upliiil  business  at  that  time. 
He  therefore  added  to  it  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
From  1853  until  the  Relicllion  broke  out  ho  was 
quite  largely  engaged  in  trade,  then,  his  partners 
having  withdrawn  from  the  business,  he  closed  out 
on  account  of  the  slowness  in  collections  and  slack- 
ness in  business.  Soon  after  he  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  Revenue  Collector  in  the  district 
composed  of  Pike  and  Brown  Counties.  He  was  the 
first  to  hold  the  office  and  retained  it  several  years, 
fortunately  being  able  to  give  good  satisfaction, 
although  he  met  with  a  great  deal  of  opjiosition  in 
carrying  out  the  law.  This  section  of  the  State 
was  a  rather  "hot"  place  in  those  days. 

Mr.  Hatch  was  Collector  until  1864  and  vari- 
ously engaged  from  that  time  until  1870,  when, 
being  urged  by  ills  friends  to  establish  a  banking 
business,  he,  in  company  with  his  brother,  the  ex- 
Secretar}-  of  State,  opened  a  private  bank.  The 
brother  withdrew  in  1873  and  in  July  of  that  year 
the  institution  became  a  National  Bank  in  which 
Mr.  Hatch  has  occupied  his  present  position  from 
that  time.  He  has  been  the  chief  business  man 
among  the  stockholders,  and  his  princiiiles  have 
been  such  that  now  in  his  old  age  he  enjoys  the 
fullest  confidence  of  his  patrons  and  the  men  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated.  He  is  most  highly' 
respected,  being  both  shrewd  and  generous,  and  his 
estimable  wife  stands  side  by  side  with  him  in  the 
esteem  of  the  comnuinily. 

Mr.  Hatch  is  now  tlie  owner  of  several  farms  in 
the  vicinity  of  his  home  and  is  recognized  as 
among  the  wealthy  men ^  of  the  county.  He  has 
been  a  very  busy  man,  eschewing  politics  entirely 
and  has  never  belonged  to  any  secret  society.  He 
and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Congregational  Cliurch 
at  Griggsville.  Mrs.  [Hatch  is  a  native  of  the 
Granite  State  in  which  her  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  1810.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Baxter, 
was  christened  J^3dia  B.,  and  possesses  education 
and  culture.  Prior  to  her  marriage  she  was  en- 
gaged in  the  profession  .of  teaching.  Mr.  and  iSIrs. 
Hatch  have  reared  a  family  of  two  childien — Abbie 
A.  and  John  Franklin.  The  latter  received  a  col- 
legiate education  and  now  supervises    his   father's 


f.arm.  He  married  Nettie  Bose,  a  native  of  the  Em- 
pire Stale  and  they  have  four  children — May, 
Stella,  lidna  and  Ethel.  The  attention  of  the  reader 
is  invited  to  a  lithographic  portrait  of  Mr.  Hatch 
presented  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


'^f/  SA  L.  HIIjL.     This  venerable   gentleman 
(@/l!||     was    one)  of  _the    early    pioneers    of    Pd^e 

///  ifc  County,  and  aided  in  the  development  of 
(^  its  agriculture  and  in   its   upbuilding  as  a 

farmer  and  a  mason.  He  is  now  living  in  retire- 
ment in  Pittsfield  and  with  his  good  wife  is  enjoy- 
ing the  competence  that  their  united  labors  have 
brought  to  them.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  New  Englan.ler  l>y 
birth  and  antecedents.  He  was  born  in  Weathers- 
field,  Vt.,  May  6,  1808. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  also  named 
Asa,  was  likewise  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  he  was 
of  English  descent.  He  married  Sallie  Bennett, 
who  was  born  in  Weathersfleld.  She  was  of  Eng- 
lish antecedents.  The  parents  of  our  subject  con- 
tinued to  live  in  ^'ermont  during  the  rest  of  their 
d.ays.  Mr.  Hill  well  remembers  hearing  his  father 
tell  of  the  War  of  181"2,  and  of  furnishing  the  sol- 
diers who  strayed  to  their  place  after  taking  part  in 
some  battle,  with  a  sack  of  apples  and  other  edi- 
bles. 

Asa  Hill,  the  subject  of  this  notice  received  his 
schooling  in  Burlington,  Vt.  He  grew  to  man's  es- 
tate on  tiie  home  farm  in  Weathersfleld.  and  as  soon 
as  old  enough  accjuired  the  trade  of  a  biickl.ayer,  and 
worked  at  that  (luring  the  summers  and  on  a  farm 
in  the  winters.  Hearing  much  of  the  great  West 
and  desirous  of  trying  life  there,  in  1832,  our  sub- 
ject started  out  on  the  long  journey.  He  came  to 
this  State  on  a  prospecting  tour,  liaving  determined 
to  locate  here.  He  went  from  Buffalo  to  New  Or- 
leans and  there  passed  one  winter  and  from  there 
lie  made  his  way  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  spent 
the  summer  and  thence  b^'  the  way  of  (^uincy  on  a 
stage  to  Chicago  and  from  there  took  a  steamer 
back  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  where  he  embarked  on  the 
Erie  Can.al  and  finally  arrived  .at  Burlington,  Vt. 
He    had    been    pleased   with    what    he  saw   of    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


193 


country  liere,  .and  in  the  winter  of  183-2,  wilti  two 
horses  and  a  sprino;  wagon,  wliieli  lie  put  on  a 
dump  (runners),  he  again  started  out  on  the  jour- 
ney westward.  He  drove  to  Buffah>.  N.  Y.,  where 
he  |)ut  his  wagon  on  wheels,  and  tlien  drove  over  the 
country  to  Terre  Haute,  Ind..  and  'from  there  to 
SpringtieUl.  In  that  city  the  masons  were  jusl  lay- 
ing the  foundation  for  the  old  State  House,  and  our 
subject  still  has  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  city  as 
it  was  in  e;irly  days.  He  drove  from  there  to 
Pittsfield  in  the  month  of  March,  18.V2.  He  was 
accompanied  thither  by  his  younger  brother,  Hiram, 
and  l)y  Peter  Hovve.  who  was  afterwards  murdered. 
After  his  arrival  in  Pike  County,  Mr.  Hill 
worked  on  a  farm  for  a  time  as  there  was  not  much 
doing  in  the  w.ay  of  brick  builduig.  He  did  some 
plastering  however,  doing  odd  jobs  until  the 
country  began  to  be  more  thickly  settled,  and  he 
found  work  in  different  towns  at  his  trade.  Fi- 
nally he  concluded  to  get  married  and  that  auspi- 
cious event  in  iiis  life  took  place  January  1.  1845, 
when  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Charlotte  Cushing 
Pratt,  of  Mt.  Palatine,  La  Salle  County,  111.,  and  the 
youngest  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Charlotte( Cushing) 
Pratt.  Mrs.  Hill  is  a  native  of  We}'moutli,  Mass., 
where  she  was  born  November  27,  1824.  She  is 
the  mother  of  live  children,  namely :  Fannie,  tiie 
wife  of  Jerome  Howe  of  Marshall  County,  III.; 
Charles  V.,  married  Miss  Emma  Atkinson  cf  this 
city,  and  resides  in  San  Jose.Cal. ;  Rowland. who  died 
when  twentj'-three  years  old;  Emma,  at  home  with 
her  parents;  Arthur  Hovve,  assistant  bookkeeper  in 
a  private  bank  in  Wenona,  Marshall  County, 
III. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Hill  settled  in  Pittsfield  where 
he  has  resided  ever  since,  following  his  trade,  that 
of  a  bricklayer.  He  has  helped  to  put  up  some  of 
the  best  buildings  in  the  State,  among  which  are  the 
William  Watson  House, Westlake  House  in  Newburg. 
Columbia  College,  Shui  lliff  College,  the  court  house 
in  Princeton,  111.,  and  other  fine  buildings.  He  was 
actively  and  exclusively  engaged  at  his  trade  until 
18.55  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and 
began  to  carry  on  agriculture  also  on  his  farm  one 
mile  east  of  Pittsfield  in  Newburg  Township.  He  still 
retains  possession  of  his  homestead,  which  is  under 
the  management  of  a   tenant,   and   comprises  one 


hundred  and  sixt^-  acres  of  choice,  well  cultivated 
land  wliich  is  substantially  improved  in  every  par- 
ticular. 

Politically  Mr.  Hill  was  an  old  line  Whig  and 
voted  for  Gen.  Harrison  in  1840.  He  voted  for 
the  General's  grandson  in  1888  and  is  a  strong 
sup|)orter  of  the  Republican  parly.  Though  he 
has  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  3ears 
he  is  still  hale  and  hearty  and  enjoys  life  well,  and 
Mrs.  Hill  has  good  health  in  spite  of  the, burden  of 
sixty-six  years.  Both  are  iieople  of  genuine  worth 
and  are  regarded  with  the  highest  esteem  and  con- 
sideration by  the  entire  communit}-  where  so  many 
years  of  their  life  has  been  spent. 


(*  I^ILLIAM  A.  STAATS.  A  goodly  number 
\/iJ/  °^  those  who  have  Ijorne  an  active  part  in 
W^  the  development  of  the  agricultural  re- 
sources of  Pike  County'  have  entered  into  rest, 
leaving  behind  them  a  record  of  industr}-,  perse- 
vei'ance  and  good  cilizenshii)  that  m.ay  well  he 
emulated  by  others.  Among  this  number  is  the 
late  William  A.  Staats,  who  died  at  his  home  in 
Griggsville  May  10,  1883.  He  h.ad  retired  to  the 
village  a  number  of  years  before  his  decease,  and 
WPS  spending  his  declining  years  in  ease  and  com- 
fort, after  having  labored  long  and  well  as  a  me- 
chanic and  farmer.  His  homestead  was  located  on 
sections  11  and  It,  Griggsville  Township,  and 
consisted  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  which 
he  had  placed  under  excellent  improvement  and 
thorough  cultivation. 

Mr.  Staats  was  a  Pennsylvanian  and  of  the  old 
Dutch  stock,  as  indicated  by  his  surname.  His 
natal  day  was  July  16,  1807.  He  was  quite  young 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  acquired  his 
education  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 
He  was  a  skillfid  mechanic  and  through  his  trade 
acquired  a  start  in  life.  For  a  short  time  he  lived 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  for  three  years  resided  in 
Qnincy,  III.  In  1843  he  settled  in  Barry  Town- 
ship, this  county,  where  he  improved  a  farm,  mak- 
ing it  his  home  for  a  decade,     He  then  took  pos- 


194 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


session  of  the  properly  before  mentioned,  which 
harl  but  a  small  part  under  cultivation.  Caieful 
in  his  management,  progressive  in  his  ideas,  wliile 
not  unduly  anxious  to  try  new  schemes,  Mr.  Staats 
succeeded  well  in  his  efforts  to  secure  crops  equal 
in  quality  and  quantity  to  any  in  this  section. 
He  devoted  considerable  attention  to  stock,  always 
keeping  good  animals,  but  making  a  specialty'  of 
no  particular  breed. 

The  estimable  woman  who  for  many  years  shared 
the  fortunes  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Elizabeth  Boswell  and  became  his  wife  in  Ohio. 
She  was  born  in  North  Carolina  May  G,  1809, 
being  a  daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Gam- 
brell)  Boswell.  who  were  born  in  the  South  and 
for  some  .years  m.ade  their  home  in  Warren  Count}-, 
Ohio.  There  the  father  died,  and  the  widoweil 
mother  subsequently  going  to  Mississijjpi  breathed 
her  last  there  at  the  home  of  a  son.  Mrs.  Boswell 
was  an  exemplary  Chiistian,  for  long  years  identi- 
fied with  the  Baptist  Churcli.  She  had  lived  to 
be  more  than  fourscore  years  of  age  when  called 
hence. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  quite  young  when 
her  parents  removed  to  the  Buckeye  Slate,  and 
there  she  grew  to  womanhood,  acquiring  a  prac- 
tical education,  housewifely  skill,  and  developing 
the  disposition  which  made  her  a  most  important 
member  of  the  family  circle.  She  was  a  true  help- 
mate to  her  good  husband,  with  whom  she  worked 
for  the  good  of  their  family.  Her  death  took  place 
in  Griggsville  April  :>.-2,  1K90,  at  an  advanced  age. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staats  consisted  of 
seven  children— Isabel  died  when  quite  young  and 
Siilney  in  1877.  when  twenty-nine  years  old;  Ed- 
ward L.  lives  on  the  old  homestead,  the  most  of 
uliich  he  operates,  being  a  successful  and  practical 
farmer  and  a  worthy  member  of  the  community: 
Mary  F.,  an  intelligent,  enterprising  woman,  is 
living  with  other  members  of  the  family  at  home; 
Emeline  also  resides  on  the  homestead.  Peter  T. 
married  Maria  Edmonson,  of  Quincy;  their  home 
is  in  Griggsville  and  Mr.  Staats  is  an  attorney  and 
farmer.  Helen  N.,  an  educated  and  refined  lady, 
has  been  for  some  time  engaged  in  leaching  in 
Griggsville  and  Flint  Townships,  making  her  home 
with  her  unmarried    brothers  and  sisters.     All  of 


the  members  of  the  family  are  intelligent,  honor- 
able and  straightforvvard,  worthy  representatives 
of  the  family  name  and  virtues.  The  sons  of  our 
subject  vote  the  Democratic  ticket,  as  did  their 
honored  father. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jesse  and  Mary 
Staats.  who  came  from  Ohio  to  this  State,  where 
most  of  the  members  of  their  family  located.  They 
finally  took  up  their  abode  with  their  children, 
and  died  at  the  home  of  their  son,  Coderick,  in 
Pil;e  County.  Both  lived  to  a  goodly  .ige,  and 
when  called  hence  were  mourned  b}'  many  friends. 


-^^ 


<«l  IVTLLIAMSON  BOND  is  numbered  among 
\oJ//  the  general  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
W^J  Pike  County,  his  home  being  on  section 
3fi,  Perry  Township,  where  he  is  successfully  prose- 
cuting his  enterprises.  He  is  the  fortunate  owner 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  good  land, 
generally  well  improved,  which  has  been  his  life 
home,  he  having  been  born  liere  July  12.  1837. 
The  personal  ch;.racter  of  ^Mr.  Bond  is  an  upright, 
honorable  one,  his  manners  are  agreeable  and  his 
mind  is  well  stoicd  with  useful  information. 

The  father  of  our  subject  vvas  John  Bond,  a  na- 
tive of  Wilson  County,  Tenn.,  and  the  child  of  na- 
tives of  the  .Southern  States,  who  lived  to  be  quite 
aged.  He  grew  up  amid  the  surroundings  of  rural 
life  and  adopted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  which 
was  that  of  his  father  before  him.  After  becoming 
of  age  he  married  Bidsey  Callis.  who  was  also  of 
Southern  parentage  and  born  in  Tennessee.  Late 
in  the  '20s  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bond  came  to  Illinois, 
bringing  with  them  one  child.  They  performed 
their  journey  in  the  usual  wa}-,  with  teams,  camp- 
ing out,  and  after  a  tedious  journey  finally  landed 
in  I'erry  Township.  I'ike  County-.  Here  the  little 
family  began  ijioneer  life  on  new  land  obtained 
from  the  (government,  it  being  the  same  which  is 
now  owned  by  our  subject.  After  a  few  years  the 
wife  died,  being  still  in  the  prime  of  life.  Her 
child.  Amanda,  now  widow  of  Andrew  Johnson,  is 
iving  in  Idaho. 
John  Bond  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALIUM. 


195 


liance  in  this  townsliip.  Miss  Frances  A.  Akin 
becomin":  liis  wife.  Tills  lady  was  also  Ijorn  in 
Tennessee  and  liad  come  to  tliis  State  witli  lier 
parents  wiien  a  jonng  woman.  After  some  jeais 
of  wedded  life  she  passed  away  leaving  four  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Our  subject 
and  a  brother  .Tames,  the  latter  a  farmer  in  Chero- 
kee Count}',  Kan.,  are  the  survivors. 

The  father  was  again  mari'ied  in  this  township, 
his  last  wife  being  Mrs.  Sarah  Ayers  iwc  Lippincott. 
She  was  a  native  of  England  where  her  first  mar- 
riage look  place.  .Some  time  after  the  de.ath  of 
Mr.  Ayers  she  came  to  America  and  not  long  after 
was  married  to  Mr.  Bond.  .She  lived  to  the  age  of 
eightj'-three  years.  Mr.  liond  survived  her  some 
time,  his  death  occurring  November  21,  1871,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-five.  It  took  place  on  the  land 
which  he  hail  improved  from  the  wilderness  over 
which  Indians  roamed  even  after  he  came  here. 
He  was  an  active  local  politician,  belonging  to  the 
Democratic  parly.  In  religion  he  was  a  Baptist, 
being  an  ollicinl  member  of  the  church  for  some 
years. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  grew  up 
on  the  farm  he  now  occupies,  and  after  becoming  of 
age  won  for  his  wife  iMiss  Virginia  James.  She 
was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Tenn.,  October  19, 
1841,  and  received  the  greater  part  of  her  educa- 
tion in  her  native  State,  whence  she  came  North 
with  her  parents.  She  is  well  informed,  an  eflicient 
housekeeper  and  conscientious  Christian.  To  her 
have  been  born  three  children,  of  whom  AViUiam  II. 
and  Elizabeth  M.  died  young.  Frances  A.  is  the  wife 
of  Francis  E.  Metz :  their  home  is  on  the  Bond 
homestead  which  they  helped  to  cultivate.  The}' 
hare  one  child — Beulah  B.  Mr.  Bond,  his  wife 
and  daughter,  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  he  holds  the  office  of  Trustee.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 

Mrs.  Bond  is  a  daughter  of  Allen  W.  and  Ma- 
tilda (Clardy)  James,  natives  of  Tennessee  who 
began  their  wedded  life  on  a  farm  in  their  native 
State.  To  them  were  born  two  children — Jlrs. 
Bond  and  Francis  A.,  wife  of  James  Thomas,  a 
Tennessee  farmer.  The  wife  anil  mother  having 
passed  .'iway  Mr.  James  subsequently  married  Eliza- 
beth Sartin,  a  Tennesseean,  and  in  1852  a  lemoval 


was  ra.ade  to  Adain.s  County,  111.  Some  years  later 
Pike  County  became  the  family  home  and  in  1888 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  removed  to  Bates  County,  Mo. 
There  they  now  live,  the  one  being  seventy-three 
.".nd  the  other  sixty-five  years  of  age.  They  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Six 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  all  living  and  all 
now  married. 


^^  NDREW  INGHAM.  The  Ingram  home- 
(@0     stead  is  one  of  the  well  inipi-oved  farms  of 

III  lii  Pike  County,  consisting  of  one  hundred 
@7/  and  sixty  acres  on  section  .S,  Perry  Town- 

ship. The  estate  is  well  stocked  and  furnished 
with  many  conveniences  for  the  better  carrying  on 
of  the  farm  work  and  household  economy.  The 
present  owner  and  occupant  is  a  practical  agricul- 
turist, who  has  for  some  time  been  making  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  Durock-Jersey  swine.  At  the  local 
exhibitions  in  the  county  he  has  carried  off  a  fair 
share  of  the  premiums  for  the  animals  he  exhibits. 
At  the  head  of  his  drove  are  Seldom  .Seen  and 
Rockwell,  two  good  specimens  of  the  breed. 

IMr.  Ingram  was  born  in  Brown  County,  this 
Slate,  Ma}'  6,  18.01,  and  was  nine  years  old  when 
his  father  came  to  the  locality  that  is  now  his  home. 
He  received  excellent  home  training  from  his  hon- 
ored parents  and  obtained  a  practical  education  in 
the  schools  of  the  township.  His  ideas  are  pro- 
gressive and  he  has  studied  to  improve  various 
kinds  of  stock,  including  cattle  and  sheep  as  well 
as  the  variety  of  which  he  makes  a  specially.  Ills 
farm  Is  very  properly  called  Pioneer  Durock-Jersey 
.Stock  Farm,  as  Mr.  Ingram  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce this  breed  of  swine  in  this  part  of  the  Slate. 
In  June,  1875,  he  bought  his  first  drove  in  New 
Jersey,  and  has  since  had  a  live  Interest  in  making 
the  best  of  this  domestic  breed  which  is  now  rep- 
resented in  every  .State  and  Territory.  Jlr.  Ingram 
himself  has  shipped  to  many  different  parts  of  the 
countrj'. 

For  eight  years  i)ast  our  subject  li,as  exhibited  his 
swine,  showing;  them  with  good  results  at  a  number 


196 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  the  State  fairs,  at  the  St  Louis  Exposition  and 
the  New  Era  Exposition  at  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  At  the 
latter  his  hog,  Rockwell,  ami  sow.  Red  Daisy,  car- 
ried off  first  premiums.  Altogether  he  tooiv  more 
prize  money  than  any  other  breeder  of  liis  class. 
He  Iveeps  his  drove  |)erfectly  pure  and  all  are  regu- 
larly registered.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
matters  pertaining  to  tlie  advancement  of  the  breed, 
he  belongs  to  the  American  Diiroek-Jersey  Swine 
Breeders'  Association,  and  lias  been  a  stockholder 
tiierein  since  its  permanent  organization  some  seven 
years  since. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  a  son  of 
John  B.  Ingram,  who  w.ts  liorn  in  Eastern  Tennes- 
see and  reared  and  educated  in  Nashville.  Grand- 
father Ingram  was  a  distiller  and  his  son  Jtihn 
acquired  considerable  knowledge  of  that  business. 
The  latter  was  first  married  in  his  native  State  to 
Miss  Epsie  Aiken,  a  native  of  the  same  .State,  who 
was  reared  in  the  vicinity  of  Nashville.  A  few 
years  after  their  mariiage  Jolin  Ingram  and  his 
wife  came  to  this  State,  traveling  overland  with 
teams.  Upon  reaching  this  side  of  the  Illinois 
River  late  in  the  3'ear  1831  they  hud  $1.50  in  cash 
which  was  dissi|)ated  before  they  had  reached 
(Trandfathcr  Ingram's,  where  they  spent  the  winter. 

In  the  spring  of  1832  John  Ingram  secured  a 
piece  of  Government  land  in  Elkhorn  Township, 
Brown  County,  where  he  began  to  clear  the  forest 
and  make  a  home.  A  few  years  later  his  wife  died, 
leaving  him  with  three  small  children  to  care  for. 
He  subsequently  married  Miss  Susannah  Harvell.  a 
native  of  Greene  Count}',  III.,  who  had  grown  to 
womanhood  in  Brown  County.  In  1860  Mr.  Ingram 
let  one  of  his  sons  have  his  Brown  County  propertj' 
and  himself  removed  to  Pike  County,  locating  on 
land  he  had  purchased  about  1851,  and  which  is 
now  occupied  by  our  subject.  This  tract  was  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  January  10, 
1884j  he  being  then  fourscore  years  of  ,age.  He 
was  a  good  farmer,  a  representative  citizen  and  a 
prominent  Democrat.  His  last  wife  died  March 
25,  1884,  when  sixty-eight  years  old.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  an  npright, 
noble  woman.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children, 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  youngest  but  one. 

Andrew  Ingram  was  married  in  the  township  in 


which  he  makes  his  home  to  Miss  Mary  O.  Calhoun, 
a  native  of  the  same  township,  whose  natal  day  was 
March  30,  1854.  She  received  excellent  home 
training  from  parents  whose  history  is  given  on 
another  paa-e  of  this  Ai.iiu.m.  under  the  head  of 
Lemuel  Calhoun.  She  grew  to  womanhood  intel- 
ligent and  thoughtful,  and  has  earnestly  endeavored 
to  disch.irge  her  duties  as  wife,  mother  and  mem- 
ber of  society.  Both  she  and  her  husband  belong 
to  the  Christian  Church  and  are  rearing  their  fam- 
ily under  religious  inlluences.  They  are  the  pa-- 
ents  of  live  ciiildren,  David  L.,  (deceased);  Aletha, 
Lemuel  J.,  Oscar  C,  and  Nellie  E.  Mr.  Ingram 
casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party. 


IRAM  C.  BROCK.  The  loyal  hearts  of 
Americans  are  ever  thrilled  wiili  admiration 
for  the  unswerving  patriotism  and  valor 
disphij-ed  by  those  whom  we  are  jiroud  to 
honor  as  "old  soldiers,"  and  whose  deeds  will  lie  re- 
membered as  long  as  history  endures.  Among  the 
dwellers  in  Pike  County  who  gave  up  the  comforts 
of  home,  endured  the  privations  and  dangers  found 
on  the  tented  field,  and  braved  the  loss  of  health 
for  the  sake  of  their  country-,  is  Hiram  C.  Brock, 
now  living  in  Montezuma  Township.  The  years 
which  he  spent  in  the  Union  Armyare  not  the  only- 
ones  of  his  life  during  which  he  was  subject  to 
danger  by  tlood  and  field,  and  bore  a  part  in  ex- 
periences somewhat  out  of  the  common  run.  Time 
and  space  forbid  the  biogra|)hical  writer  to  enlarge 
upon  the  incidents  of  his  career,  but  even  a  brief 
outline  will  prove  of  interest  to  our  readers. 

The  parents  of   our  subject    were  Selah   S.   and 
Mary  Ann  (Corapton)  Brock,  the   former   liorn  in 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  April  19,  1804,  .and  the  lat- 
ter in  the  same  State  March  26,  1810.     Their  weii- 
ding  rites  were  celebrated  March  17,    1827,   and  aj 
few  years  later  they    removed    from    the  Empirej 
State  to  New  Jersey.     JMr.  Brock  began  the  battle  ' 
of  life  as  a  school  teacher,  then  engaged  in  agricul- 
ture, but  after  removing  to  New  Jersey,  found  em- 
ployment at   clearing  timber  at  Hackettstown.     In 
184G  he  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  and   four  years 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


197 


later  came  to  Illinois,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Fulton 
County.  After  a  time  he  changed  his  place  of  resi- 
dence to  Bureau  County,  and  in  1853  went  to  Iowa. 
From  tiial  State  he  came  to  Pike  County  in  1865, 
making  a  permanent  settlement  on  section  31,  Mon- 
tezuma Township.  Tliere  he  breathed  his  last  Sep- 
tember 14,  1874,  being  followed  to  the  tomb  a  few 
years  later  by  his  good  wife,  who  passed  away  Sep- 
tember 12,  1878.  They  v/ere  both  consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The 
famil}-  of  tiie  worth}'  couple  consisted  of  eleven 
children,  but  two  of  whom  are  now  living. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  Oeto- 
l)er  28,  1837,  in  Sussex  County,  X.  J.,  and  assisted 
his  father  in  iheir  various  places  of  abode  until 
18(j0.  He  then,  in  company  with  a  Mr.  Leonard, 
prepared  an  outfit  of  two  wagons,  four  yoiie  of 
cows  and  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  started  for  Pike's 
Peak.  Tiie  comrades  milked  the  cows,  and  the 
shaking  of  the  wagon  churned  the  cream,  so  tliat 
they  had  fresh  butter  every  day.  After  traveling 
thirty  days  they  reached  their  destination,  where 
they  sold  the  flour  they  had  remaining  for  $18  per 
sack.  They  camped  on  tlie  Missouri  Flats,  where 
people  were  dying  off  with  mountain  fever,  and 
went  into  the  Gregory  Mines.  Young  Brock  wan- 
dered about  the  inountains.  went  to  work  building 
a  ditch,  and  finally  left  the  mountains  with  noth- 
ing. He  had  visited  Leadville  in  its  early  days, 
but  saw  no  indication  of  its  present  prosperity. 

Finding  mining  a  delusion  and  a  snare,  Jlr. 
Brock  took  up  a  piece  of  land  in  Caeha  Leprudia 
Valle}-.  built  a  log  house  and  put  up  hay  which  he 
hauled  to  the  mountains  with  oxen.  In  the  fall  of 
18G1,  he  enlisted  in  Denver,  and  was  enrolled  as  a 
private  in  Companj'  A,  First  Colouado  Cavalry. 
The  regiment  was  mustered  in  as  Infantry,  and 
made  the  march  of  six  hundred  miles  to  Ft.  Union, 
N.  M.  They  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Pigeon's 
Ranch  and  Verda  in  that  Territory,  then  went  to 
to  Ft.  Lyon,  Col.,  and  later  to  Colorado  City,  where 
they  were  mounted  and  employed  in  protecting 
Government  property  against  Indians.  Mr.  Brock 
fought  under  Col.  Chivington  at  Sand  Creek  where 
six  liundred  Indian  men,  women,  and  children 
were  killed.  His  connection  with  the  army  con- 
tinued four  vcars  and  two  months,  during  which 


time  he  saw  much  of  the  Indian  warfare,  and  skir- 
mish work  in  a  mountainous  country,  where  dan- 
ger lurks  behind  every  rock  and  tree.  Wliile  on  a 
night  march  in  Colorado  he  received  an  injury  in 
the  foot  which  left  him  badly  crippled,  and  for 
which  he  has  recently  received  a  considerable  back 
pension. 

After  his  dischai'ge,  Mr.  Brock  returned  to  the 
Prairie  State  and  again  turned  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Pike  County.  He  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Spring  Creek  Township,  that 
w.as  about  half  improved,  and  made  it  his  home  un- 
til 1872,  when  he  settled  on  sectio  31,  Montezuma 
Township.  In  1879  he  removed  to  the  farm  he 
now  occupies,  which  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
five  acres  of  improved  land,  containing  a  good  nat- 
ural fish  pond  which  is  now  stocked  with  German 
carp.  Mr.  Brock  superintends  the  farm,  upon 
which  both  grain  and  stock  are  raised.  He  has  pros- 
pered in  worldly  affairs,  is  quite  well-to-do,  and 
al)undantly  able  to  surround  his  family  with  all  the 
comforts  and  conveniences  of  modern  farm  life. 
He  occupies  a  pleasant  residence,  built  in  1882,  at 
a  cost  of  $2,200,  the  appearance  of  which  gives 
evidence  of  the  presence  within  of  refined  woman- 
hood. Mr.  Brock  has  made  ten  trips  to  the  West, 
and  proves  an  entertaining  companion  to  all  who 
enjoy  hearing  of  the  scenes  and  incidents  whic-li  his 
journeys  cover. 

Mr.  Brock  has  been  fortunate  in  securin<rfor  his 
companion  a  lady  of  intelligence  and  genuine 
worth  of  character,  witli  whom  he  was  united  in 
marriage  January  16,  1868.  She  bore  the  maidun 
name  of  Florence  R.  Cox,  her  parents  lieing  Rob- 
ert and  Mary  (Curtis)  Cox,  formerly  well-known 
in  this  vicinity  as  members  of  the  agricultural  com- 
munity, enterprising. prosperous  and  public-spirited. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  were  natives  of  the  Buck- 
eye State,  where  they  were  married  and  resided 
until  1852.  They  then  came  to  this  State,  setllino- 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  our  subject,  where 
the  husband  died  in  February,  1870,  and  the  wifo 
in  April,  1879.  Both  belonged  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  bestowed  great  care  upon 
their  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living.  Mr. 
Cox  owned  one  thousand  acres  of  land. 

The    birthplace    of    Mrs.    Brock    w:\s    Highland 


198 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


County,  Ohio,  and  her  natal  day  October  4,  1843. 
She  pursued  her  studies  in  the  log  schoolhouse  of 
that  daj',  and  under  the  parental  rf)of  acquired  the 
attainments  which  fitted  her  for  the  position  she 
has  filled.  Her  union  witli  our  subject  has  been 
blessed  with  the  birtli  of  eight  children,  those  now 
living  being  Clarence  R.,  Claudis  I).,  Leo  L.,  Hila 
R.,  and  Chester  A.  They  are  still  attending  school, 
it  being  the  desire  of  their  parents  that  tlie_\'  shall 
become  thoroughly  informed. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brock  belong  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Churdi  at  Milton,  and  have  good 
standing  in  the  society,  where  Mr.  Brock  has  held 
the  positions  of  Steward,  Class-Leader  and  Sunday- 
school  Superintendent.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  administration  of  civil  affairs  as  Highway 
Commissioner,  and  identified  with  the  school  work 
as  Director.  He  belongs  to  the  United  AVorkmen 
at  Milton.  In  politics  he  was  first  a  Republican, 
then  for  a  time  a  Greenbacker,  but  has  returned  to 
the  Republican  fold. 


~^^^^ 


^,  HARLES  B.  GOSF;  is  a  native-born  citizen 
of  Pike  County,  is  one  of  its  successful  bus- 
iness men  and  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Kinderhook,  where  he  has  a  well-appointed,  well- 
slockcd  general  store.  He  was  born  in  Kinder- 
hdok  Township,  September  4,  1837.  His  father, 
John  Gose,  was  born  in  Russell  Count3',  Va., 
,'ir,d  was  reared  to  tlie  life  of  a  farmer  in  the  place 
of  his  birth.  He  was  there  married  to  Eliza  J. 
Bickley,  who  was  liorn  in  the  same  jjlace  as  him- 
self. After  marriage  they  immediately  started  for 
Pike  County,  111.,  in  March,  1835,  and  after 
their  arrival  located  on  section  It,  Kinderhook 
Township,  in  a  primitive  log  house  that  stood  on 
the  i)lace.  Mr.  Gose  actively  entered  upon  the 
[jionecr  work  of  developing  his  farm,  liut  while  in 
the  midst  of  a  busy  life  he  died  while  yet  in  his 
prime,  in  1847.  Pike  County  then  lost  an  honor- 
able pioneer  who  was  helping  to  advance  its  growth. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  is  still  living  at  a  vener- 
able age  nnd  will  be  seventy-five  years  old  next 
Decemhei'.     She  makes  her  home  on  the  old  home- 


stead where  she  and  her  husband  located  when 
they  came  to  Pike  County,  more  llian  half  a  cen- 
tuiy  ago.  Four  children  were  born  of  her  mar- 
riage, three  sons  and  one  daughter,  of  whom  the 
following  is  recorded:  Abel  A.,  born  in  June, 
1836,  is  a  resident  of  Kinderhook  Township; 
Charles  B.,  our  subject;  George  C,  born  in  Novem- 
ber, 1839,  lives  with  his  mother  on  the  old  home- 
stead; France  E.  married  Dr.  C.  C.  Sprague,  of 
Pierre,  S.  D. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  sketch  is  a  life- 
record,  was  reared  in  this  county  and  educated  in 
its  schools.  He  went  to  school  in  the  old  stone 
schoolhouse  that  took  the  place  of  the  first  log 
schoolhouse  of  pioneer  times  that  was  burned. 
He  remained  with  his  mother,  assisting  her  in  the 
management  of  the  farm  till  he  married,  October 
20,  1863,  taking  as  his  wife  C^'nthia  J.,  daughter 
of  H.  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Bain)  Jones.  Mrs.  Gose 
was  born  in  Chautauqua  County,  New  York,  and 
was  reared  in  the  place  of  her  birth  till  she  was 
fourteen  years  old,  when  she  accompanied  her  par- 
ents to  their  new  home  in  this  county. 

After  his  marriage,  our  subject  took  up  his  resi- 
dence on  a  farm  on  section  14.  and  was  busily 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  till  1871,  when  he 
went  to  Wisconsin.  After  his  return  in  1873,  he 
resumed  farming  here  and  actively  carried  it  on 
till  1881,  when  he  opened  a  general  store  in  Kin- 
derhook. He  has  been  much  prospered  in  his 
mercantile  career,  has  increased  his  business  every 
year  since  he  started  and  is  enjoying  an  extensive 
and  profitable  trade.  Mr.  Goso  also  derives  a  good 
income  from  his  farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  acres,  which  is  finely  located  in  Kinderhook 
Township,  in  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  re- 
gions in  the  State.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  our 
most  valuable  citizens  as  he  is  a  man  of  clear  brain 
and  well-balanced  mind,  possessing  financial  talents 
of  a  high  order  and  is  zealous  in  promoting  what- 
ever enterprise  he  believes  will  best  advance  the 
interests  of  his  native  township  and  cunnty.  His 
fellow-citizens,  recognizing  his  ability  and  having 
confidence  in  his  integrity,  have  occasionally  called 
him  to  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility.  He  was 
Town  Clerk  in  1860.  He  has  been  School  Treas- 
urer for  two  years  and  was  Treasurer  of  the  Sny 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


199 


Levee  and  Drainage  District  from  1884  to  1889. 
In  politics  lie  takes  his  stand  among  the  Democrats 
of  the  State. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gose,  of  whom  the  following  is  the  record:  Ber- 
tha, born  in  April,  1865,  died  In  .January,  1866; 
Bessie,  born  in  February,  1867.  died  in  February, 
1871;  Ernest  B.,  born  in  November,  1868,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  United  States  Military  Academy 
at  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  and  has  been  assigned 
to  a  position  in  the  Klighth  United  States  Infantry; 
Charles  J.,  born  at  EauClaire,  AViseonsin,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1871,  is  now  with  his  father  in  the  store. 


If^iOBERT  BURBRIDGE.  a  practical  and  pro- 
lUfr^  gressive  farmer  of  Hardin  Township,  resid- 
'^  *  'ng  on  section  17.  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
this  county.  He  was  born  September  25, 
1849,  on  the  farm  where  T.J.  Burbridge  now  lives. 
Little  is  known  concerning  the  early  history  of  the 
family,  but  the  paternal  great  grandfatlier  emi- 
grated from  Virginia  to  Kentucky,  wlien  the  latter 
State  was  a  wilderness.  Grandfather  Robert  Bur- 
bridge  was  a  Kentucky  farmer,  and  married  a  Miss 
Richards  in  that  State.  In  1825  the}'  removed  to 
Pike  County,  Mo., "'settling]  near  Louisiana,  and 
from  there  came  to  Pike  County,  111.,  in  1841.  In 
this  county  the  grandfather  died  in  1848  and  the 
grandmother  in  1852. 

Thomas  B. 'Burbridge,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  In  Kentucky  in  1818  and  came  alone  to 
Illinois  in  1840.  Here  he  became  acquainted  with 
and  wedded  Miss  Mary  McNary,  a  native  of  Pike 
County  and  they  began  their  domestic  life  on  sec- 
tion 29,' Hardin  Township,  where "^they  spent  the 
remainder  of  tiieir  lives.  They  were  consistent 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  in  the  work  of 
which  they  took  an  active  part,  and  by  their  up- 
right lives  won  the  high  regard  of  all  with  whom 
Ihej-  came  in  contact.  In  politics]  Mr.  Burbridge 
was  a  Republican  and  served  as  Road  Commissioner 
and  School  Director. 

The  first  wife  of  Thomas  B.  Burliridge  died  in 
July,  1861,  and  he  was  afterward  married  to  Emily 


Hodge.  The  children  of  tlie  first  marriage  were 
nine  in  number,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living, 
namely:  Mrs.  Harvey  Weaver,  Mrs.  Calcy,  Robert, 
John  W.,  James,  Mrs.  Anderson  Foreman,  and 
Thomas  J.  Mr.  Burbridge  was  a  prominent  citizen 
in  this  community  and  exerted  a  wide  influence  for 
good.  He  possessed  business  abilit}-  of  a  high  or- 
der and  was  so  successful  in  his  undertakings  that 
ere  his  death  lie  became  owner  of  fourteen  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  land.  He  died  August  8,  1888, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years. 

In  his  youth  our  subject  was  inured  to  hard  labor 
on  the  farm,  and  thereby  developcfl  a  siiirit  of  in- 
dustry  and  self-reliance,  which  has  been  of  material 
benefit  to  him  in  his  business  career  in  later  j'ears. 
Prior  to  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  he  worked  at 
farming  under  the  direction  of  his  father,  but  at 
that  time  began  life  for  himself.  For  a  helpmate 
he  chose  Miss  Louesa  Foreman,  the  union  being 
celebrated  in  1874.  This  lad}'  was  born  in  New- 
burg  Township,  Pike  County,  August  18,  1855, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  David  B.  and  Margaret  (An- 
derson) Foreman,  who  came  from  Ohio  to  Illinois 
at  an  early  day.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  The  mother 
died  in  1867,  but  Mr.  Foreman  is  still  living  and 
makes  his  home  in  Newburg  Township.  He  after- 
ward married  Nance}-  Hill,  and  by  this  union  they 
have  one  child. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burbridge  began  their  wedded  life 
in  Spring  Creek  Township,  and  after  several  years 
removed  to  Newburg  Township,  where  they  made 
their  home  for  two  years.  His  next  place  of  resi- 
dence was  in  Rice  County,  Kan.,  but  after  farming 
in  that  State  from  1884  until  1887.  he  returned  to 
this  county  and  for  a  year  operated  a  farm  near 
Nebo.  He  then  purchased  an  estate  on  section  1  7, 
Hardin  Township,  his  present  home,  where  he  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  forty  acres.  He  also  owns 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Anderson 
County,  Kan.  Both  are  under  cultivation.  He 
personally  superintends  the  cultivation  of  his  land 
in  this  county,  and  takes  great  pride  in  kee[)ing 
everything  in  first-class  order.  He  is  an  indus- 
trious, energetic  man,  and  the  success  which  has 
attended  his  efforts  is  well  mcritiMl.  Mr.  Burbridge 
takes  considerable  interest  in  political  affair*,  voting 


200 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


with  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought 
oflicial  distinction.  He  is  now  serving  as  Director 
in  Schofil  District  No.  3.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  tiie  Masonic  order,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
hold  membersliii)  in  the  Christian  Church.  Their 
children  are  Bertie  Arthur,  David  Anderson,  and 
Robert  Earl,  and  they  have  lost  one  child. 


-^-t-f^^^^^-M— 


f 


ILLIAM  J.  GARNER  is  one  of  the  rising 
young  farmers  of  Pike  County  and  was 
born  on  the  estate  which  he  now  operates 
in  Derrj'  Township,  his  natal  day  being  January 
10,1868.  Mis  cliildhoorl  and  youth  were  passed 
in  the  manner  customary  to  tlie  sons  of  well-to  do 
farmers,  a  portion  of  his  time  being  devoted  to  such 
home  duties  as  were  suited  to  his  years  and  the  re- 
mainder to  the  studies  and  recreations  of  boyhood. 
He  acquired  a  practical  education  and  a  thorougli 
uuderstaudingof  the  various  details  of  agricultural 
life  and  was  tlius  fitted  for  the  position  he  has  as- 
sumed as  manager  of  a  large  estate.  Since  the 
death  of  liis  father  he  has  operated  the  iiomestead, 
four  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  devoting  a  large 
acreage  to  the  cereals  and  also  raising  horses,  cattle 
and  swine  in  large  numbers. 

Mr.  Garner  keeps  himself  well  informed  on  all 
topics  of  general  interest,  paying  particular  atten- 
tion to  National  and  State  politics  and  weighing 
carefully  the  [)rinciples  and  policy  of  the  parties. 
He  is  a  stanch  Republican,  quite  capable  of  holding 
bis  own  in  any  argument  which  ma}^  arise  regard- 
ing political  affairs.  He  is  honorable  in  his  deal- 
ings with  his  fellow-men,  possessed  of  good  social 
qualities,  and  enterprising  and  progressive  in  the 
conduct  of  his  business  affairs.  He  is  therefore 
highly  respected  and  his  manj'  friends  will  watch 
his  future  career  with    interest. 

Our  subject  is  a  grandson  of  Jonathan  Garner, 
a  Kentuckian  who  came  hither  in  1840,  settling  on 
section  33,  Derry  Township.  He  was  a  gunsmith 
by  trade  and  followed  that  occupation  more  or  less 
throughout  his  life,  but  after  coming  hither  he 
farmed  quite  extensively  for  that  time  and  owned 
a  large  amount  of  land.     In  politics  he  was  an  old- 


line  Whig,  and  in  religious  belief  a  Methodist.  He 
died  in  his  seventy-seventh  year,  his  widow  surviv- 
ing him  but  six  months  and  being  also  quite  old 
when  called  hence.     They  reared  five  children. 

James  H.  Garner,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  Blue  Gr.ass  State  December  27,  1824, 
and  came  hither  when  a  youth.  He  attended  the 
old  fashoned  log  schoolhouses,  becoming  quite  well 
informed,  and  as  he  grew  older  being  exceptionally 
industrious.  On  the  death  of  his  father  he  inherited 
the  homestead  of  eighty  acres,  and  prospering  in 
his  affairs,  accumulated  other  land,  owning  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  at  the  lime  of  liis  death.  In 
1870  he  erected  the  frame  house  of  eleven  rf)ouis 
which  is  now  occupied  by  our  subject,  its  cost  being 
$3,000.  His  farm  was  one  of  tlie  finest  in  the 
county  as  regards  improvements.  Mr.  Garner  was 
one  of  the  most  iuttiiential  citizens  of  this  vicinity. 
He  held  some  official  positions  in  the  township  and 
voted  the  Republican  ticket.  His  deatli  took  place 
November  ',),  1887,  and  he  left  behind  iiim  a  record 
upon  wliicli  his  children  can  look  with  just  pride. 

Tlie  mother  of  oui  subjict  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Mary  E.  Williams  and  became  the  wife  of  James 
Garner  June  2,  18G4.  She  was  born  in  Wliite 
County,  February  5,  1842.  but  in  her  early  child- 
hood was  brought  to  Pike  County  and  was  reared 
in  Derry  Township.  She  is  still  living  on  her  de- 
ceased husband's  homestead  and  tenderly  cared  for  , 
by  her  son,  our  subject,  and  the  other  members  of 
her  family  who  are  still  at  home.  She  has  had  six  chil- 
dren, named  respectively,  Vina,  William  J.,  Otto, 
Ida,  Anna  and  Herman.  The  eldest  is  now  the 
wife  of  William  P.  Vose  and  Ida  is  deceased. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Isaac  Williams,  wlio  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1800 
and  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  came  to  this 
State,  settling  in  White  County.  In  1848  he  re- 
moved to  Pike  County,  locating  on  section  4,  Atlas 
Township,  where  he  died  when  sevent3--three  years 
old.  He  was  a  very  pious  man  and  had  been  a 
member  of  the  Primitive  Baptist  Church  from  the 
age  of  twenty  years.  His  father,  Stephen  Williams, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  ministers  of  the  cliurcli  in 
this  State  and  bore  an  important  |)art  in  i)roinul- 
g.ating  Christianity  among  the  early  settlers.  A 
more  detailed  account  of   liis  life  and  work,  as  well 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


201 


as  that  of  his  father,  Edward  'WilliaTns,  is  ajiven  in 
the  biography  of  Rev.  Stephen  S.  Williams,  on  an- 
other page  in  this  volume.  There  also  will  be  found 
the  record  of  Henrj'  Coleman,  .Senior  and  Junior, 
who  were  ancestors  of  the  mother  of  INIrs.  Garner. 

THAMES  H.  HARKISON.  Among  the  thriv- 
ing business  estiiblishments  in  Perr\',  Pike 
County,  may  be  mentioned  the  boot  and 
/  shoe  house  of  James  H.  Harrison.  This 
gentleman  has  been  in  business  in  his  present  loca- 
tion for  the  past  ten  3ears.  during  a  portion  of 
which  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  sale  of  general 
merchandise.  His  close  application  to  business,  his 
honi)rable  methods  and  his  ende.ivor  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  communitj'  have  led  to  his  success. 
He  has  gained  a  prominent  place  among  the  citi- 
zens, not  only  as  a  business  man,  but  as  a  man  of 
intelligence  and  deep  interest  in  all  which  will  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  the  town  and  surrounding 
country.  He  lias  held  various  local  offices  and 
borne  an  active  [lart  in  man\'  public  enterprises. 

The  Harrison  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a 
descendant  is  of  the  old  New  England  stock,  orig- 
inally from  the  mother  countr}-.  The  grand- 
parents of  our  subject  took  up  their  residence  in 
Ohio  at  an  early  day,  becoming  well  known  in  the 
Scioto  \'alley,  where  they  lived  many  years  and 
whence  they  were  gatiiered  to  their  fathers.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  William  Harrison,  was  born 
near  Washington  Court  house,  Ohio,  reared  on  a 
farm  and  while  still  single  went  to  Hamilton  County. 
There  he  married  Eliza  Looker,  who  was  born  in 
New  England  aii<l  in  her  girlhood  accompanied  her 
parents  to  the  Buckeye  State.  The  Looker  family 
was  one  of  prominence  in  former  years  in  both 
political  and  business  affairs.  Benjamin  Looker, 
grandfather  of  the  lady  mentioned,  was  Speaker  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives  and  Gov- 
ernor of  Ohio.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Harrison  was  a 
prominent  farmer  in  Hamilton  County  and  a  teacher 
of  music  and  schools  for  years. 

After  his  marriage  William  Harrison  lived  for 
some  years  on  a  farm  in  Hamilton  County,  later  re- 


moving to  Cincinnati,  where  he  did  ornamental 
painting  until  18.')7.  He  then  removed  to  Wiscon- 
sin, settling  in  LaCrosse.  where  he  is  still  living,  a 
highly  honored  ohl  man,  at  the  age  of  nearly  four- 
score and  eight.  His  wife  breathed  her  last  in  1884 
at  the  age  of  gcventy-five  years.  She  was  a  life- 
long and  active  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  and 
Mr.  Harrison  has  also  been  prominent  in  that  de- 
nomination since  his  early  life.  The  family  of  this 
worthy  couple  consists  of  five  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  are  married  and  have  families. 
All  the  sons  served  in  the  Union  Army  during  the 
Civil  War,  and  remarkable  to  say,  escaped  without 
a  scratch  or  any  being  captured  by  the  enemy. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  November  9,  1840,  was  reared 
and  eilucated  there  and  fitted  as  far  as  parental  care 
could  accomplish  that  purpose  for  usefulness  and 
honor  in  later  life.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  plio- 
tographer,  which  he  followed  for  some  years.  In 
1861  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  he  enlisted  in  the  regi- 
ment then  commanded  by  Lew  Wallace,  but  was 
thrown  out  because  he  was  unable  to  pass  the  phy- 
sical examination.  A  little  later  he  went  to  AVis- 
consin,  enlisted  in  the  Second  Wisconsin  Infantry, 
and  was  again  refused.  His  loyal  spirit  chafed  at 
being  obliged  to  remain  behind  his  brothers  and  he 
clung  to  his  hope  of  joining  them  in  defense  of  his 
country.  Finally,  in  November,  1863,  when  the 
strength  of  men  was  not  so  much  questioned,  he 
succeeded  in  his  desire  and  took  the  oath  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fourteenth  Wisconsin  Infantiy,  Col. 
Ward  commanding. 

INIr.  Harrison  remained  with  the  regiment  about 
two  years,  taking  part  in  the  Red  River  campaign 
under  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  which  was  carried  on  after 
the  plan  of  guerrilla  warfare.  When  the  war  came 
to  a  close  he  was  discharged  with  his  regiment  in 
Octoljcr,  186.5,  and  returned  to  his  former  home  in 
Wisconsin.  The  following  spring  Mr.  Harrison 
came  to  Pike  County,  this  State,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home,  prosecuting  his  affairs  with  the 
same  persistence  which  he  manifested  when  intense 
lo3'alty  was  the  mainspring  of  his  actions.  The 
principles  embodied  in  the  Democratic  platform 
find  an  earnest  though  quiet  supporter  in  him. 
i         In  1SG7.  in  the  cinuity  which  is  now  tueir  home, 


202 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mr.  Harrison  and  Miss  Eunice  A.  Cleveland  were 
joined  in  holy  wedlock.  The  bride  was  born  in 
Perry  Township,  Pike  Count}-,  September  2.5,  1845, 
was  reared  and  educated  here,  and  under  careful 
training  developed  the  graces  of  Christian  woman- 
hood. She  acquired  a  good  education  and  since 
leaving  school  has  kept  herself  well  informed  re- 
garding matters  of  interest  as  an  intelligent  woman 
ought.  She  is  the  mother  of  four  cliildren,  two  on 
eartli  and  two  in  Heaven.  John  H.  and  John  W. 
died  in  childliood,  and  Charles  F.  and  Abigail  E. 
still  gladden  their  parents  by  their  presence.  Mrs. 
Harrison  is  a  member  of  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal 
Cliurch,  wliicli  her  husband  attends. 

Tlie  parents  of  Mrs.  Harrison,  Jolm  K.  and  Eme- 
line  (Canfleld)  Cleveland  were  born,  reared  and 
married  in  Connecticut.  Immediately  after  their 
Dfiarriage,  in  1836,  they  came  to  the  Prairie  State, 
beginning  their  wedrled  life  as  pioneers  in  Pike 
Count}-.  After  sojourning  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  count}'  for  a  time  and  making  improvements 
on  tlieir  land  tliere,  lliey  removed  to  Perry  wliere 
Mr.  Cleveland  started  a  smithy.  He  operated  it 
eighteen  years,  during  that  time  manufacturing 
pitchforks,  etc.  For  over  thirty  years  lie  was  Jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  of  the  townsliip.  In  politics  lie 
was  a  Democrat.  He  died  in  the  faitii  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.  March  12,  18S0,  at  a  goodly  age, 
having  been  born  May  12,  1812.  During  liis  last 
years  lie  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in 
Perry  and  became  known  as  a  shrewd  hut  just 
dealer.  Mrs.  Cleveland  died  March  24,  1880.  Slie 
was  a  prominent  member  of  society,  generous,  kind 
and  imbued  with  a  true  Cliristian  spirit. 


\  ^^  AUL  GODAR.  Among  the  many  indus 
Jl)  trious  and  reliable  men  who  are  gaining  a 
^  maintenance  by  tilling  a  portion  of  the  soil 
[1^  of  Calhoun  County,  is  Paul  Godar, whose  land 
is  favorably  located  on  section  11,  Hardin  Precinct. 
Mr.  Godar  is  quite  an  old  settler,  his  residence  in 
the  county  extending  over  a  period  of  nearly  forty 
years,  during  which  he  hcs  witnessed  great  changes 
in  the  appearance  of   the  country,  a  large  increase 


in  population  and  a  corresponding  increase  in  the 
appliances  of  civilized  life.  He  has  borne  his  part 
manfully  in  tlie  duties  that  were  presented  to  him 
as  a  public  citizen  and  a  private  individual,  and  it 
affords  his  many  friends  great  pleasure  to  know 
that  he  is  meeting  with  success  in  his  cliosen  voca- 
tion. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  son  born  to  John  and 
Magdalene  Godar,  and  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light 
of  day  November  1,  1838,  in  the  romantic  land  of 
Switzerland.  He  received  what  might  be  called  a 
preliminary  education,  pursuing  his  studies  in  the 
French  language,  which  was  that  of  his  fatliers,  and 
by  persistent  reading  lias  added  much  knowledge 
to  the  foundation  obtained  in  school.  He  now  has 
a  fair  understanding  of  the  English  language,  which 
lie  has  gained  since  he  came  to  America. 

In  1853  our  subject,  accompanied  by  his  mother 
and  other  members  of  the  family,  his  father  having 
died  several  years  before,  took  passage  at  Havre  on 
a  sailing  vessel  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  of  al- 
most two  months,  disembarked  at  New  Orleans, 
whence  they  came  up  the  river  to  a  point  not  far 
from  St.  Louis,  Mo.  After  sojourning  there  about 
a  twelvemonth,  they  came  on  to  Calhoun  County, 
III.,  where  they  were  jiving  when  our  subject  at- 
tained to  ins  majority.  A  few  years  later  he  took 
to  himself  a  wife  in  the  person  of  ;\Iary  Dejerlia, 
with  whom  his  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  Octo- 
ber 1,  1863.  Mrs.  Godar  is  a  daughter  of  Anton 
and  Virginia  Dejerlia,  formerly  residents  in  Hardin 
Precinct,  who  are  now  deceased. 

The  present  landed  estate  of  our  subject  com- 
prises eighty  broad  and  fertile  acres,  which  under 
his  intelligent  and  careful  handling  yield  al)un- 
dantly  of  the  cereals  which  are  sown  thereon,  the 
crops  being  excellent  in  quality  as  well.  Tlie  land 
has  been  supplied  with  all  needed  improvements 
and  everything  is  kept  up  in  good  shape.  Mrs. 
Godar  also  owns  a  considerable  amount  of  land, 
which  is  operated  by  her  husband.  As  a  School 
Director  Mr.  Godar  has  been  serving  for  a  number 
of  years  in  an  earnest  and  efficient  manner.  Real- 
izing the  value  of  education  and  of  modern  im- 
provements, he  takes  a  part  in  the  projects  which 
will  promulgate  a  better  understanding  or  higher 
life  among  the  citizens,  and  is  recognized  as  a  man 


I 
I 


^M 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


205 


of  publi';  spirit,  intelligence  .anil  good  character. 
His  religious  membership  is  in  the  Roin;in  Catholic 
Church  and  iiis  political  adherence  is  given  to  Ihe 
Democratic  partj-. 

To  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Godar  ten  sons  and  daughters 
have  come,  but  they  have  been  called  upon  to  part 
with  the  joungest,  Frederick.  Those  who  are  still 
living  bear  the  respective  names  of  Paul  Francis, 
William  D.,  Benjamin  F.,  Doratliy  Alice,  James 
Edward,  Clara  R.,  Lucy  E.,  Julia  E..  and  John 
Alfred.  They  have  received  as  thorougli  educa- 
tions as  circumstances  would  admit  of  and  been 
taught  ways  of  thrift  and  prudence. 


ARION  TODD.  This  country  is  not  only 
greatlj'  indebted  to  the  brave  citizen-sol- 
diers who  fought  so  noblj'  during  the  late 
Civil  War,  but  owes  them  as  much  for 
what  they  have  done  since  that  great  contest  was 
brought  to  a  close.  The  subject  of  this  biography 
is  a  good  representative  of  these.  He  is  now  an 
important  member  of  the  farming  community  of 
Calhoun  Count}-,  and  the  farm  that  he  occui)ics  in 
Point  Precinct  is  among  the  best  managed  and  best 
appointed  in  this  part  of  the  State.  He  is  dealing 
largely  in  thorough-bred  stock,  being  interested  at 
present  in  Berkshire  and  Poland-China  hogs.  He 
has  dealt  quite  extensively  in  Short-horn  cattle  but 
is  turning  his  attention  at  present  to  the  Holstein 
variety,  having  at  the  head  of  his  herd  a  registered 
bull  that  was  purchased  at  the  St.  Louis  (Mo.)  Fair 
in  1890  from  a  premium  herd. 

Marion  Todd  was  born  in  Indianapolis,  Ind., 
February  9,  1842.  His  father,  Henry  P.  Todd, 
was  born  in  Kentucky  and  after  marriage  settled  in 
Indianajjolis,  where  he  resided  for  a  time  and  then 
bought  a  farm  three  miles  from  the  Capital,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming  until  death  rounded 
out  his  life  in  1845.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Sarah  SIcIlvaiu,  also  died  on  the  home  farm,  her 
death  occurring  in  1850.  She  reared  five  children: 
Mary  J.  Porter,  her  daughter  by  a  former  marriage, 
who  married  Martin  Williams,  and  is  now  deceased  ; 
Amanda,    the    wife   of   Thomas    J.  Arbuthnot,  of 


Montague  Countj',  Tex.;  Martha;  Marion  and  Eliza 
both  of  whom  are  ileceased. 

Our  subject  was  three  years  old  when  his  father 
died,  and  he  then  went  to  live  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  Martin  Williams,  and  was  reareil  by  him  on  a 
farm  near  Indianapolis,  and  was  still  living  with 
him  in  1861  when  the  war  broke  out.  With  the 
enthusiasm  of  youth,  and  a  patriotic  love  of  his 
country,  he  determined  to  enlist  and  take  part  in 
the  great  conflict.  September  16,  1861,  he  became 
a  member  of  Company  K,  Fifth  Ohio  Cavalry  and 
served  with  his  regiment  until  December  3,  1864, 
in  the  States  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  North  Carolina.  Nearly  all  the  while 
he  was  on  detached  service  generally  at  headquar- 
ters, and  displayed  fine  soldierly  qualities,  which 
won  him  a  good  militarj'  record. 

Our  subject  was  honorably  discharged  with  his 
regiment  and  in  1865  went  to  Missouri  and  joined 
Mr.  Williams.  He  remained  in  St.  Charles  Count3\ 
that  State,  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  Calhoun 
County  and  in  the  month  of  June  bought  the  phice 
where  he  now  resides  in  Point  Precinct.  The  farm 
which  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  estates  in  this  lo- 
cality contains  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  all 
under  fine  improvement  and  sui)|)lied  with  substan- 
tial, well-arranged  buildings,  among  them  the  resi- 
dence which  is  pictured  on  another  page.  Mr.  Todd 
has  a  fine  orchard  of  thirty  acres  of  choice  fruit  trees 
which  is  a  good  source  of  income.  He  also  has 
three  acres  of  small  fruit. 

February  13, 1867,  Mr.  Todd  and  Miss  Louisa 
C.  Keller  united  their  lives  for  better  or  worse,  in 
what  has  proved  to  be  a  happ}-  marriage.  Mrs. 
Todd  was  born  in  t^uincy.  III.,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Caryton  and  Elizabeth  Ann  (Hach)  Keller.  Her 
father  was  born  near  Salem,  N.  C,  and  her  mother 
in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany-.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Todd  have  been  born  seven  children,  as  follows: 
Elda  E.,  Callie  N  ,  Edith  M.,  Caryton  B.,  Louisa 
E.,  Portia  K.  and  Irma  E.,  all  at  homo  with  their 
parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Todd  are  counted  amongst  our  best 
people,  as  they  are  generous,  warm  hearted  and 
kindly  in  their  relations  with  others  and  are  peo- 
ple of  intelligence  and  high  character,  and  have 
made  their  home  the  center  of  pleasant  hospitality. 


206 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Todd  is  a  standi  Republican.  He 
is  a  me*nber  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  in  Grafton  and 
the  Grand  Army  Post,  in  Hardin.  His  portr.«)iL  is 
a  fittino:  addition  to  this  brief  outline  of  his  life, 
and  his  friends  will  be  pleased  to  see  it  in  this 
Album.  Mrs.  Todd  and  the  three  oldest  daug:hters 
are  consistent  niembeis  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  holding  membership  at  Winneberg. 


m 


&i^ii^m 


"^  AMES  W.  SPERRY  is  a  veteran  of  the  late 
war,  who  since  that  time  has  become  an  im- 
portant figure  in  the  community  embraced 
in  Pike  County,  standing  as  he  does  among 
the  foremost  farmers  and  stock  growers  of  Kinder- 
hook  Township,  where  he  has  valuable  and  exten- 
sive agricultural  interests.  He  is  a  native  of  Ross 
County',  Ohio,  born  May  24,  1842,  and  a  son  of 
John  Sperry,  who  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Va. 
The  father  of  our  subject  lemained  in  his  native 
State  until  he  was  about  twenty  jears  old  and  sub- 
sequently went  to  Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  married  to  Catherine  Snyder,  who  was  a  native 
of  Ohio.  After  his  marriage  he  setileil  on  a  farm 
in  Ross  County,  which  he  subsequently  sold,  and 
then  removed  to  Greenfield,  Highland  County, 
Oliio,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  dying  there  in  1878.  His 
widow  died  in  1880,  and  they  now  now  lie  side  by 
side  in  the  Greenfield  Cemetery.  ■  They  were  the 
parents  of  fifteen  children,  eight  sons  and  seven 
daughters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  except 
one,  their  names  being  as  follows:  Abraham,  Isaac 
(deceased),  Jacob,  John  (deceased),  Hiram  B, 
William,  James  W.,  A.  Judson,  Mary  and  Elizabeth 
(deceased),  Sarah,  Martha,  Rebecca  and  Nancy 
(twins). 

Our  subject  was  the  thirteenth  child  in  order  of 
birth  and  the  seventli  son.  II is  rarly  life  was 
passed  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  until  he  was 
nineteen  years  old,  during  which  time  he  assisted 
Ills  father  in  working  his  farm.  He  had  not  attained 
manhood  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  with  the 
enthusiastic  ardor  and  patriotism  of  30uth  he  en- 
listed  to  defend  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  becoming  a 


member  of  Company  H,  Seventy-third  Ohio  In- 
fantry, which  was  attached  to  the  Eastern  army  at' 
the  liattle  of  Gettysburg,  and  then  transferred  to  the 
Western  army.  He  took  part  in  the  engagement 
at  Lookout  Mountain,  where  he  was  wounded  in 
the  hip  by  a  minie  ball  and  was  then  removed  to 
the  Cumberland  hospital  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  where 
he  had  to  endure  much  suffering  consequent  on 
the  condition  of  his  wound  the  ensuing  three 
months.  He  then  received  a  furlough  and  was  at 
home  thirty  da^-s  wlien  he  was  obliged  to  leturn  to 
the  hospital,  where  he  remained  until  he  received 
his  honorable  discharge  at  Columbus,  Ohio.  Janu- 
ary 12,  1865. 

After  his  trying  experience  of  a  soldier's  life 
Mr.  Sperry  came  to  Pike  County,  and  located  at 
Hull  Station  where  he  engaged  in  farming  as  a 
renter  for  about  two  j-ears.  He  then  returned  to 
Ohio  and  was  married  in  1867  to  Nancy  L  .  daugh- 
ter of  Noah  and  Lucretia  (Shultz)  Cor\-.  Mrs. 
Sperry  w.as  liorn  in  Ross  Countj^  Ohio,  February 
8,  1840,  and  was  reared  in  the  place  of  her  birth. 
Her  father  and  motiier  were  natives  of  Ohio,  hav- 
ing come  from  two  of  its  early  pioneer  families, 
and  her  father  was  engaged  in  his  native  State  as 
a  farmer  during  his  active  life.  He  died  in  1888 
and  the  mother  in  1879,  and  both  were  buried  side 
by  side  in  tlie  Baptist  Cemetery  at  Frankfort,  Ohio. 
They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen  children — Sallio 
Ann,  Hannah  Jane  and  Josei)h  (deceased),  Solo- 
mon G.,  John  N.  (deceased),  Angeliiie.  M:uy 
Ellen,  F^lizabeth,  Nancy  L.,  Lucretia,  William  N.. 
Landa  S.  and  Oliver  A. 

After  mariiage  our  subject  returned  to  Pike 
County  and  took  up  his  resilience  on  the  faru) 
where  he  now  resides.  This  is  considered  one  of 
the  choicest  farms  of  the  vicinitj-,  its  six  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  being  of  exceptional  fertility  and 
under  good  cultivation  and  well  fenced.  Thirty 
acres  of  it  are  in  timber.  The  land  is  vevy  pro- 
ductive and  yields  on  an  average  sixty  bushels  of 
corn  to  the  acre  and  has  yielded  as  high  as  Ihirtv- 
flve  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre.  This  year  Mr. 
Sperry  has  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  in  corn 
which  will  yield  fortj^  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  he 
raised  about  twenty-two  hundred  bushels  of  wheat 
this    season    (1890).     Our   subject   is   extensively 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


207 


engaged  in  the  hay  business,  putting  up  from  one 
hundred  and  flftj'  to  two  hundred  tons  of  ha^-  each 
year,  and  gives  much  attention  to  stock-raising. 
He  has  placed  many  substantial  improvements  on 
his  farm,  among  which  is  the  tine  two-story  frame 
residence  32x54  feet  in  dimensions,  with  ten  rooms, 
ample  barns  and  other  necessary  buildings.  When 
he  first  settled  on  his  homestead  there  were  no 
buildings  on  it  except  a  little  frame  house  16x24 
feet,  and  it  is  only  by  energetic,  well-directed  and 
skillful  labor  that  he  has  wrought  this  great  change. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sperry  have  had  four  children, 
two  sons  and  two  daughters:  John  N.  and  Otis  O. 
(deceased)  ;Cora  and  Bessie  M..  both  of  whom  live 
at  home  with  their  parents.  Thej'  have  been  care- 
fully trained  and  educated,  and  with  their  father 
and  mother  are  among  the  most  active  working 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Cora  is  the  or- 
ganist and  a  teacher  and  Bessie  is  the  Secretary  of 
the  .Sunday-school  at  Hull  Station.  Mr.  Sperry  is 
a  Deacon  of  the  church  and  he  is  always  found 
willing  to  support  all  good  and  just  causes.  Ho  is 
a  stalwart  Republican  in  his  political  views  and 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln. He  has  done  his  township  good  service  as 
School  Director  and  has  ever  been  influential  in 
elevating  its  social  and  religious  status  as  well  as  in 
promoting  ijts  material  welfare. 


-^ 


'\f?OHN  C.  F.  BOGGSis  one  of  the  most  pros, 
perous agriculturists  of  Fairmount  Township 
and  in  connection  witn  tilling  the  soil  gives 
considerable  attention  to  stock-raising.  He 
is  an  extensive  landowner  and  his  home  farm  on 
section  18,  contains  Iwo  hundred  and  tliirly-two 
acres  of  fine  land,  well-watered  and  higiily  culti- 
vated in  every  respect.  The  residence  and  other 
buildings  are  of  a  substantial  character  and  admir- 
abl}'  adapted  for  their  various  purposes. 

Our  subject  comes  of  worthy  pioneer  lineage,  his 
great-grandfallier  coming  to  this  country  from 
Scotland  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War.  Grand- 
father John  Boggs  lived  and  died  in  Hamilton 
County.  Oliio.      Among   his  children    was    William 


Boggs,  a  native  of  Hamilton  C'onntj'.  Ohio,  where 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  When  ready  to  start 
out  for  himself  he  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Morgan  County,  where  he  worked  as  foreman  in  a 
brewery  at  Meredosia  for  some  time,  later  turning 
his  attention  to  farming.  In  1857  he  removed  to 
Pike  Count}-,  this  State,  and  purchasing  one  hun- 
dred and  sixt}'-8ve  acres  on  section  16,  Fairmount, 
at  once  commenced  its  improvement. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  known  in  maiden- 
hood as  Caroline  Fry,  and  was  a  native  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  born  near  Big  Flats,  April  11,  1820. 
Her  parents  were  Charles  and  Pliojbe  (Buck)  Fry, 
also  natives  of  the  Empire  Srato,  where  their  an- 
cestors had  settled  at  a  very  early  period  in  the 
history  of  our  nation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fry  emi- 
grated to  Illinois  in  the  latter  part  of  the  "30s,  set- 
tling in  Morgan  Count}',  where  they  died.  William 
Boggs  and  Caroline  Fry  were  united  in  marriage 
near  Meredosia,  Morgan  County,  in  1842,  and  to 
them  were  born  three  sons  and  one  daughter;  Henry 
C.  residing  in  Colorado,  Samuel  H.  in  Nebraska  and 
John  C.F.  in  Illinois.  After  a  long  and  useful  life 
William  Boggs  passed  from  earth  January  7,  1876. 
.at  the  age  of  seventy -three  years.  The  mother  is  still 
alive,  at  the  age  of  seventy  j'ears,  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Wilbur  Cobb,  of  lif- 
fingham,  III. 

While  William  and  Caroline  Boggs  were  residents 
of  Morgan  County,  III.,  their  son.  our  subject,  was 
born  near  Concord,  March  8,  1846.  At  the  age  of 
eleven  years  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Pike 
County,  and  here  grew  to  man's  estate.  When 
ready  to  establish  a  home  of  his  own,  he  was  united 
in  niarri.age,  December  25,  1879,  with  Miss  Sarah 
;M.  Stauffer.  This  estimable  lady  was  born  August 
18,  1853,  to  John  and  Sarah  (Hilliard)  Stauflfer, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Virginia  respectively.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stauflfer  came  to  Pike  County  while  very 
young  and  were  married  on  the  farm  which  is  now 
the  home  of  our  subject.  The  father  died  April 
20,  1885,  after  attaining  the  age  of  sixty-eight 
3'ears.  The  mother  breathed  her  last  November  6, 
1882,  when  almost  sixty-nine  years  old. 

Mrs.  Boggs  was  the  youngest  of  the  nine  cliiklreu 
born  to  her  parents,  of  whom  seven  are  still  living. 
She  was  reared  and  educated  in  Pike  County,  and 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  trained  to  become  a  capable  boiisekecper,  a 
loving  wife  and  wise  mother.  Of  the  three  chil- 
dren born  to  her  and  her  husband,  one  died  in  in- 
fancy, and  two,  John  William  and  Christopher  FL. 
are  living.  Mrs.  Boggs  had  three  brothers,  George, 
Jacob  E.  and  Henry  C,  in  the  late  war,  and  George 
was  severely  crippled  while  in  the  service  of  the 
Union.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  consistent 
Ciiristian  people,  and  members  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Politically,  Mr.  Boggs  is  a  Republican, 
and  by  his  genial  manners  has  won  the  friendship 
of  his  many  acquaintances. 


^^=^EORGE  B.  GARRISON,  M.  D.,  occupies  a 
'.II  (— -,  high  place  among  the  leading  ph3'sieians  of 
*\^:^   Pike  County.    He  is  conducting  an   exten- 


ity. 

sive  and  lucrative  practice  at  Pearl,  where  he  also 
is  interested  in  the  drug  business,  and  ha.s  a  well 
appointed  pharmacy.  He  is  a  native  of  Dearborn 
County,  Ind.,  and  was  born  August  5,  1839,  to 
Israel  and  Lj'dia  (Garrison)  Garrison,  who  wore 
natives  resptctively  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  His 
father  was  a  son  of  Elijah  Garrison  a  native  of 
New  Jersey,  whose  wife  was  Elizabeth  Bolar,  also  a 
native  of  that  State.  Both  the  paternal  and  ma- 
ternal great-grandfathers  of  our  subject  served 
through  the  Revolution  and  the  latter  was  scalped 
by  a  bayonet.  All  of  their  descendants  have  been 
lionorable  law-abiding  citizens,  wortii}' of  sucli  an 
ancestry.  The  Garrisons  came  originally  from 
Scotland.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  a  farmer  and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of 
Dearborn  County ,X)hio,ywhere  he  and  his  wife  died 
and  were  buried.  They  reared  seven  sons  and  one 
daughter  all  of  whom  lived  to  maturity  and  were 
married. 

Israel  Garrison  was  married  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  and  in  1841,  came  to  Illinois  by  steamboat, 
having  previously  lived  in  Indiana.  He  located  on 
section  27,  Montezuma  Townshiii,  where  he  entered 
forty  acres  of  land  and  later  boui;lil  eiglity  acres  of 
l.'uid.  He  improved  his  pro]X'rty  on  wiiieh  he  lived 
until  Ills  death   January    21,    1850.  at    the    age   of 


fortj'-nine  years.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and 
is  now  eighty-two  years  of  age,  having  been  born 
January  11,  1808.  Mr.  Garrison  was  one  of  the 
foremost  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  He 
was  a  strong  temperance  man,  and  used  his  influ- 
ence both  with  tongue  and  pen  to  advance  the  cause 
in  his  adopted  couut^'.  He  made  stirring  temper- 
ance speeches  and  composed  temperance  songs.  He 
accumulated  a  comfortable  property  and  left  an 
estate  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-three  acres.  He 
was  at  one  time  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  was  greatly 
respected  wherever  known. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  is  a  daughter  of  Jos- 
eph Garrison  who  married  Merrab  Conner.  They 
have  nine  children,  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  all 
of  whom  married  and  roared  families  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  daughter.  Mr.  Garrison  was  reared 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  his  people  having  come  to  that 
State  when  it  was  a  Territory  and  he  had  manj'  ex- 
periences in  pioneer  daj'S.  He  was  a  farmer  bj-  oc- 
cupation. He  died  and  was  buried  near  Cincinnati. 
He  was  a  Whig  in  politics  and  was  a  neighbor  of 
and  warm  supporter  of  William  H.  Harrison. 

Dr.  Garrison  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  laid  the 
basis  of  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  He 
early  evinced  a  love  of  books  and  in  the  long  win- 
ter evenings  used  to  read  by  the  light  of  the  fire  in 
the  huge  old  fireplace.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two 
the  young  man  was  well  equipped  for  teaching  and 
he  entered  the  profession  at  which  he  was  engaged 
for  twelve  years,  averaging  about  eight  months 
each  year,  and  carrying  on  his  work  all  that  time 
in  Pike  County.  He  lived  in  ^Montezuma  Town- 
shii),  until  the  spring  of  1884,  when  he  located  in 
the  village  of  Pearl,  where  he  has  since  resided. 
He  began  reading  medicine  while  he  was  teaching 
and  in  September,  1875  commenced  to  attend  lec- 
tures at  the  Bennett  Medical  College.  Chicago,  from 
which  he  was  gi'aduated  with  honor.  Wishing  to 
still  further  prepare  himself  for  the  noble  calling 
upon  which  he  was  to  enter,  he  became  a  student  of 
the  American  College  at  St.  Louis,  Januarj',  1877. 
He  began  his  practice  in  187C  and  now  has  all  that 
he  can  attend  to,  the  duties  of  his  profession  often 
taking  him  far  Vjeyond  the  limits  of  the  town,  as  his 
reputation  as  a  skillful  physician  is  known  even  be- 
yond the  bounds  of  the  county.      He  is  a  conspicu- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


209 


ous  figure  in  the  social  and  religious  life  of  the 
coiinnuiiily,  btiiig;  an  active  Mason  and  an  honored 
nienilier  of  tho  Methodist  Kpiscopal  Cluuch.  In 
[Hijitics  hf  stands  with  tlie  Rt'piibiicans. 

Dr.  (larrison  was  man-icd  Fcb.'uary  7,  1864,  to 
Miss  Sarah  Cox,  a  native  of  Iligiiiand  County. 
Oliio,  and  a  daugliter  c>f  David  and  Rachaol 
(Brown)  Cox.  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  father  was  a 
farmer  and  came  to  Illinois  witli  Ins  family  in  1854. 
He  settled  in  Hardin  Township,  and  there  both  he 
and  his  wife  died.  .Mrs.  Garrison  deiiarted  this  life, 
,Iiine  21.  1870.  She  was  a  woman  of  many  fine 
traits  of  character,  which  won  her  the  esteem  and 
friendship  of  many  and  she  was  for  most  of  lier 
life  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
|)al  Churc'li.  Her  niarriasc  with  our  subject  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  three  children.  William  H., 
Malinda  KHa.  and  Herrod  D. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  present  estimable  wife 
of  our  subject  was  Lucinda  Forkner,  and  slie  is  a 
dauijiiier  of  Thomas  and  Lucretia  Forkner,  who 
came  to  Illinois  from  Tennessee.  They  first  settled 
in  Schuyler  County,  and  aftervvard  in  Pike  County. 
Mrs.  Garrison  is  a  fine  woman  in  every  respect  and 
in  her  the  Christian  Cliurch  lias  one  of  its  best 
members.  Her  union  with  our  subject  has  been 
lilessed  to  them  by  four  children.  Harvev  W., 
Elizabeth  II.,  Thomas  M.  and  George  B. 


(^^  AMUEL  B.  GAINES  is  a  well-known  and 
^^^  wealtliy  farmer  and  stoek-raiser  of  Pike 
||l#Ij)  County.  He  is  an  honored  resident  of 
Kinderliook  Townsiiip,  wliere  he  has  a 
large,  well  managed  farm  and  oue  of  the  most  pleas- 
ant homes  in  this  part  of  the  country.  He  was  born 
in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  April  19,  1821,  his  father 
Ebenezer  Ciaines,  having  been  a  pioneer  of  that 
region.  He  was  born  and  reared  in  Connecticut, 
coming  of  a  sterling  ancestry  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  Ann  Blakeslej',  who  was  also  born  and 
reared  in  Connecticut.  They  were  married  in  Hart- 
ford County,  that  State  and  then  moved  to  New 
York,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  While  yet  in 
life's    prime    his    busy  career   was  closed   by  his 


untimely  death  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years.  He 
was  the  father  of  six  cliildren,  three  sons  and  three 
daugliteis — Julius  \V.,  Lester  K.,  Sophronia,  Sam- 
uel B.,  Lydia  and  Ann,  of  whom  the  latter  and  our 
subject  are  the  only  ones  now  living. 

Samuel  B.  was  the  fourth  child  and  tliird  son  of 
his  pareijts.  When  he  was  twenty-f)ne  years  of 
age  he  went  to  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  the  clock  busi- 
ness tliere  for  a  time,  and  then  proceeded  to  Ten- 
nessee, where  be  was  engaged  in  the  same  calling 
for  about  eighteen  months.  He  returned  to  Ohio, 
and  in  the  month  of  .lune  1844,  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Margaret  M.  Twaddle  was  celebrated  in  Huron 
County,  the  place  of  her  birth.  She  accompanied 
her  husband  to  Pike  County,  died  in  their  pioneer 
home  March  0,  1849,  and  was  interred  in  Kinder- 
hook  cemetery. 

Mr.  (iaines  was  married  a  second  time,  taking  as 
liis  wife  Maiy,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Lydia 
Fitzpatrick.  She  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
February  8,  1831,  and  came  to  Pike  County,  in 
1838  with  her  parents.  They  located  in  Kinder- 
hook  Township,  where  she  went  to  school  in  a  log 
schoolliouse  with  puncheon  floor.  Her  parents 
were  pioneers  of  the  county  and  took  up  tlieir  resi- 
dence in  a  log  house,  where  they  were  busily  en- 
gaged during  their  life  in  improving  a  farm.  They 
had  ten  children  of  whom  six  are  now  living  aa 
follows:  Sarah,  Mrs.  McTee  who  lives  in  Oregon; 
James  also  a  resident  of  that  State;  ^usan,  Mrs. 
Benson,  who  lives  in  Kinderhook;  Thomas,  a  resi- 
dent of  Kinderhook;  and  William,  a  resident  of 
Tye  Valley.  Ore.  There  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gaines  eleven  cliildren,  six  daughters  and 
five  sons  of  wliom  the  following  is  recorded: 
Dorinda  A.  married  A.  J.  Liggett,  of  Hannibal, 
Mo. ;  Lydia  lives  at  home;  Mary  Ella  married  J. 
W.  Clutcli,  of  Kinderhook;  Sylvester  S.,  and 
Edward  N.,  live  in  Barry  Township  and  Barry  City 
respectively;  Minnie  M.  married  Arthur  S.  Clark 
in  the  month  of  September,  1890.  Of  the  otiier 
children,  one  died  in  infancy,  Joseph  F.  died  at 
the  age  of  five  years;  Cliarles,  James  T.,  and  Carrie 
B.  each  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

In  1846  Mr.  Gaines  made  an  important  move  in 
his  lifevvhen  he  came  to  Illinois  to  make  his  home 
here.     In  1847  he  brought  his  wife  here  and   loca- 


•210 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ted  in  Kinderhook  Township,  on  section  36,  on  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  land,  lie 
erected  a  good  house  and  developed  a  farm  until  it 
became  one  of  the  best  improved  places  in  that 
township.  He  remained  there  until  1860,  and  then 
built  a  store  in  Kinderhook  and  went  into  the  mer- 
cantile business  while  lie  at  the  same  time  carried 
on  his  farm.  He  was  eminently  successful  in  his 
business  enterprises,  and  used  to  handle  grain  very 
extensivel}',  besides  having  a  well  fitted  up  store 
where  he  sold  merchandise  of  all  descriptions. 

Our  subject  was  also  greatl}'  prospered  in  his 
agricullural  pursuits  and  at  one  time  had  sis  hun- 
dred acres  of  good  land.  lie  has  since  disposed  of 
much  of  it  at  a  good  price,  but  still  retains  three 
hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  one-half  acres,  of 
which  one  hundred  and  fort3'  acres  is  in  Burr}'.  lie 
has  his  farm  amply  supplied  with  buildings  of  all 
kinds  of  which  he  has  fourteen  in  all  on  his  place, 
including  a  fine  barn,  ice  houses, granary,  etc.  He 
has  seventeen  head  of  good  horses  and  other  stock. 
His  residence  in  the  city  of  Kinderhook  is  a  com- 
modious, well  finished  dwelling  comprising  four- 
teen rooms  and  he  has  four  other  dwelling  houses 
besides  a  substantial  store  building  92x22  feet  in 
dimensions.  Mr.  Gaines  is  pre-eminentlj'  a  self- 
made  man.  He  was  left  fatherless  at  the  age  of 
four  jears,  and  has  always  had  to  depend  upon  his 
own  resources  since  he  was  large  enough  to  earn  his 
own  living.  He  never  had  anything  given  him  but 
a  pair  of  socks,  and  thougli  he  staid  with  one 
man  thirteen  years  he  never  received  but  fifty  cents 
in  money  from  him  during  that  long  jjeriod.  He 
cleaned  horses  and  did  chores  of  all  kinds  for  which 
he  got  a  penny  at  a  lime  and  contrived  to  save  $21. 
which  was  the  nucleus  of  his  present  fortune.  He 
then  went  to  work  to  make  more  money  and  has 
acquired  his  wealth  b}'^  constant  hard  toil  and  strict 
attention  to  business.  He  has  given  his  children 
$4,000  each  and  still  has  a  handsome  property,  the 
income  of  which  enables  him  to  pass  his  declining 
years  in  ease  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  everj-  comfort 
and  luxury  that  he  can  desire.  His  life-record  tiius 
far  shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  honor  wlio  lias  made 
the  best  use  of  the  talents  given  him  b}'  nature. 
His  fellow-citizens  have  often  shown  their  confidence 
in  his   uprightness  and  in  bis  ability  to    manage 


affairs  by  calling  him  to  public  positions  of  trust 
and  responsibility.  Thus  he  has  served  as  Town- 
ship Collector  and  Assessor,  has  represented  Iladley 
Township  on  the  Count}'  Board  of  Supervisors, 
was  Township  Trustee  for  sixteen  3'ears,  lias  been 
Road  Commissioner,  School  Director  and  School 
Trustee  for  several  years,  and  served  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  as  Postmaster.  He  is  highly  regarded 
in  social  and  religious  circles,  is  a  Mason  belonging 
to  Kinderhook  Lodge  No.  353,  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can in  politics  and  is  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  he  has  been  Dea- 
con thirty  years,  his  wife  also  being  a  consistent 
member  of  that  church.  Our  subject  has  made  two 
trips  from  Connecticut  to  Illinois  by  team. 


RNEST  E.  WILLIAMSON,  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Independent  P)-ess  of  Griggs- 
viUc,  one  of  the  leading  papers  of  Pike 
County,  is  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  his  pro- 
fession ill  this  part  of  the  State,  and  as  an  earnest, 
bright  progressive  young  man,  has  a  promising 
career  before  him  as  a  journalist.  He  is  a  native  of 
Pike  County  and  was  born  in  the  city  of  Pitts- 
field,  March  16.  1868.  The  Williamsons  are  of 
mingled,  Irish,  .Scotch  and  AVelsli  ancestry.  The 
father  of  our  subject,  whose  given  name  was 
Thomas,  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  son  of  Jesse 
AVilliamson,  a  native  of  Highland  Count}',  that 
State,  he  having  been  born  there  in  an  early  day  of 
the  history  of  that  great  commonwealth.  He  was 
reared  there  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Martha  .Sloan,  also  a  native  of  Highland 
County.  After  the  birth  of  all  their  children,  he 
brought  his  family  to  Illinois  in  1857,  journeying 
liither  liy  land  and  settling  on  a  farm  in  Detroit 
Township,  Pike  Count}'.  His  land  was  somewliat 
improved  and  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  active 
life  in  develoi)ing  a  farm.  After  the  death  of  liis 
wife  in  1869  he  retired  from  business,  removed 
from  Detroit  Township,  and  went  to  Pittsfiehl 
where  he  now  lives  with  his  son  James.  He  has  now 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years.  He 
is  well  known  in  the  county  where  he  has  lived  for 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


211 


somnny  year?.  Ik'  is  int'ependeiit  in  religion  and 
]i<>lit,ifs  and  is  a  man  of  miioli  cliaracter  and  capa- 
bility. 

Tliomas  Williamson,  the  father  of  oin-  snUjeot,  was 
one  of  llie  younger  of  liis  mother's  ehildren,  and 
he  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  he  ritlair.od  manhood, 
liaving  been  bred  to  the  life  of  a  fai'mcr.  lie  was 
there  married  to  Esther  Slagle,  who  was  born  in 
West  Viriiiiiia,  and  came  of  Southern  parentage 
and  (ierman  aneestry.  After  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williamson  moved  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Detroit  'rownship.  Me  subsequently  went 
to  Pitt>liel(l  and  engaged  in  the  drug  business, 
which  he  carried  on  for  a  good  many  years.  He 
afterward  resumed  farming  and  is  thus  engagcil  at 
present  in  the  vicinity  of  Pittsfield.  lie  is  well 
and  favorably  known  to  the  people  of  Pittsfield  and 
vicinit}',  where  he  is  regarded  as  a  man  of  good 
habits,  who  is  strictly  upright  in  his  relations  with 
others  and  has  a  good  standing  in  tinancial  circles. 
He  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  wife  wlio  died  in 
their  home  in  Pittsfield,  July  4,  1873,  when  she  was 
less  than  forty  years  of  age.  She  was  a  kind  neigh- 
bor, a  true  friend,  a  devoted  wife  and  a  loving 
inothe'.  She  was  an  earnest  Christian  and  was 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Kpiscopal  Church. 
She  was  the  mother  of  two  children,  our  subject 
and  his  lirother  Raymond,  the  latter  of  whom  re- 
sides on  a  farm  in  Pittsfield  Township. 

Ernest  Williamson  was  quite  young  when  he  was 
deprived  of  the  care  of  his  mother  and  for  a  time 
was  reared  by  his  father  and  maternal  grandmother, 
Julia  A.  Slagleof  Pittsfield.  It  was  while  living  with 
her  that  he  secured  a  practical  education  in  the 
city  schools  of  Pittsfield.  At  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  he  entered  upon  the  work  which  has  led  him 
into  journalism,  as  he  then  secured  a  situation  in 
'""the  printing  office  of  tlie  Pike  County  Democrat. 
edited  by  J.  M.  Bush,  Sr..  of  whom  see  l)iography 
on  another  page  of  this  book.  Our  subject  soon 
became  familiar  with  type  setting  and  the  general 
newspaper  business,  and  for  a  year  before  he  left 
to  take  control  of  his  first  paper  he  was  foreman  of 
the  Pike  Counl;i  Democrat.  He  became  proi)rietor 
of  this  paper  in  the  month  of  June,  188!),  which  he 
did  not  change  in  title  or  politics  which  is  strictly 
indci>endent.   It  is  a  good  sized  (piarto  sheet,  with  a 


full  line  of  l,it;d  and  general  news,  with  intelligent 
and  spicy  editorials,  and  is  popular  wherever  it  cir- 
culates. It  has  continued  to  prosper  since  it  came 
ill  |)Ossefsion  of  our  subject,  who  keeps  it  up  to  the 
same  high  standard  it  had  reached  under  the  edi- 
torship of  Mr.  A.  Hughes,  who  remained  on  the 
paper  on  his  own  account  until  .Inne.  1889.  It  has 
a  good  circulation  in  Pike  County,  having  about 
one  tlKJUsaud  names  on  the  subscription  list,  and  it 
is  considered  one  of  the  mostnew.sy  and  well  edited 
papers  of  the  day.  Mr.  Williamson  is  an  adherent 
of  the  Democratic  party,  but  as  the  editor  of  an  in- 
dependent journalhe  is  uid)iased  in  the  expression 
of  his  views  through  the  columns  of  his  paper  and 
usually  gives  his  support  to  the  men  who  he  con- 
siders best  fitted  for  office  regardless  of  [)olitical 
affiliations. 

\f(_,  ENKY  W.  BUTTERFIELD.  This  gentle- 
man is  one  of  the  most  progressive  farmers 
of  Pike  County  and  the  fortunate  owner 
of  one  of  the  most  valuable  estates,  for  its 
size,  within  the  limits.  It  consists  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
being  on  section  3,5,  Griggsville  Township,  anfl  the 
remainder  on  section  3,  Newbnrg  Township.  The 
two  tracts  join,  are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
well  stocked  with  the  better  grades  of  domestic  ani- 
mals, while  the  various  farm  Iniildings  are  first- 
class  in  construction  and  suflicieutly  numerous  and 
ciiiumodious  to  supply  every  want.  The  most  of 
the  improvements  have  been  made  by  our  subject, 
who  has  resided  on  the  first-mentioned  tract  since 
1871. 

Mr.  Butterfield  is  a  native-born  citizen  of  the 
township,  his  birth  having  takcju  place  on  his  fa- 
ther's homestead  on  section  34,  Septemlier  12,  1841. 
He  w.as  the  recipient  of  careful  home  training, 
being  early  taught  that  "whatever  is  worth  doing 
is  worth  doing  well."  Carrying  out  this  principle 
has  brought  him  financial  success  and  won  him  the 
respect  of   his  fellow-men. 

At  the  bride's  home  in  Hadley  Township,  Mr. 
lUitterfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lydia 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Garraux.  The  bride  was  born  in  .St.  Louis,  Mo.. 
August  2,  1842,  and  was  quite  young  wlien  her  fa- 
ther, a  French  mechanic,  was  instantly  killed  by 
falling  from  the  roof  of  a  house  where  he  was  at 
work.  The  daughter  was  reared  by  her  mother, 
and  stepfather  A.  W.  Rieliards,  in  this  county  and 
received  unusual  advantages.  She  was  graduated 
from  Monticello  Seminar}',  this  State,  and  for  some 
years  prior  to  her  marriage  was  engaged  in  teacli- 
ing.  She  is  a  cultured,  refined  woman,  well  known 
for  her  mental  attainments  and  Christian  worth, 
and  very  prominent  in  the  best  society  of  the  sec- 
tion. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Butterfield  have  three  children, 
Ethel  C,  Lulu  E.  and  Arthur  W.,  who  are  being 
well  educated  in  the  schools  of  Griggsville.  Mr. 
Bntterfleld  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  he  and  his 
wife  are  active  members  of  the  Baptist  Cliurch  in 
Griggsville. 

Leonard  Butterfield,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  near  Ilollis,  N.  IL,  in  1808,  coming  of 
good  New  England  families.  He  lost  his  father 
when  but  a  small  boy  but  his  mother  lived  to  ba 
quite  aged.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
and  obtained  a  good  education.  After  becoming  of 
age  he  went  to  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he  married 
Susan  Lampson,  a  native  of  the  old  Bay  State. 
The}'  subsequently  went  to  North  Carolina,  Mr. 
Butterfield  being  sent  by  the  Baptist  Society  of 
M.assachusetts  as  a  missionary  to  the  Cherokee 
Indians.  He  laliored  among  the  red  men  live  years, 
learning  to  speak  their  language  well,  and  doino- 
the  utmost  he  could  to  convert  them  to  Christian- 
ity until  the  Government  Treaty  sent  them    West. 

Mr.  Butterfield  and  his  wife  then  determined  to 
come  to  this  State,  which  they  did  late  in  the  '30s, 
making  a  settlement  on  the  section  adjoining  that 
upon  which  their  son  now  lives.  They  secured  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  Government  land 
whei-eon  they  continued  to  resicle  until  the  fall  of 
1870,  when  the  wife  and  mother  entered  into  rest. 
She  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church  and  carefully 
instilled  the  principles  of  Christianity  into  the 
hearts  of  her  children. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife  Leonard  Butterfield 
went  back  to  his  birthplace  and  there  finally  mar 
ried  a  second  wife.  He  remained  in  New  England 
(luring  the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1877.     In  pol- 


itics he  was  a  sound.  Republican  and  in  former 
years  an  anti-slavery  man.  To  him  and  his  first  wife 
four  sons  were  born,  our  subject  being  the  second, 
and  the  eldest  of  those  born  in  this  State. 

•^"^^  RADFORD    P.    GRESHAM.     Among    the 
many  worthy  and  enterprising   pioneers  of 


^)}lf)  Calhoun  County,  none  are  more  deserving 
of  representation  in  this  Album  than  the 
gentleman  above  named.  He  came  hither  in  his 
youth  and  assisted  his  father  in  the  arduous  labor 
by  which  a  portion  of  Hamburg  Precinct  was  re- 
claimed from  its  primitive  condition  and  made  into 
a  fruitful  tract  of  land.  He  knows  what  it  is  to 
wield  the  ax  on  heavy  timber,  to  burn  brush  and 
grub  out  stumps,  and  in  fact  understands  the  en- 
tire process  of  making  the  wilderness  blossom  as 
the  rose.  Looking  backvvard,  he  recalls  the  days 
when  wild  game  was  abundant  here  and  some  of 
the  more  savage  animals  still  lingered  in  the  wilds 
making  it  dangerous  to  be  out  after  nightfall.  He 
also  recalls  the  oldfashioned  schooUiouse  with  its 
subscription  school,  and  the  institution  of  the  iniblic 
schools,  which,  although  not  equal  to  those  of  the 
present  day,  were  a  decided  lulvance  on  those  which 
had  preceded  them. 

The  Blue  Grass  State  claims  Bradford  Gresham 
as  one  of  her  sons,  and  his  parents,  Abner  and 
Patsy  (Blakeley)  Greslnni.  were  also  born  therein, 
both  being  of  Irish  ancestry.  The  natal  day  of 
our  subject  was  February  19,  1830,  and  in  1845  he 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Calhoun  County,  111., 
their  home  being  established  on  section  3C,  Ham- 
burg Precinct.  The  father  secured  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  heavily-timbered  land  and  with - 
the  aid  of  his  family  brought  it  to  a  good  condi- 
tion of  improvement  and  cultivation.  He  lived 
here  over  forty  years,  surviving  until  March  9, 
1886.  The  wife  and  mother  had  breathed  her  last 
several  years  before  that  date.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  nine  children,  but  our  subject  is  now  the 
sole  representative  of  the  family  circle. 

The    farm    now    owned    and    occupied    by  Mr. 
Gresham  consists  of  one   hundred   and   forty  .acres 


I 


Oc^/L^^'i^^  Oi-^l^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


215 


of  land,  a  part  of  which  belonged  to  the  old  home- 
stead. The  pleasant  <lwellin<j  is  under  tlie  imme- 
diate supervision  of  an  ellicient  liouselteeper  and 
devoted  companion,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  Neil  and  was  united  in  marriage  to  our 
s\ibject  December  3.  1863.  Slie  is  a  native  of 
Mi-isouri.  Tlie  union  has  l)een  blest  b}'  the  birth 
of  one  son,  Logan,  who  is  occupying  a  home  of  his 
own  in  the  same  township  as  his  parents. 

In  April,  1865,  Mr.  Gresham  enlisted  in  the 
Fifly-tiiird  Illinois  Infantrj'  and  started  to  join 
Sherman's  Army,  but  before  he  arrived  at  the  front, 
Lee  had  surrendered  and  the  war  been  brought  to 
a  close.  He  was  discharged  and  returned  to  his 
home  after  an  absence  of  a  few  weeks.  Mr.  Gresham 
has  been  School  Trustee  of  Hamburg  Precinct  and 
School  Director  of  his  district.  He  and  his  wife 
are  active  members  of  societ}-,  respected  by  all 
who  know  them,  and  Mr.  Gresham  is  especially 
esteemed  for  the  part  which  he  has  had  in  bringing 
Calhoun  County  to  its  present  condition.  He  is  an 
excellent  type  of  the  sturdy,  intelligent,  honest 
pioneer,  conscientious  and  upright  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, and  a  man  whose  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 


■ji?  YCURGUS  EASTMAN,  one  of  the  oldest 
I  ^  settlers  and  most  highly  honored  citizens  in 
I'L--"^,  Pike  County,  has  been  living  in  Griggsville 
since  1867.  His  connection  with  the  agricultural 
development  of  the  county  did  not  cease  at  that 
time,  as  he  was  the  owner  of  farm  lands  for  some 
years  longer.  He  traces  his  ancestry  through  a 
long  line  of  noble  men  and  women  bick  to  the  first 
settler  of  the  name  in  America,  earlj'  in  the  seven- 
teenth century. 

The  founder  of  the  Eastman  family  in  this  coun- 
try was  Roger  Elastman,  who  emigrated  from  Wales 
in  1640,  settling  at  Salisbury,  Mass.,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  farming.  The  next  in  the  line  was 
Philip  Eastman,  and  following  him,  Ebcnezcr,  who 
was  born  January  10,  1689,  married  Sarah  Peaslee, 
March  4,  1710,  and  made  his  home  in  (^oncord, 
N.  H.,  where  he  was  the  first  settler.  This  gentle- 
man   was   familiarly   known   as  Capt.  Eastman,  on 


account  of  his  having  saved  a  ship  from  destruction 
during  Queen  Anne's  War,  1710,  when  he  found  it 
necessary  to  bind  a  reckless  Captain  who  was  sup- 
posed to  be  able  to  take  his  vessel  to  Quebec.  Capt. 
Eastman  was  a  man  of  note  in  and  about  Concord, 
where  he  died  at  the  early  age  of  fifty- four  years. 
His  son,  Joseph,  born  November  13,  1715,  married 
Elinor  Abigail  Mellen,  and  their  son,  Moses,  born 
March  3,  1743,  married  Lucretia  Tyler  and  died  in 
1796  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years. 

The  next  in  the  direct  line  of  descent  was  Charles 
who  was  born  December  11,  1774,  and  in  1798 
married  Sarah  Bradley'.  He  was  always  known  as 
Capt.  Charles,  when  he  was  not  called  "  Old  Hon- 
esty," a  title  which  belonged  as  truly  to  his  son, 
Lycurgus.  This  couple  reared  six  children:  Lucy, 
Eliza,  Maria,  Sarah,  Lycurgus  and  Lucretia.  All 
are  now  deceased  except  our  subject  and  his  sister 
Sarah,  the  latter  of  whom  lives  in  Worcester,  JIass. 
Both  parents  were  born  in  Concord,  N.  H.  After 
the  death  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Eastman,  the  father  of  our 
subject  married  Persis  Chamberlain  who  bore  him 
six  children:  Moses,  Betsey,  George,  Alfred,  Frank, 
and  Charles  H.  Moses,  Alfred,  and  Charles  H.  are 
now  living  in  California,  and  the  others  are  de- 
ceased. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  w,as  born  at  Concord, 
N.  H.,  July  14,  1807,  and  when  seventeen  years 
old  was  apprenticed  to  a  wagon-maker  in  Quincy, 
Mass.,  with  whom  he  lived  until  he  was  of  age. 
He  then  went  to  Roxbury,  where  he  carried  on  his 
business,  until  he  came  to  tlie  Prairie  State.  During 
his  residence  in  Massachusetts,  among  oiher  events 
of  interest  Mr.  Eastman  recalls  the  sight  of  the 
first  railroad,  built  in  1825,  for  the  purpose  of 
transporting  the  rock  for  Hunker  Hill  monument, 
from  the  quarrj-  at  (.^uincy  to  the  Neponset  River. 
When  the  corner  stone  of  the  monument  was  laid, 
June  17,  1825,  he  saw  LaFayette,  and  heard  Daniel 
Webster  deliver  his  oration.  In  1834  he  saw  the 
first  steam  engine  ever  used  in  the  United  States, 
run  over  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad.  In 
1845,  when  on  a  visit  to  the  East,  he  saw  the  first 
telegraph  line,  just  completed  between  Baltimore 
and  Washington. 

In  making  his  tir.st  journey  from  Boston  to 
Griggsville.  lie  was  six  weeks  on  the  way,  arriving 


I 


216 


PORTRAIT  AND  r,I()(  IRAPHICAL  ALP.r>r. 


October  25,  1834,  anri  coming  bj-  the  way  of  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  Hudson  Riv^r,  Erie  Canni  and 
Lake,  tlie  Oiiio.  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers.  Mr. 
Eastman  entered  land  in  Griggsville  Township, 
three  and  one-half  miles  from  the  village  of  the 
same  name,  containing  about  a  dozen  houses,  three 
of  which  now  stand.  The  next  spring  he  built  a 
shop  on  tlie  farm.  For  three  years  he  worked  at 
his  trade,  attending  also  to  the  development  of  his 
lands  and  building  up  his  fortunes  by  industry, 
prudence  and  enterprise.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
woodworkers  in  this  town,  and  many  of  the  old 
settlers  remember  the  services  he  rendered  ihem  in 
repairing  or  making  woodwork  for  their  |)lows, 
etc.  He  retained  possession  of  his  farm  until 
1872,  although  he  had  taken  up  his  residence  in 
Griggsville  a  few  years  before.  He  has  never 
placed  himself  before  the  public  as  an  office  seeker, 
or  one  who  desired  to  attract  attention,  but  has 
quietly-  pursued  an  ui)right  course  in  life,  honoring 
his  Christian  profession  and  exhiljiling  the  charac- 
teristics of  noble  manliood. 

From  his  youth  Mr.  Eastman  manifested  a  great 
tnste  for  reading  books  of  history  and  travel,  and 
especially  all  that  he  could  get  in  regard  to  Africa. 
Even  in  his  old  age  he  is  usually  seen  with  a  l)ook 
or  pai)er  in  his  hand,  and  atlases  close  by  for  ready 
reference.  He  has  voted  for  fifteen  Presidents,  and 
has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  AVhig,  Anti-slavery, 
and  Republican  principles.  His  first  Presidential 
ballot  was  cast  in  1832  for  Henry  Clay.  For  fifty- 
nine  years  he  ijas  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church, 
for  fifty-one  has  held  the  office  of  Deacon,  and  was 
for  thirty-seven,  Sunday-school  Superintenderil. 
Since  coming  to  Illinois  he  has  witnessed  great 
changes  in  farm  methods.  In  1834  corn  was 
dropped  by  hand,  and  covered  with  a  hoe;  now,  it 
is  put  in  with  check-rower  and  planter.  Then, 
wheat  was  cut  with  a  cradle;  now,  with  self-binding 
reaper.  In  that  day  too,  wheat  was  threshed  by 
horses  tramping  it  out  on  the  ground.  Since  that, 
he  has  seen  a  son-in  law  thresh  a  thousand  bushels 
in  a  day  with  a  steam  thresher. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemnized 
in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1832,  the  ladj'  whom  he  had 
won  for  his  wife  being  Miss  Elouisa  B.  Simmons,  a 
native  of  Dorchester,  who  died  August   12,  1844. 


She  bore  her  husband  four  children:  Mnria  B..now 
the  wife  of  Hon.  E.  O.  Hills,  of  Chicago;  Susan  B., 
wife  of  Judge  J.  P.  Northrop,  of  Wheaton,  Du  Page 
Count}-;  Harriet  N.,  who  has  become  quite  noted 
as  a  missionary  in  Burmah,  having  spent  sixteen 
years  there;  and  Charles  Lycurgus,  a  farmer  near 
Whiting,  Kan.,  who  served  three  years  during  the 
Civil  War,  having  been  a  member  of  Company  K, 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantr}-.  Among  the  affairs 
in  which  he  took  part  was  the  entire  siege  of  Vieks- 
burg,  after  which  he  lay  nine  months  in  the  hos- 
pital, when  he  returned  to  his  regiment,  but  has 
never  fully  recovered  his  health.  His  children  are 
William  H.,  Carrie  G.,  (deceased)  and  Maria  E. 
Mrs.  Hills  has  a  daughter  Cordelia  M.,  and  Mrs. 
Northrop  is  the  mother  of  Marietta.  Artluu-  East- 
man, Hatlie  M.,  Carrie  B.,  and  Peter. 

In  1845  Mr.  Eastman  contracted  a  second  ma- 
trimonial alliance  at  Roxbury,  his  bride  being  Miss 
R.  L.  Humphris,  who  was  born  in  that  city  August 
29,  1814.  Her  parents  were  Edward  and  Reliecca 
(Leeds)  Humphris,  the  former  born  in  Scituate, 
Mass..  and  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Palmer) 
Humphris.  Edward  Humphris  was  a  car|)entcr  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Roxbury,  where  he  died  in 
1856,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  The  family 
of  which  Mrs.  Eastman  is  the  seventh  member,  in- 
cluded also  Emeline,  Cliarles  Thompson,  iMary 
Palmer,  George,  Harriet,  Edward,  Jr.,  and  Thomas 
Rice  Willard.  Mary  now  lives  at  Bernardstown, 
Edward  at  Princeton,  and  Thomas  at  Dorchester, 
I\Iass.;  the  others  are  deceased. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  I^ast- 
man.  Their  first-born,  Elouisa  Rebecca,  died  in 
infancy;  the  second.  Lucretia  Gertrude,  became 
the  wife  of  Henry  Clark  Love,  who  died  in  1870. 
Mrs.  Love  died  in  1872,  leaving  two  children  who 
were  reared  by  their  grandparents:  Maria  Adelaide 
is  now  the  wife  of  Charles  W.  Hobbs,  of  Greenleaf, 
Kan.,  and  Henry  Clark  lives  in  Whiting,  that  State. 
The  third  child,  Emeline  II.,  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Jerome  L.  Lovt!,  of  Whiting,  K.an.;  their'  children 
being  Arthur  Stoner,  Robert  Eastman,  Jennie  Idella, 
(deceased),  and  Hallie  May;  Lucy  J.  is  a  teacher 
in  Griggsville:  Ella  E.  married  John  Q.  Brown,  of 
Whiting,  Kan.,  and  has  six  children,  Alice  Etta, 
Richard  Eastman,  Jennie    Reba,  Mary  Elsie.  Edith 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


21; 


E..  and  Lizzie  J.  Tlie  sixtli  daughter  of  Mr.  anil 
Mrs.  EasLuian  was  Etta  Adelaide,  wlio  died  in  1872. 
Tiie  30unt!:est  member  of  the  band  is  (ieorge  E<I- 
ward,  a  California  farmer,  wiio  married  Jlinnie  A. 
Nolan,  and  has  four  children:  Bessie  R..  (5eors;e  L., 
William  Allen,  and  Nellie  E 

A  portrait  of  this  old  settler  and  honored  citizen 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


■S>)I«S' 


'Jl__^  ENRY  THOMAS  SHAW  is  a  representative 
)^,  citizen  of  Pike  County,  in  whose  public 
life  he  is  a  prominent  figure,  and  with  whose 
agricultural  interests  he  is  conspicuously 
identified.  He  owns  and  is  managing  a  large  farm 
lying  partly  in  Martinsburg  Township,  where  he 
makes  his  home,  and  partly  in  Atlas  Township.  He 
is  a  veteran  of  the  late  war,  in  which  he  fought  he- 
fore  he  bad  attained  his  majority,  and  he  is  a  na- 
tive of  Pike  County,  born  June  27, 1845,  and  a  son 
of  one  of  its  early  well-known  pioneers,  Henry  B. 
Shaw. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  South 
Wilbraham,  Mass.  August  24,  1812.  His  father, 
Walter  Shaw,  was  also  a  native  of  the  C)ld  Bay 
State  and  was  born  in  1780.  He  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade  and  he  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War. 
He  followed  his  calling  throughout  life,  coming  to 
Pike  County  when  quite  old  and  spending  his  last 
daj-s  with  liis  daughter,  Mrs.  Burnham,  in  whose 
home  he  died,  February  9,  1862.  His  wife  was 
Marcy  Cadwell  in  her  maiden  days  and  she  was  also 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  born  in  1789.  She 
spent  her  last  days  with  the  fatiier  of  our  subject, 
and  died  in  1868.  She  and  her  husband  are  now 
quietly  sleeping  their  last  sleep  in  the  Summer 
Hill  cemetery. 

The  paternal  great-grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Lieutenant  John  Shaw  of  Revolutionary  fame. 
He  lived  to  be  eighty-seven  3ears  of  age  and  died 
in  Massachusetts  where  he  had  been  reared.  He 
married  Hannah  Bush,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
been  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  She  was  born  in 
17.52,  died  November  12,  1842,  and  is  buried  in 
Butler  cemetery,    Hampden    County,    Mass.     The 


great  great-grand  father  of  our  subject,  Capt.  Joshua 
Shaw,  was  an  ofliccr  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  born 
in  1  737  and  died  in  1  793.  His  wife  was  Lucy  Shaw, 
who  was  born  in  1732  and  died  in  1787.  All  that 
is  mortal  of  thoui  is  now  mingled  with  the  dust  in 
the  old  Miinsiiu  ccineiery  in  Hampden  County, 
Mass. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  bred  to  man's  es- 
tate in  Massachusetts  and  there  learned  the  trade  of 
a  carpenter.  He  came  to  Pike  County  in  the  spring 
of  1836,  rightly  judging  that  men  of  his  calling 
would  find  occupation  in  a  newly  settled  country. 
He  made  the  journey  hither  h_\-  Erie  Canal,  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  Rivers,  to  his  des- 
tination. After  his  arrival  he  erected  a  gristmill 
at  Payson,  and  then  came  to  Martinsburg  Town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
acres  of  land  on  section  19.  This  tract  was  en- 
tirely unimproved  and  his  first  work  was  to  erect  a 
log  cabin  which  he  occupied  while  he  cleared  and 
cultivated  his  land,  using  oxen  mostly  for  the 
heavy  work.  There  was  plenty  of  wild  game  here 
then  and  he  occasionally  killed  a  deer  that  he  might 
supply  the  family  larder  with  venison  though  he 
was  not  much  of  a  hunter.  When  he  came  here  he 
had  nothing  to  depend  upon  but  his  kit  of  tools 
and  a  very  little  money.  But  from  that  small  be- 
ginning he  raised  hin^self  to  a  position  of  compar- 
ative opulence.  He  was  quite  an  extensive  farmer 
and  was  a  prominent  and  influential  man  in  .  his 
communit3'. 

Mr.  Shaw  owned  upward  of  eleven  hundred  acres 
of  land  and  raised  a  good  deal  of  stock.  He  worked 
;  at  his  trade  and  left  the  management  of  his  farm 
to  his  wife  and  boys.  He  built  three  large  grist- 
mills at  Rockport,  and  man^^  of  the  largest  build- 
ings tlirough  the  county,  and  was  probably  the  best 
carpenter  in  Pike  County  in  his  da3\  He  was  an 
old  Line  Whig  in  early  life  and  later  fell  into  the 
ranks  of  the  Republican  part3-.  He  held  some  of 
the  township  offices  and  assisted  in  the  manage- 
ment of  public  affairs.  One  of  our  most  useful 
citizens  and  most  worthy  pioneers  was  removed 
from  our  midst  when  he  passed  awa3-  from  the 
scenes  of  earth  January  3,  1  886,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
t3'-four  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  whose  maiden  name 


218 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  Elizabeth  Collins,  is  still  living,  making  lier 
home  with  her  son  Fred.  She  was  born  on  Wood 
River,  Madison  County',  this  .State,  November  2, 
181,5,  and  came  to  Pike  County  in  1825,  when  she 
was  ten  j'ears  of  age,  and  is  consequently  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  now  living  within  the  bounds  of 
the  county.  In  her  early  life  she  was  a  Methodist 
but  for  many  years  she  has  been  a  true  and  faithful 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Six  of  the 
eight  children  born  of  lier  marriage  grew  to  matur- 
itj'.  namel}':  Lucy  A.  (Mrs.  Ellis);  Lyman  J.  who 
was  a  member  of  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Regiment 
Company  A.,  and  died  at  New  Orleans;  Henry  T.; 
,].  Hardin;  Charles  R. ;  and  Fred. 

Henry  T.  .Shaw,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  attended  the  primitive  log  schoolhouses 
of  the  early  day  wish  their  slab  benches,  open  fire- 
places eti.  The  schools  were  conducted  on  the 
subscription  plan  and  his  attendance  was  confined 
to  the  winter  term,  as  he  had  to  work  on  the  farm  in 
the  summer.  He  was  a  young  lad  of  si.xteen  years 
when  the  war  broke  out  and  before  he  had  attained 
his  majority  his  wish  was  gratified  to  become  a  sol- 
dier and  aid  in  defending  his  country's  honor.  He 
enlisted  February  17,  18f)5  in  Company  D.,  Seventh 
Illinois  Regiment,  and  went  with  his  comrades  to 
New  Yorlc,  whence  the  regiment  took  a  steamer  for 
the  Carolinas  to  join  Sherman's  army.  They  met 
the  army  at  Point  Fisher  and  from  thence  were  sent 
to  Goldsboro.  N.  C,  in  pursuit  of  Johnston  and 
were  on  his  track  until  his  surrender.  Our  subject's 
regiment  took  part  in  the  South  Carolina  campaign, 
which  was  a  sort  of  running  fight.  The  Union 
soldiers  subsequently  took  up  the  line  of  march 
through  Richmond  and  thence  on  to  Washington, 
where  they  took  ])art  in  the  Grand  Review.  Our 
subject  and  his  fellow-soldiers  were  then  sent  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  did  Provost  duty  for 
about  six  weeks.  He  was  finally  mustered  out  July 
9,  1865,  and  was  discharged  at  Springfield,  111.,  hav- 
ing won  a  good  record  as  a  soldier. 

After  his  return  from  the  seat  of  war,  Mr.  Shaw 
resumed  farming  and  has  since  acquired  a  valuable 
property  solely  by  his  own  efforts.  He  has  seven 
hundred  acres  of  land  and  farms  quite  extensively, 
raising  a  good  deal  of  stock.  He  has  now  twenty- 
eight  horses  of  a  fine   breed,  sixty-seven  cattle  of 


good  breeds,  and  a  number  of  sheep.  His  land  lies 
principally  in  Atlas  Township. 

Mr.  Shaw  and  Miss  Nettie  Yokera  were  united  in 
marriage  November  G.  1868.  Mrs.  Shaw  was  born 
March  31,  1848.  Her  marriage  with  our  subject 
has  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  four  chil- 
dren, of  whom  three  are  living,  namely:  Rov  A., 
Jessie  F.,  and  Harry.  May  is  the  name  of  the  child 
deceased. 

A  man  of  Mr.  Shaw's  calibre,  push  and  progres- 
sive spirit  necessarily  occupies  an  influential  pcsi- 
tion  among  the  citizens  of  any  community  and  we 
find  this  to  be  the  case  with  our  subject.  He  is 
ever  foremost  in  an3'  scheme  for  local  improvements 
and  for  the  advancement  of  the  township  or  the 
county  and  he  is  often  called  to  till  posituuij  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  For  seven  years  he  lias 
rei)resented  Martinsburg  Township  as  a  member  of 
the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  of  which  office 
he  is  still  an  incumbent.  He  is  a  director  of  the 
in  Pike  County  Railroad,  and  is  otherwise  prominent 
county  affairs.  He  has  decided  views  in  regard  to 
political  matters  and  is  a  firm  supi)orler  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 


^ €^-B ^ 


\I7  OAMMI  R.  GERARD  is  the  owner  and  oc- 
I  (?§)  cupant  of  a  fine  farm  in  Perry  Township, 
il'-^Vi  Pike  Count}'.  II  consists  of  three  hundred 
acres  on  section  23,  most  of  it  being  improved  land, 
devoted  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  Mr, 
Gerard  has  lived  here  quite  a  numlier  of  years  and 
has  made  for  himself  a  comfortable  home,  where 
the  many  conveniences  of  modern  civilization  are 
to  be  found.  It  is  probable  that  no  citizen  of  the 
county  is  more  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
modes  of  pioneer  life  than  Mr.  Gerard,  whose 
parents  spent  some  time  on  the  frontier  in  the 
heavily  timbered  regions  of  Ohio.  At  that  time 
stoves  were  unknown  in  the  nu'al  districts,  all  C(.)ok- 
ing  was  done  by  an  open  fire,  and  corn  was  pounded 
by  an  instrument  constructed  for  the  purpose, 
mills  being  almost  as  uncommon  as  stoves. 

Mr.  Gerard   was  born   in  Clinton  County.   Ohio, 
August  5,  1820,  and  was  quite  young  when  his  par- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


219 


ents  removed  to  Green  Count}',  where  he  grew  to 
man's  estate.  He  bore  his  part  in  the  work  by 
means  of  whicii  lliat  section  of  the  Buckeye  State 
was  reclaimed  from  a  pathless  wilderness  to  a  liiglily 
cultivated  tract,  gained  such  knowledge  as  he  could 
from  the  primitive  schools,  and  learned  the  better 
lessons  of  self-reliance  and  earnest  industry.  He 
finally  took  up  his  residence  in  Fayette  County, 
wheni.'e  he  removed  to  this  State  in  1856.  In  Oc- 
tober of  that  year  he  located  where  he  still  lives, 
resuming  his  agricultural  labors  and  reaping  a  due 
reward  from  year  to  year.  While  building  up  his 
financial  condition  he  has  not  neglected  the  duties 
he  owes  to  mankind,  but  has  walked  uprightly  be- 
fore his  fellow-men  and  shown  himself  a  friend  in 
need.  He  is  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  to  which  his  wife  also  belongs.  His 
vote  and  that  of  bis  sons  is  cast  with  the  Demo- 
crats. 

Mr.  Gerard  was  fortunate  in  securing  for  his 
companion  a  devoted  and  capable  woman  who  has 
labored  with  him  to  make  their  home  a  |jlace  of 
comfort  and  happiness.  vShe  was  united  to  him  in 
marriage  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,  whither  she  had 
accompanied  her  parents  from  Virginia.  She  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Daugherty,  was  born 
in  the  Old  Dominion  March  29,  1828,  and  reared 
among  surroundings  which  developed  in  her  the 
sturdy  character  and  capable  ways  so  frequently  to 
be  found  among  those  reaied  on  the  frontier.  The 
fimily  of  which  she  was  a  member  removed  from 
Virginia  to  Ohio  in  an  early  day  when  the  country 
was  new.  and  the  most  of  the  children  made  the 
distance  on  foot,  as  their  only  conveyance  was  a 
small  cart  drawn  by  one  horse.  The  homes  of  the 
pioneers  were  built  of  logs  with  puncheon  floors 
and  the  most  primitive  furnishings,  and  their  days 
were  passed  in  laborious  toil  wlicre  the  comforts 
ami  conveniences  of  life  were  very  few. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gerard  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  two  cf  whom  died  in  childhood.  'J'he 
survivors  are  now  living  in  Pike  County.  Mary  is 
now  the  wife  of  Frank  Baldwin,  a  farmer  in  Perry 
Township;  Walter  married  Delia  Dexter  and  occu- 
pies a  farm  near  New  Salem;  George  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Cliambersburg  Township,  his  wife  being 
Lucinda  Huddleson;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  .John 


James  a  farmer  in  the  same  townshi|)  as  her  father; 
Anna  is  a  music  teacher  still  making  her  home  with 
her  parents. 

Isaac  Gerard,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  liorn 
in  one  of  the  Eastern  States  ami  was  of  French  an- 
cestry. He  went  to  Ohio  in  boyhood  and  in  Greene 
County  married  Polly  Wykle,  who  was  born  in 
Clinton  but  reared  in  Greene  County.  She  was  of 
(icrman  descent.  After  their  marriage  the  couple 
made  Greene  County  their  home  for  some  time, 
later  removing  to  Clinton  County,  arid  in  1856  go- 
ing west  to  Poweshiek  County,  Iowa.  They  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  near  Montezuma,  spending  tiie 
remnant  of  their  days  there.  Mrs.  Gerard  died  of 
the  measles  when  sixt}'  years  old.  Mr.  Gerard  sur- 
viued  to  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  Both  were 
earnest  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Gerard  was  an  old-time  Democrat 
until  the  first  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  after 
which  he  vote  1  the  Republican  ticket  as  long  as  his 
life  was  spared.  Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  seven 
sons  and  seven  daugiiters  born  to  his  parents,  thir- 
teen of  the  children  being  still  alive.  All  are  mar- 
ried and  have  families.  The  deceased  was  the 
oldest  daughter  in  the  family.  She  had  been  mar- 
ried three  times  and  left  a  large  familj-. 


E:NRY  R.  BROWN  is  numbered  among  the 
substantial  farmers  and  large  landowners  of 
GriggsviUe  'J'ownship,  and  is  also  one  of 
its  oldest  settlers.  His  home  farm  consists 
of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  and  he  likewise 
own.s  three  line  tracts  of  one  hundred  and  eight}', 
one  hundred  and  sixty,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty -_ 
three  acres  respectively,  all  well  watered,  well 
stocked,  and  furnished  with  good  buildings.  Each 
of  these  various  farms  has  sulHcient  timber  land 
f(jr  the  use  of  the  residents  thereon  for  fuel,  build- 
ing or  fencing.  In  addition  to  these  lands  Mr. 
Brown  owns  ten  quarter-sections  in  Jackson  and 
Rooks  Counties,  Kan.,  and  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Harlan  County.  Neb.,  some  por- 
tions  of  this   projierty    being  snp|ilicd   with  good 


220 


PORTRAIT  AND  liloaRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


inii)roveiiients.  Moreover  lie  owns  propert3-  in 
Kansas  Citj-,  and  Norton,  Kan.,  each  of  liis  town 
lots  having  a  house  upon  it. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  Jul^'  15,  1821,  in  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  but  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his 
life  in  the  county  in  which  lie  now  lives,  having 
come  hither  with  his  [larents  before  he  had  entered 
his  teens.  His  large  fortune  has  been  made  by  his 
own  hands  since  he  became  of  age,  and  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  aiiother  resident  in  the  county  can  furnish  a 
better  record  of  liard  work,  prudence  and  wise  in- 
vestments. While  acquiring  property  rapidly  he 
has  not  become  miserly  but  has  ever  been  generous 
in  his  assistance  to  all  movements  which  would  ad- 
vance the  pnlilic  good.  He  has  given  his  son  an 
$8. COO  property  and  lie  recentlj'  donated  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good  land  to  the  ben- 
efit of  the  new  Baptist  University  in  Chicago.  His 
career  is  considered  a  somewhat  remarkable  one 
and  he  is  pointed  out  to  the  rising  generation  as 
one  whose  example  may  well  be  copied  by  all  who 
are  desirous  of  gaining  worldly  goods  and  vvinning 
the  respect  of  their  fellow-men.  Mr.  Brown  votes 
the  Republican  ticket,  and  with  his  wife  and  family 
are  enrolled  among  the  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

The  father  of  our  sul)ject  was  William  Brown 
who  was  born  In  England,  forty  miles  from  Lon- 
don, and  came  of  a  good  English  family.  When 
eighteen  or  twenty  years  of  age  he  set  out  for  the 
United  .Slates,  taking  passage  from  London  to  New 
York  (m  a  sailing-vessel.  He  was  a  poor  man  and 
after  landing  he  got  a  satchel  filled  with  trinkets 
and,  traveling  on  foot,  sold  his  wares  to  pay  his 
way  until  he  reached  Brown  County.  Ohio.  There 
he  began  life  as  a  farmer  in  a  small  w.ay,  in  a  few 
years  taking  a  helpmate  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Mary  Quinby.  This  lady  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  Buckeye  State  under  the  care  of  her  mother 
and  stepfather,  her  father  having  died  either  before 
her  birth  or  soon  after. 

After  the  birth  of  three  children  William  Brown 
and  his  wife  turned  their  footsteps  westward,  com- 
ing to  Morgan  County,  HI.,  in  1828  or  1829.  They 
made  a  settlement  on  unbroken  land  near  what  is 
now  Chapin.  In  those  early  days  cotton  was  be- 
ing raised  there  and  Mr.  Brown  had  a  horsepower 


cotton-gin,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  which  he  ran  four  seasons.  In  1833  the 
famil}'  came  to  Pike  County,  the  father  entering 
forty  acres  of  land  and  being  obliged  to  pay 
tvventy-five  per  cent,  for  the  money  with  which  to 
secure  it.  William  Brown  and  his  wife  spent  the 
remainder  of  their  lives  in  Griggsville,  d3ing  there 
when  fidl  of  years  and  lionois.  !Mr.  Brown 
was  eighty-four  atid  Airs.  Brown  eighty  years  old 
when  the3'  entered  into  rest.  The^'  possessed  the 
Christian  virtues  and  kindly'  spirits  which  made 
l)ioneer  life  bearable,  and  were  active  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  section  in  which  they  lived.  Mr. 
Brown  was  a  Deacon  forj'cars  and  always  voted  the 
Republican  ticket. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  four  sons  and 
three  daughters  who  lived  to  j'ears  of  maturit}'. 
Five  of  these  are  still  living.  Henrj-  Brown 
became  of  age  in  the  county  toward  whose  de- 
velopment he  has  done  his  part  and  which  he  has 
seen  grow  from  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness 
where  wild  game  abounded  to  a  highly-developed 
section,  the  home  of  comfort  and  civilization.  In 
Griggsville  Township  he  was  married  to  Miss  Har- 
riet Parks.  This  lady  was  born  and  reared  in 
Brown  County,  Ohio,  and  was  visiting  here  when 
she  made  the  acquaintance  of  her  future  husband. 
She  was  a  woman  of  intelligence  and  goodness. 
She  died  in  the  prime  of  life,  leaving  one  child, 
George,  who  married  Mattie  Greenough  and  now 
lives  in  Brown  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Brown  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance in  this  township,  having  won  for  his  wife 
Miss  Jane  Chapman.  She  was  born  in  the  South 
in  1823  and  accompanied  her  father,  Edmond 
Chapman,  to  this  State  when  a  young  woman.  Her 
mother  had  died  at  their  old  home  in  the  prime  of 
life.  Mr.  Chapman  located  in  Newburg  Township 
where  he  operated  a  farm  and  also  worked  at  his 
trade,  that  of  a  shoemaker.  He  died  when  sixty  odd 
years  old. 

The  famil}-  of  our  subject  and  his  piesent  wife 
consists  of  the  following  children,  who  have  been 
carefully  reared  under  Christian  influences  and  well 
equipped  for  the  battle  of  life.  John  C^.  married 
Ella  Eastman,  and  tlfeir  home  is  on  a  farm  nnar 
Whiting,  Jackson  County,  Kan.;   Mary  J.  married 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


221 


.lohn  F.  AValkins.  a  farmer  in  Grijigsville  Township; 

Fanny  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  W.  O.  Slduner.  of  Griggs- 

ville  ;  Alice  is  tlie  wife  of  Charles  Newman,  a  farmer 

i   in  Griggsville  Town!<liip;  Capt.  W.  inarrie<'  Louisa 

'    Lewis  and  operates  a  farm  in  Rooks  C'oiint3',  Kan.; 

I    William  H.  is  still  at  home. 


S\  OL.  I)ANIP:L  D.  hicks.  Where  but  little 
more  than  half  a  centiuy  since  was  but  a 
y^f^  hamlet,  now  stands  au  enterprising  and 
prosperous  town,  the  home  of  a  thrift}-  and  con- 
tenteil  people.  Pittsfield  contains  fine  public  build- 
ings, spacious  business  houses,  busy  mills,  and  many 
elegant  residences  as  well  as  the  tasteful  cottages  of 
the  less  wealthy.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  its 
homes  is  that  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  which 
is  located  on  Jefferson  Street.  The  dwelling  is  a 
commodious  frame  structure  of  modern  arcliitec- 
tu.ie  luid  handsome  design,  surrounded  by  attrac- 
tive lawDS,  dotted  here  and  there  by  beautiful  shade 
trees  and  other  adornments.  The  owner  has  been 
i  leiilified  for  many  years  witli  the  business,  civil 
and  religious  prosperity  of  the  town  and  is  well 
known  to  its  residents  as  well  as  to  those  through- 
out the  adjoining  country. 

The  blood  which  flows  in  the  veins  of  our  sub- 
ject is  that  of  a  patriotic  race,  members  of  which 
have  taken  part  in  the  wars  by  which  America 
^'niiied  her  independence.  His  grandfather,  Simeon 
lli<-ks,  fouglit  during  the  Revolution,  nnrl  liis  fatiier, 
Truman  15.  Hiciis,  served  in  the  War  of  1H12.  The 
latter  w:is  a  noted  physician  in  the  Empire  State, 
was  Judge  (if  Warren  C'ountv",  and  a  member  of  the 
State  Legislature  two  terms.  He  had  married  Bar- 
bara Hayes,  a  native  of  Clarendon,  Vt.,  who  bore 
liim  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 

The  one  of  whom  we  write  opened  his  eyes  to 
the  light  of  daj'  in  Sunderland,  Vt.,  August  12, 
1812.  and  was  quite  young  when  the  family  re- 
moved to  New  York.  A  few  years  later,  the  mother 
having  died,  the  family  returned  to  the  Green 
Jlonntain  State,  but  in  1830,  again  took  up  their 
abode  in  New  York.  In  1838  a  removal  was  made 
to  Pike  County.  III.,  and  our  subject  taught  in   the 


vicinity  of  Piltslield  two  years.  He  then  assumed 
a  clerkship  in  Pittsfield.  devoting  his  energies  to 
that  work  until  1842,  when  he  was  appointed  Dep- 
uty Sheriff  by  Ephraim  Cannon,  and  served  as  such 
four  years. 

Col.  Hicks  then  became  the  incumbent  of  the 
shrievalty,  continuing  in  that  position  four  years, 
near  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  was  elected 
Tre.asurcr  of  the  county.  The  onerous  duties  of  that 
position  were  faithfully  discharged  for  four  years, 
!ind  during  the  years  fiom  1850-52  he  was  also  en- 
gaged in  merchandising.  In  1865  Col.  Hicks  be- 
came clerk  and  teller  in  the  First  National  Bank 
and  in  1867  was  elected  Cashier  of  the  institution, 
which  position  he  has  held  to  the  present  time.  He 
is  particularly  well  qualified  for  the  position  which 
he  holds,  and  his  reputation  among  the  stockhold- 
ers and  the  other  officials  is  a  high  one. 

In  October,  1842,  Mr.  Hicks  and  Miss  Mary  J. 
Burbridge  were  joined  in  holy  wedlock.  The  bride 
was  born  in  Ohio,  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage 
was  living  in  Pike  County,  this  State.  .She  was  a 
daughter  of  James  Burbridge,  Esq..  and  had  been 
reared  to  Christian  womanhood.  Siie  was  a  de- 
voted member  of  the  Christian  Church,  in  the  faith 
of  which  she  passed  away  March  30,  1844.  She 
left  a  daughter,  Helen  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years. 

The  present  wife  of  Mr.  Hicks  was  furmei  ly  Miss 
Julia  Ann  Burbridge,  she  being  the  daughter  of 
Robert  Burbridge  and  a  cousin  of  our  subject's 
first  wife.  The  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  in 
1844  and  have  been  hlesseii  by  the  birth  of  five 
daughters  and  two  sous,  whose  record  is  as  follows: 
Frances  is  the  wife  of  George  Barber;  Barbara  E. 
married  Henry  R.  Mills,  who  now  lives  in  Inde- 
pendence, Mo,;  Florena  E.  is  the  wife  of  E.  P. 
Dow;  Emma,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Harry  Hig- 
bec,  a  prominent  attornej'  in  Pittsfield;  Robert 
T.  is  assistant  Cashier  in  the  bank;  Laura  married 
Martin  S.  Frick,  now  of  Independence,  Mo.;  and 
James  W.  lives  in   Pittsfield. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hicks  are  worthy  members 
of  llie  Christian  Church  in  which  the  former  has 
served  as  Elder  several  years.  The  military  title 
by  which  our  subject  is  known  w.as  conferred  upon 
him  while  he  was  a  resident  of  New  Y'orU.      Hebe- 


222 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


I 


longed  to  the  One  Hundred  and  vSixty-sixth  Regi- 
ment, State  militia,  served  two  years  as  Adjutant 
and  two  years  as  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  when  he 
retired  from  the  militia  to  come  to  Illinois. 


•SON  G.  CHAMBERLAIN,   a    (lioneer    of 
Pike  county,  is  a  practical  farmer,  owning 
and  occupying  a  fine  farm  which  is  partly 
,^:^  included  within  the  city  limits  of  Barrj-, 

where  he  and  his  family  have  a  pleasant,  attractive 
home.  He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  AVatertown, 
Washington  County,  May  1st,  1820.  His  father, 
John  D.  Chamberlain,  came  of  good  old  New  Eng- 
land stock  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  Goshen, 
Hampshire  County,  M.issachusetts,  .September  10, 
1779.  He  was  a  son  of  Asa  Chamberlain,  who  was 
also  of  Nevv  P^ngland  birth  and  was  a  descendant  of 
three  brothers  who  came  from  England  in  Colonial 
times.  He  was  a  farmer  .-md  resided  in  Goshen 
some  years  and  then  moved  from  there  to  Ohio  to 
join  his  son  in  Washington  County,  where  he  spent 
0  his  last  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  man's  estate 
In  his  native  town,  resided  there  till  1800,  and  then 
took  up  the  march  for  what  was  then  considered 
the  "  far  West,"  starting  on  foot  with  all  his  pos- 
sessions in  a  knajisack,  and  in  that  manner  making 
his  way  across  the  Slates  of  New  York  an(i  Penn- 
sylvania, and  over  the  Alleghany  Mountains  to  the 
Northwestern  Territory,  where  he  located  in  what  is 
now  Washington  County,  Ohio,  becoming  one  of 
its  earliest  settlers.  He  bought  a  tract  of  timber 
land  within  the  territory  now  included  in  Water- 
town  township,  and  near  the  first  mill  ever  built  in 
Ohio.  He  erected  a  log  cabin  to  sliclter  himself 
and  cleared  and  prejiared  quite  a  tract  of  land  for 
cultivation.  About  the  year  1836  he  bought  a 
gristmill. — the  first  one  ever  erected  in  Ohio.  The 
dam  built  for  that  mill,  the  first  ever  built  in  that 
State,  was  washed  away  and  our  subject  has  in  his 
possession  a  piece  of  wood  taken  from  one  of  the 
ogs  of  which  the  dam  was  composed.  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain operated  the  mill  some  years  and  continued 
to  live  in  Watertown  till  within  a  few  years  of  the 


time  of  his  death,  when  he  made  his  home  with  a 
daughter  in  the  adjoining  township,  where  he 
rounded  out  a  useful  and  honorable  life  at  the  ven- 
erable age  of  ninety  years  and  five  months.  He 
had  lived  to  see  Ohio  develop  from  a  wilderness  to 
a  well  settled  and  wealthy  State  and  had  borne  his 
part  in  bringing  about  the  wonderful  change.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Thirza  Grow,  and  she  was  a  daughter  of  pioneers 
of  Ohio.  She  died  several  years  before  her  hus- 
band, who  was  married  a  second  time.  By  his  first 
marriage  the  father  of  our  subject  had  nine  chil- 
dren, and  by  his  second  marriage  two  children. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  passed  his  boyhood 
and  the  early  years  of  his  manhood  in  the  home  of 
his  birth.  He  was  a  studious  and  thoughtful  lad, 
and  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities  to  obtain  an 
education.  He  first  went  to  a  school  taught  on  the 
subscription  plan,  and  then  worked  out  by  the 
month,  to  obtain  money  to  pay  his  board  while  he 
attended  the  .Slate  University  at  Athens.  He  pur- 
sued a  good  course  of  study  there  and  then  utilized 
his  knowledge  by  teaching  school,  and  subsequently 
attended  the  High  School  in  the  town  of  Chester, 
Meigs  County.  While  a  student  there  he  used  the 
money  which  he  had  earned  to  pay  his  tuition  and 
he  worked  for  his  board.  In  1815,  concluding  that 
the  Prairie  State  held  larger  opportunities  for  a 
man  of  his  calibre,  he  decided  to  take  up  his  resi- 
dence here,  and  came  hither  on  a  steamer  by  the 
way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  disembark- 
ing from  the  boat  at  Hubbard's  Landing,  and  from 
thence  making  his  w.ay  to  Barry.  A  few  days  later 
he  left  this  cit}',  which  was  then  but  a  small  village, 
and  proceeded  to  Vermont,  in  Fulton  Count}-,  and 
the  ensuing  three  3ears  was  employed  as  a  teacher 
in  that  town  and  in  its  vicinity.  After  that  he 
returned  to  Pike  County,  and  deciding  to  turn  his 
attention  to  agriculture,  he  bought  a  tract  of  tim- 
ber and  brush  land  on  section  29,  of  Harry  Town- 
sliip.  He  at  once  entered  upon  the  pioneer  task  of 
developing  a  farm  from  the  wilderness.  He  cleared 
about  thirty  acres,  ami  lived  on  that  [jlace  till  the 
fall  of  1853. 

After  a  residence  of  a  few  3ears  in  Barry,  our 
subject  bought  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  a 
part  of  which  is  included  in  the  corporate  limits  of 


f<"f 


"'^S- 


D. 


<^^ 


^-<^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


225 


Barry.  He  lias  placed  tbe  land  under  good  tillage, 
li.is  erected  a  neat  set  of  frame  buildings  and  has 
here  a  well-improved  farm.  Forlvfour  yean  ago 
Mr.  Chan.lierlain  and  ^liss  Glaphyra  Gard  were 
united  in  a  marriage  that  has  proved  one  of  felicity 
and  happiness.  To  them  have  come  four  sons,  K. 
.1.,  .1.  I)..  E.  M.  and  L.  A.  Mrs.  Chamberlain  is  a 
native  of  Washington  county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter 
of  Michael  Gard. 

Besides  carrying  on  his  farming  interests,  our 
subject  has  been  engaged  as  a  surveyor  many  years. 
He  was  elected  County  Survcj'or  in  1853,  and 
served  eight  j'ears.  The  gentleman  who  was  elected 
to  succeed  him  failing  to  c(ualify,  Mr.  Chamberlain 
continued  to  act  as  Surveyor,  and  in  fact  has  done 
more  or  less  surveying  each  year.  He  is  a  good 
practical  surveyor,  an  adept  in  the  profession,  and 
that  he  has  been  called  upon  so  much  to  practice 
it  shows  that  his  work  is  appreciated.  He  is  an 
unostentatious,  reserved  man,  possesses  a  well- 
trained  mind  and  sound  judgment,  and  the  integ- 
rity of  his  character  has  never  been  questioned. 
He  is  a  man  of  broad  views  and  in  his  religious 
faith  is  a  I'niversalist.  In  politics  he  was  in  early 
life  a  Whig,  as  was  his  father  before  him.  But 
since  the  formation  C)f  the  Republican  part}'  he  has 
been  its  stanch  adherent. 


Si>,  APT.  BENJAMIN  L.  MATTHEWS.  This 
cognomen  has  liecome  a  sj-nonym  through- 
out Pike  County  for  uprightness  of  char- 
acter, usefulness  of  habits,  and  intelligence  of  mind. 
It  is  borne  by  a  gentleman  who  has  lived  in  Perry 
Townsiiip  since  1833,  has  been  one  of  its  leading 
citizens,  and  although  now  quite  aged,  is  still  a  use- 
ful member  of  the  community.  He  has  lived  to 
see  the  county  develop  fiom  an  almost  unl)roken 
wilderness  to  a  productive  agricultural  district, 
whose  crops  are  among  the  best,  and  whose  citizens 
are  intelligent  and  progressive.  Capt.  Matthews 
now  lives  a  retired  life  on  his  pleasant  farm  near 
Perry,  surrounded  by  the  comforts  suited  to  his 
declining  years,  and  blessed  by  the  esteem  of  a 
large  circle  of  ac(]uaintances.     llis  home  farm  com- 


prises two  hundred  acres  of  fertile  and  well-devel- 
oped land,  from  which  he  has  made  his  own  fortune 
as  a  general  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Ho  also  owns 
land  in  Missouri,  from  which  he  derives  a  satisfac- 
tor}'  income. 

Capt.  Matthews  was  born  in  Roanoke  (Jount^-, 
N.  C,  December  15,  180C.  In  1818  he  accompa- 
nied his  parents  from  his  native  State  to  Illinois,  liv- 
ing in  Ga  latin  and  White  Counties  until  1825. 
The\'  then  came  to  Pike  Count}',  making  their  first 
home  in  Flint  Township,  where  our  subject  became 
of  age.  He  was  well  reared  by  careful  parents, 
and  being  naturally  bright,  obtained  a  practical 
education,  although  his  opportunities  were  limited 
to  tbe  "brush  schoolhouse."  Having  determined 
to  adopt  the  life  of  a  farmer,  his  first  property  was 
entered  in  Perry  Township,  near  that  upon  which 
he  now  lives,  and  he  devoted  himself  with  zeal  to 
the  development  of  his  land,  and  the  perfecting  of 
his  crops.  While  building  u|)  his  own  fortunes  he 
has  done  all  he  could  for  the  county,  taking  a  part 
in  every  movement  which  promised  to  advance 
the  material  prosperity  of  the  citizens,  or  elevate 
the  standard  of  intelligence  and  moralit}'. 

In  1862_C'apt.  Matthews  and  his  son,  A.  C,  an- 
swered the  second  call  for  volunteers,  and  earh 
raised  a  company  for  the  Ninetj'-ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantrj'.  Our  subject  became  the  commander  of 
Company  B,  and  under  the  lead  of  the  gallant  Col. 
Bailey  went  to  Missouri,  where  early  in  1863  he 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Ilarlsville.  For  some 
time  following,  the  regiment  was  retained  in  Mis- 
souri to  guard  the  approach  to  Rolla.  Some  six 
mouths  after  entering  the  service,  Capt.  Matthews 
became  afflicted  with  rheumatism,  from  which  he 
suffered  until  he  was  obliged  to  be  discharged  on 
account  of  disability.  Disappointed  in  his  aim  to 
expend  his  physical  energy  in  the  front,  the  valiant 
Captain  returned  to  his  home  to  assist  in  niore 
peaceful  ways  in  carrying  on  the  war. 

The  first  Presidential  ballot  cast  by  the  Captain 
was  for  Henry  Clay.  It  was  followed  by  votes  for 
Harrison  in  1836  and  1840,  by  a  second  for  his 
'■first  love"  in  1844,  after  which  his  favorites  were 
Taylor,  Scott,  Fremont  and  Lincoln  in  the  re- 
spective campaigns  up  to  the  outlireak  of  the  war, 
since  which  time  he  has  continued  his  allegiance  to 


226 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  Republican  pai'ty.  Mr.  Matthews  is  a  sound 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  C'liurch,  in 
wiiicli  he  now  holds  the  office  of  Steward.  Me  lias 
been  delegate  to  two  Annual  Conferences,  and  was 
Class-Leader  during  a  long  i)eriod.  He  has  served 
five  terms  as  Supervisor  of  Feiry  Township,  and  in 
other  minor  offices  lias  done  the  best  he  could  for 
his  constituents. 

The  first  marriage  of  Capt.  Matthews  was  cele- 
brated in  Flint  Tovvnslii|).  his  Lride  being  Miss  Mi- 
nerva Carrington,  daughter  of  Asa  and  Lucinda 
(Oalhraitli)  Carrington.  When  she  was  quite  small, 
Miss  Carrington  lost  lier  father,  and  she  afterward 
accompanied  her  mother  Korth,  their  lionie  being 
made  in  Pike  County.  Here  a  common-school  edu- 
cation was  obtained  by  the  young  lady,  who  grew 
to  a  noble  womanhood.  She  died  in  1841,  wlien 
but  thirty  years  old,  having  been  born  in  Mt.  Stc- 
ling,  Ky.,  in  1811.  Siie  left  five  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  deceased:  Joseph  married  Miss  Kate 
Whittaker,  and  died  leaving  one  child;  Lou  be- 
came the  wife  of  Dr.  Harvey  Dunn,  now  of  Perry, 
and  died  leaving  no  children;  Benjamin  died  when 
two  years  of  age;  Martlia,  now  the  widow  of  .loUn 
McCartney,  makes  her  home  with  her  father,  and 
is  his  housekeeper;  A.  C,  the  eldest  son,  is  now 
First  Comptroller  of  the  United  States  Treasury, 
under  Secretary  Windora,  having  been  appointed 
by  President  Harrison  in  March,  18'J0.  This  gen- 
tleman had  serveil  Pike  County  as  Judge,  and  had 
been  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  several 
terms,  being  Speaker  of  the  House  when  appointed 
to  his  present  Government  office.  After  entering 
the  army  as  commander  of  Company  C,  Ninety- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  he  fought  until  the  close  of 
the  war,  being  promoted  to  the  Colonelcy  of  his 
regiment  some  time  prior  to  the  firing  of  the  last 
gun.  Col.  Matthews  was  then  sent  out  to  the 
Northwestern  fi'ontier  to  quiet  some  of  the  Indian 
tribes  that  were  creating  disturbances  there. 

Our  subject  won  for  his  second  wife  Mrs.  Sarah 
A.  Wattles  nee  Dean,  who  died  in  18C1,  leaving 
two  children:  Hattie,  wife  of  Robert  A.  Cheno- 
v.'cth,  of  Clinton  County,  Mo.;  and  Mary,  wife  of 
S.  D.  Fagon,  of  the  same  county.  Mrs.  Sarah  Mat- 
thews was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  when  a 
young  woman   accompanied   her    [larcnts   to    Pike 


County,  111.  Here  she  married  Charles  Wattles, 
subsequently  returning  to  her  native  State,  where 
her  husband  died.  The  widow  returned  to  this 
State,  and  in  Pike  Count}'  contracted  her  second 
matrimonial  alliance. 

The  third  wife  of  Capt.  Matthews  was  Miss  Mary 
Layton,  with  whom  he  was  united  in  Perry  Town- 
ship. She  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Keystone 
State,  coming  West  after  she  had  attained  to  woman- 
hood. She  i)assed  away  November  28, 1888,  when 
about  fiftj^-seven  years  of  age.  She  left  one  child, 
Anna,  wife  of  Alexander  Gregory,  a  telegraph  op- 
erator whose  home  is  at  Centralia,  Mo.  The  three 
estimable  women  who  at  various  times  presided 
over  the  home  of  Capt.  Matthews,  faithfuUj-  dis- 
charged their  duties  as  wives  and  mothers,  and  all 
were  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 

Ca[)t.  Matthews  is  descended  from  two  of  the 
leading  families  of  Cork,  Ireland.  His  grandpar- 
ents were  born  there,  pnd  emigrated  to  America, 
settling  in  Virginia,  where  they  subsequently  died. 
In  Rockingham  County  tlieir  son  John  B.  was  born, 
and  s[ient  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  became  of 
age  in  North  Carolina,  and  there  married  Margaret 
Leach.  For  a  year  the  nevvly  wedded  couple  lived 
on  a  farm  there,  then  removed  to  Hopkinsville, 
Ky.,  on  Pound  River,  where  they  made  their  home 
until  1818.  The3'  then  crossed  the  Ohio  at  Shaw- 
neetovin,  and  established  themselves  at  Carmine, 
the  county  seat  of  White  County,  III.  This  was 
the  j'ear  the  State  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthews  were  among  the  earl}-  set- 
tlers in  White  County. 

After  having  made  considerable  improvement  on 
their  land,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthews  crossed  the  Illi- 
nois River  at  Phillip's  Ferry,  in  the  spring  of  1825, 
and  settled  in  Flint  Township,  Pike  County.  This 
was  then  a  rough,  wild  section,  roved  over  by  In- 
dians in  large  numbers  and  abounding  in  wil'd  game 
of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  After  sojourning  tliere 
a  year,  the  Matthews  family  located  on  an  unbroken 
tract  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Griggsville  Town- 
sliip,  where  they  made  a  good  home.  In  1832  the 
parents  made  their  final  home  in  Perry  Township, 
where  the  wife  and  mother  died  in  the  spring  of 
1850,  when  sixtj-six  years  old.  The  iiusband  and  fa- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


227 


ther  survived  Lier  some  years,  still  making  his  home 
in  Perry  Township,  but  (I\'ing  at  the  home  of  a 
daughter,  Mrs.  Stucker,  whom  he  was  visiting  near 
Lancaster,  Mo.  His  demise  took  place  in  the  fall 
of  185C,  he  being  then  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of 
hi.s  age.  3Ir.  Matthews  was  reared  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Presb^'terian  faith,  but  lie  and  liis  wife 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cliuich 
during  the  greater  part  of  theii'  lives.  "Mr.  Mat- 
thews belonged  to  the  old-line  Whig  |)art}'.  He 
was  a  stanch  and  -worthy  citizen,  [)romulgating  the 
true  [irinciples  of  manhood. 

Capt.  Matthews  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  ten, 
his  living  brothers  am)  sisters  being  Robert,  a 
farmer  in  Madison  County,  Iowa;  Austin,  District 
Clerk  in  Jefferson  County,  Neb.;  Albert,  a  farmer 
in  Montgomerj'  County,  111.;  Mrs.  Clarissa  Wilkin- 
son, of  Winterset,  Iowa;  and  Mrs.  Alvira  Tucker, 
of  Albia,  Iowa. 

On  another  page  the  reader  will  notice  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  the  Captain,  whose  honorable 
life  and  upright  career  will  be  remembered  long 
after  he  has  passed  hence. 


.,ILLIAM  GUSS.     Perhaps   no   resident  in 
.'     Barry    Township,  Pike  Count}-,  is    better 


yj  deserving  of  representation  in  a  volume 
of  this  nature  than  William  Guss.  He  is  a  splen- 
did example  of  the  self-made  man,  having  a  well- 
informed  mind,  friendly  manners  and  the  sterling 
habits  by  means  of  which  he  has  accumulated  a 
handsome  property.  He  was  born  near  Landes- 
burg.  Perry  County,  Pa.,  August  2,  1811.  His 
grandfather  is  believed  to  have  been  born  in  Ger- 
many and  his  home  for  many  j-ears  was  in  Chester 
County,  Pa.  There  Simon  Guss,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  and  reared,  learning  the  trade  of 
a  shoemaker. 

After  his  marriage  to  Barbara  Knarr,  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  Chester  County  farmer  who  had  been  born 
in  Germany,  Simon  Guss  removed  to  the  town  in 
which  our  subject  was  born.  Af^er  following  bis 
trade  there  for  some  years  he  changed  his  resi- 
dence to  Juniata   County,  where    he    died   at    the 


age  of  forty-fire  years.  His  wife  survived  him  for 
same  years,  she  also  entering  into  rest  in  Juniata 
County.  She  reared  ten  children,  nine  sons  and 
one  daughter,  of  whom  our  subj'^ct  is  the  youngest 
and  the  onl^-  one  now  living.  He  was  eight  3'ear8 
old  when  he  bade  adieu  to  his  native  county,  and 
from  that  time  until  after  he  had  entered  his  teens 
Juniata  County-  was  his  home.  When  fourteen 
years  old  he  began  boating  on  the  Union  and 
Sehuykill  Canal,  continuing  to  so  employ  himself 
twelve  summers,  during  the  winter  being  gener- 
ally engaged  in  teaming. 

Our  subject  finally  purchased  a  small  tract  of 
land  in  Juniata  County,  which  was  capable  of 
sustaining  a  family  only  by  hard  work,  as  the  soil 
was  poor.  Believing  that  he  could  do  better  by 
going  West,  Mr.  Guss  sold  his  land  for  8800, 
one-half  cash  and  the  rest  in  four  years,  without 
interest,  and  in  Maj',  1848,  started  with  a  team 
toward  Illinois.  At  Pittsburg  he  emb.Trked,  team 
and  all  on  a  boat,  thence  following  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers,  and  flnall}'  landing  in  Pike 
County.  The  same  year  he  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  section  4,  Barry  Township,  upon  which 
there  was  a  log  house  and  frame  barn.  The  re- 
sults proved  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Guss'  opinions, 
as  he  has  from  time  to  time  been  able  to  purchase 
other  land,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most  wealthy 
and  sidjstantial  citizens  of  the  county.  He  owns 
four  hundred  acres  in  one  body  in  Barry  Town- 
ship, and  has  erected  thereon  a  com|)lete  line  of 
fine  buildings,  including  a  brick  house,  frame  barns 
and  other  adequate  outlniildings. 

Mr.  Guss  li.as  been  twice  married.  His  first  wife 
was  Mary  Foltz,  a  native  of  Millford  Township, 
Juniata  County,  Pa.  She  died  in  that  county 
in  April,  1837,  leaving  two  children — Eliza- 
beth A.  and  Benjamin  F.  The  present  wife  of 
our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Eliza  AVike. 
She  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  possesses 
many  sterling  qualities  of  character,  together  with 
much  useful  knowledge.  She  has  become  the 
mother  of  seven  cliildren — David  P.,  Alfred,  Will- 
iam W.,  Henrietta,  Mary,  George  S.  and  Eliza 
B.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guss  believe  in  the  doc- 
trine of  universal  salvation.  Mr.  (iuss  cast  his 
first  Presidential  ballot  for  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson, 


228 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


I 


xind  has  been  a  stanch  Democrat  from  that  day  to 
the  present.  He  is  an  excellent  citizen,  reliable, 
steady-going  and  law-abiding,  and  is  looked  upon 
with  respect  by  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances. 

Christopher  Wike,  grandfatlier  of  Mrs.  Guss, 
was  born  in  Switzerland,  and  when  but  a  boy  left 
the  parental  roof  and  came  to  America.  Landing 
in  Pennsylvania,  lie  learned  the  trade  of  a  l)lack- 
sraitii  in  Lancaster  Cit}',  and  aftej-  his  marriage  to 
Susannah  Bear,  a  native  of  that  place,  removed  to 
Cumberland  County.  He  followed  !iis  trade,  tlien 
purcliased  a  good  farm  on  the  Big  Spring  and 
spent  his  last  yeais  tliere.  His  son,  George,  father 
of  Mrs.  Guss,  was  born  in  Cumberland  County, 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  of  his  father  and 
also  learned  that  of  a  weaver.  After  his  marriage 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Stark  County  on 
land  given  him  by  his  father-in-law.  After  sojourn- 
ing thereon  a  few  years  he  returned  to  his  father's 
homestead,  which  he  had  inherited,  and  died  there 
when  forlj-four  years  ol(L  The  maiden  name  of 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Guss  was  Mary  Essig.  She 
was  born  in  Pennsjdvania,  in  which  State  her 
father,  Simon  Essig,  also  opened  his  eyes  to  the 
light;  he  was  of  Gei-raan  ancestry.  Some  years 
since  she  came  to  Illinois,  and  died  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter  in  her  eightieth  3'ear. 


-^^ 


W;ILLIAM  B.  WILLSEY,  who  has  a  fine 
farm  and  a  beautiful  residence  in  Martins- 
burg  Township  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
village  of.Sumraer  Hill,  is  prominent  among  the  ac- 
tive 3'oung  farmers  of  Pike  County,  of  which  he  is 
a  native.  He  was  born  in  December,  1860,  and  is 
a  son  of  Harrison  Willsey,  a  well-known  resident 
of  Martinsburg  Township. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  John  Will- 
sey and  was  a  native  of  New  York.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  came  to  this  State  in 
1855,  settling  on  a  farm  in  this  county.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  sevent}'  years.  Religiously, he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church,  to  wliich  faith  he  was 
always  true,  and  in  political  affairs  voted  tiie  Dem- 
ocratic ticket.     His  son,  Harrison,  the  father  of  our 


subject  was  likev\ise  a  native  of  the  Empire  State, 
where  he  passed  his  early  life  and  whence  he  came 
to  Pike  County,  III.,  by  rail  when  about  twenty 
years  of  age.  He  settled  in  Pittsfield  Township, 
where  he  farmed  on  rented  land.  Finally  he  pur- 
chased land  in  Martinsburg  Township,  which  ho 
has  converted  into  a  good  farm  I13'  constant  and 
well-diiected  labor  and  which  he  still  makes  his 
home.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  sound  Rei)uh- 
lican. 

Catherine  Warlej'  was  the  maiden  name  of  our 
subject's  mother  and  slie  was  born  in  Indiana.  A 
kind  and  thoughtful  lady,  she  is  also  a  consistent 
Christian  and  has  for  many  years  been  a  member 
of  the  Christian  Church.  She  is  the  mother  of 
five  children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Marj' 
(Mrs.  Miller),  William  B.,  George  E.,  Melissa  (Mrs. 
Miller;,  and  Samuel  J.  The  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  known  as  ''Uncle  Billy  Warlej^" 
and  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  coming  to  Pike 
County  at  a  ver}'  early  da3'.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  State  and  aided  in 
its  pioneer  development.  Ho  was  quite  a  hunter 
and  many  a  deer  was  brought  down  by  his  unerring 
rifle.  He  lived  to  be  a  ver3'  old  man,  dying  when 
about  ninety  years  of  age.  In  politics  he  was  an 
Old  Line  Whig  until  the  formation  of  the  Repub- 
lican part3',  when  he  joined  its  ranks. 

William  Willsey,  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  in 
Pike  County  by  his  uncle,  George  Stephens.  He 
obtained  his  education  in  the  district  schools,  which 
were  then  furnished  with  the  old-fasiiioned  punch- 
eon benches.  He  attended  school  tluring  the  win- 
ter and  worked  on  the  farm  in  the  summer,  thus 
gaining  a  sound  practical  knowledge  of  farming 
in  all  its  branches.  Upon  reaching  years  of  matu- 
rity he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  by  working 
out  b3'  the  month  for  $25  per  month,  continuing 
thus  engaged  for  five  months.  He  then  rented  a 
j)iece  of  land  for  two3'earsand  later  rented  another 
place  in  the  same  township.  He  did  well  in  his 
efforts  and  finally  was  enabled  to  purchase  land  of 
his  own  and  bought  his  present  farm  of  ninety 
acres  in  February,  1889.  His  removal  here  was 
effected  on  the  first  day  of  the  following  March, 
since  which  time  lie  has  been  actively  engaged 
in    developing   the   jilaee.     He  farms  quite  extcn- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


229 


sively  and  also  raises  some  stock.  His  estate  is 
embellished  by  a  beautiful  home,  the  residence  be- 
ing a  fine  two-stoiy  frame  house,  conveniently  ar- 
ranged and  tastefully  furnished,  and  he  has  also 
erected  a  small  frame  barn  and  otherwise  increased 
the  value  of  the  |ilace.  He  is  a  j'oung  man  of  un- 
usual activity  and  force  of  character  and  is  fast 
making  his  way  toward  an  assured  success  in  his 
noble  calling'.  lie  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  politically  is  a  stalwart  Re- 
publican. 

Mr.  AVilsey  was  married  in  March.  1885,  to 
Mary  E.  McClintock.  She  was  born  in  Pike 
County  in  1860  and  died  in  Jul^',  1887,  leaving 
one  child  named  Lloyd  S.  Mi-.  Willsey  contracted 
asecond  matrimonial  alliance  in  Marcli,  1888,  when 
Miss  Mary  E.  Grable  became  his  wife.  Mrs.  Willsey 
is  a  native  of  Pike  County  and  was  born  in  Atlas 
Townsliip  in  1865.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  a  most  estimable  woman, 
active  in  all  good  work. 


LOCUM  SOUTH  WORTH,  M,  D.  is  a  fCen- 
lau  of  high  professional  and  social  stand- 
;  in  Calhoun  County.  He  is  a  well-known 
liysiciau  of  Hamburg  where  he  enjojs  an 
extensive  [jractice,  and  where  he  has  vaUuUile  farm- 
ing interests  and  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  homes. 
He  is  a  native  of  Genesee  Count}-,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  boin  February  25,  1827,  to  Wheaton  and  Mar- 
tha (Gifford)  Southworth.  natives  of  New  England. 
His  paternal  ancestors  are  said  to  have  been  of  Irish 
lineage  and  his  grand fatlier  Gifford  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary soldier.  His  parents  moved  to  Genesee 
County  at  an  early  da}-  of  its  settlement,  probably 
about  1801  or  1805  and  were  pioneers  of  that  i)art 
of  New  York.  The  Doctor  was  the  fifth  son  of 
the  family  and  was  reared  to  farming  in  his  native 
county.  He  attended  the  village  school  at  Bergen 
and  there  laid  the  solid  foundation  of  a  good  educa- 
tion. At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  began  the  study 
of  medicine  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Bleason,of  Bergen  and  studied  with  him  some  five 


years,  pursuing  a  thorough  course  in  the  Eclectic 
system  ;  he  subsequentl}-  attended  the  Eclectic  Medi- 
cal College  at  Rochester,  N.  J.,  and  when  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  practice  was  well  equiijped  for  his 
profession.  He  first  entered  upon  its  duties  in  Cal- 
ifornia, whither  he  went  in  1852,  going  by  water 
from  New  York  City  by  the  way  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  landing  at  San  Francisco.  Cal..  after  a  voy- 
age of  one  month  and  three  days.  The  first  six 
uionths  that  he  passed  in  the  Golden  State,  he  was 
engaged  in  gold  mining  and  the  ensuing  three  years 
practiced  medicine. 

Three  years  and  a  half  were  spent  in  California 
before  bis  return  to  his  native  State  bj-  the  Nicar- 
augua  route.  He  opened  an  office  at  Bergen,  Gen- 
essee  County,  N.  Y.,  and  passed  over  a  year  in  that 
town.  In  the  spring  of  1857  the  Doctor  came  to 
Illinois,  as  he  shrewdly  perceived  that  in  this  more 
newly  settled  State,  an  ambitious,  energetic  physi- 
cian would  find  a  larger  sphere  of  usefulness  than 
in  the  older  States.  After  spending  a  year  at 
Lightsville,  Ogle  County,  he  came  to  this  county, 
and  for  several  years  lived  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  village  of  Hamburg.  He  took  up  his  abode 
where  he  now  resides  on  section  10,  Hamburg  Pre- 
cinct in  1 864.  He  had  already  established  a  good  rep- 
utation for  skill  and  success  in  the  treatment  of  the 
various  cases  that  came  under  his  care,  and  his  prac- 
tice constantly  increased  from  year  to  year  untd  it 
reached  its  present  proportions. 

Besides  attending  to  his  professional  duties,  the 
Doctor  has  found  time  to  improve  a  good  farm, 
which  when  he  settled  on  it  was  but  little  cleared. 
Under  his  supervision  it  has  been  finely  developed, 
is  well-tilled,  and  its  tw-o  hundred  acres  of  land 
yield  rich  liarvests  and  constitute  one  of  the  best 
farms  in  all  the  precinct.  The  Doctor  having 
taken  such  an  active  part  in  promoting  the  agricul- 
ture of  the  county  may  well  be  considei-edone  of  its  • 
pioneers,  and  we  always  find  him  generously  aiding 
any  movement  that  in  any  way  tends  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  precinct  or  the  count}-.  He  is  well- 
known  for  his  sterling  integrity  in  business  trans- 
actions, and  he  and  his  wife  are  active  in  society 
matters  and  are  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  have 
the  pleasure  of  their  acquaintance.  The  Doctor  is 
soundly  Democratic  in  his  political  views.     He  has 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


served  as  School  Treasurer  of  Hamburg  Precinct 
for  a  number  of  years  and  has  been  potent  in  the 
introduction  of  its  present  educational  system. 

Our  subject  married  for  his  first  wife  Eliza  J. 
Blacliorby,  by  whom  he  had  one  child,  Altheda,  who' 
is  deceased.  The  maiden  name  of  his  second  wife 
was  Mary  A.  Blackoiby,  and  she  bore  him  one  child, 
Bergen,  wlio  is  now  deceased.  For  his  third  wife 
he  married  Martha  E.  Blackorby. 

^.■^^;  ;  s 1^  — ^^fe=^^ 


;ILLIAM  V.  BUCHANAN,  a  veteran  of 
the  late  war,  is  a  native-born  citizen  of 
Pii<e  Count}',  and  a  son  of  one  of  its  oldest 
settlers.  He  is  now  actively  assisting  in  carrying 
on  its  great  farming  interests,  owning  and  operat- 
ing a  farm  in  Spring  Creelt  Township.  He  was 
born  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township,  January  7,  1840. 
His  father,  Austin  O.  Buelianan.was  born  and  reared 
in  Allen  Count}',  Ky. 

The  paternal  grandfather,  John  Buchanan,  was 
a  native  presumably  of  Bourbon  County,  Va., 
and  an  early  jjioneer  of  Kentucky,  settling  near 
Scottsville,  and  there  carrying  on  operations  as 
a  farmer  and  miller.  He  went  from  that  State 
to  Ray  County,  Mo.,  in  the  year  1^25,  but  sub- 
sequently removed  to  Tenr.essee,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1832  came  to  Illinois.  Locating  near  the  bound- 
ary lines  between  Pike  and  Calhoun  Counties  on 
the  Mississippi  River  bottom,  he  there  dwelt  until 
his  death  two  years  later.  He  was  the  father  of 
the  following  children — Nancy,  John  R.,  James, 
Henry  P.,  Stanton,  Austin  O.,  Valentine  A.,  and 
Sallie.  Stanton  died  in  infancj'.  The  paternal 
gi cat-grandfather  of  our  subject  came  from  Scot- 
land. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  December 
28,  1810,  in  an  humble  pioneer  home  in  Kentucky. 
After  attaining  manhood  he  married  Sarah  W. 
Roachell.  For  some  time  he  was  eng.aged  in  rafting 
on  the  liver  in  winter  and  farming  in  the  summer. 
He  wa?  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county,  and 
lives  in  Spiing  Creek  Townshij)  at  a  ripe  old  age, 
respected  by  all  who  know  him.  His  wife,  who 
was  born    in   South  Carolina,  was  a   daughter  of 


Nathaniel  Roachell.  The  latter  had  a  famil}'  includ- 
ing two  sons  and  four  daughters,  and  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  He  died 
December  23,  1860,  in  Spring  Creek  Township, 
Pike  County. 

The  parental  family  included  the  following  chil- 
dren: William  V.,  our  subject;  Nancy  A.,  Richard 
Whilworth,  Sarah  F.  (Mrs.  A.  W.  McConnell), 
John  S.,  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  James  Gunterman; 
and  Elvira,  Mrs.  Edward  Looper.  The  subject 
of  this  notice  was  reared  on  a  farm  with  the  ex- 
ception of  tiiree  years  spent  in  Tennessee.  He 
has  always  lived  in  Pike  and  Calhoun  Counties, 
and  received  a  common-school  education.  The 
self-reliant  lad  was  early  put  to  work,  as  the 
father  was  poor  and  the  children  had  to  help  to 
maintain  the  family.  He  began  plowing  when 
only  seven  years  of  age  and  continued  to  assist 
his  father  until  his  marriage,  October  3,  18(52,  to 
Nancy  Jane  Sidwell,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
Sidwell,  of  Calhoun  County,  111. 

The  happy  and  contented  wedded  life  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife  has  been  blessed  to  them  by 
the  birth  of  nine  children,  namely:  Alexander 
M.,  who  is  married  and  lives  in  California; 
Charles  E. ;  Sarah  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years;  Ella  A.;  Francis  L.  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years;  Olive  M.,  wife  of  Joseph  Scranton;  Otis 
A.,  John  O.  and  Lester  A.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  are  among  the  most  esteemed  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  to  which  their  eldest  son  and 
two  of  their  daughters  also  belong.  They  are 
ever  active  in  an}'  good  work  for  the  social  and 
religious  elevation  of  the  townsliip. 

Mr.  Buchanan  has  served  as  Road  Commissioner 
and  School  Trustee,  and  lie  is  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  In  [lolitics  he 
votes  with  the  Democrats.  His  service  in  the 
army  began  in  the  month  of  February,  18Go.  when 
he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  For- 
ty-eighth Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  in  the  service 
several  raontlis,  displaying  courage  and  capability 
as  a  soldier,  whose  fidelity  could  be  depended 
upon  in  any  emergency.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
(  chari;ed  September  5,  1865,  when  he  returned  to 
Jjjs  home  and  quietly  resumed  his  old  vocation. 

After  their  marriage  Mr,  Buchanan   and    his  es- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


231 


timable  wife  locaterl'on  a  farm  helonginuf  to  liis 
fatlier-in-la-.v.  but  after  his  return  fiom  tlie  army 
he  bouglit  one  hunilrerl  and  sixty  acres  of  iaiul  on 
section  25,  Spring  C'reeiv  Township.  Two  ^'c.irs  hiter 
he  disposed  of  tliat  and  bought  anotiier  quarter  on 
section  36.  In  1870,  selling  that  st  a  good  advan- 
tage, he  pureliased  sevent3'-tw()  acres  in  Calhoun 
County,  where  he 'resided  until  1879.  In  that 
^  year  he  returned  to  Pike  County,  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  section  35,  Spring- 
Creek  Towiisliip.  lie  has  since  added  to  his  orig- 
inal purchase  anrl  now  owns  two  hundred  acres  of 
rich  and  pr.wluctive  land,  one  liundred  and  tliirty- 
five  of  which  are  under  good  cultivation. 


^1= 


:i^^ 


UTSON  ^MARTIN,  a  prominent  and  influen- 
tial member  of  the  agricultural  community 
of  Pike  County,  is  located  on  section  27, 
Derr}' Township.  His  estate  consists  of  two 
hundred  and  eigiity  acres,  well  supplied  with  sub 
stantial  and  commodious  farm  buildings,  and  car- 
ried on  according  to  the  best  methods  of  the 
modern  agriculturists.  In  past  years  ;Mr.  Martin 
has  done  much  of  the  physical  work  which  has 
brought  the  land  to  its  present  fine  condition  of 
tillage  and  improvement,  but  he  now  rents  it,  busy- 
ing himself  only  in  management. 

Mr.  Martin  is  a  native  of  this  State,  born  in  Ver- 
milion County,  January  16,  1832.  He  lived  in  bis 
native  county  until  lie  was  fourteen  years  old,  .at- 
tending the  subscription  schools  in  a  log  building 
with  an  open  fireplace,  greased  paper  windows,  slab 
benches  and  a  writing  desk  beside  the  wall  und(T 
the  windows.  He  came  to  Pike  County  with  his 
mother  in  1846,  wlien  deer  and  other  game  was  still 
to  be  found  here  and  much  of  the  land  was  yet 
undeveloped.  He  has  cleared  over  one  liundred 
acres  of  heavj'  timber. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  when  but  twenty  years 
old  and  began  life  for  himself,  renting  land  for  a 
time,  but  ere  long  buying  sixty  acres  on  section  34. 
From  time  to  time  as  his  means  would  admit,  he 
added  to  his  landed  estate  and  increased  the  extent 
of  his  farming  operations.     He  has  raised  consid- 


erable stock,  keeping  all  kinds,  though  lie  has  per- 
haps made  the  most  money  from  swine,  llis  work 
in  life  has  been  carried  on  in  a  siiirit  of  enterprise 
and  he  has  ever  been  ready  to  learn  from  observa- 
tion, reading,  or  converse  with  others  of  his  call- 
ing, ways  in  which  he  could  advance  more  rapidly 
and  r, ap  better  and  larger  crops. 

The  marri.age  rites  between  Mr.  Martin  and  Miss 
Lydia  A.  Chamberlain  were  solemnized  at  the 
bride's  home  July  31.  1851.  Mrs.  Martin  was  born 
in  Ohio  but  came  hither  with  her  parents,  Aaron 
and  Rachael  Chamberlain  in  1835,  when  only  six 
months  old.  She  w.as  born  September  16,  1834. 
She  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  her  husband  and 
family  and  knows  well  how  to  m.ake  her  home  com- 
fortable and  .attractive.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  have 
had  seven  children,  namel3':  Isaiah  B.,  now  de- 
ceased: William  A.,  Gilbert  N.,  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Tay- 
lor, Mrs.  Delia  R.  Adams,  Lydia  A.,  and  Flora,  the 
last  named  having  died  at  the  .age  of  six  j-ears. 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  entire  Prairie  Slate  contains 
a  man  who  is  more  firmly  cfinvinced  of  the  worth 
of  Republican  doctrines  or  more  steadfast  in  devo- 
tion to  his  principles  than  Ilutson  Martin.  During 
the  war  his  life  was  threatened  by  Southern  sym- 
pathizers on  account  of  his  stanch  sujiport  of  the 
Union,  but  those  who  drew  revolvers  on  him  then, 
learned  to  respect  him  for  his  firmness  on  the  side 
of  what  he  thought  was  right.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  Lodge.  No.  388,  at  El  Dara.  He  was 
reared  by  a  Christian  mother  and  although  not 
identified  with  any  religious  body,  is  moral  and 
upright,  receiving  the  respect  of  his  acquaintances. 

AVilliani  Martin,  tlie  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  Buckeye  State  in  1808,  reared  there  and 
in  Indiana,  and  adopted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
He  was  married  in  Kii)ley  County.  Ind.,  to  Sarah 
F.  Weatherby,  who  was  born  in  Chautauqua  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  1813.  Soon  after  their  marriage  the 
young  couple  came  to  this  State,  making  their  home 
in  Vermilion  County,  where  ilr.  Martin  owned  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  physical  and  mental  energj'  and  a  hard 
worker,  lie  died  in  1838,  at  the  earl^'  age  of  thirty 
years,  but  his  wife  survived  until  1889,  dying  in 
Adams  County,  .State  of  Washington,  whither  she 
had   gone  in  1888  with  a  son.     Mr.  Martin  was  a 


232 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Democrat  in  polities.  Mrs.  Martin  lielonged  to  the 
Cliristian  Church  for  thirtj'  years.  Their  family 
consisted  of  six  oliihlien,  named  respectively:  Ma- 
tilda, Oliver,  Hutson,  Tarbol  W.,  Henry  R.,  and 
Martha. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  for 
whom  he  «as  named,  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1783. 
He  went  to  Ohio  in  a  ver}"  earl3'  day,  crossing  the 
mountains  with  pack  horses.  He  served  in  the 
War  of  1812  as  a  substitute  and  received  forty 
acres  of  land  in  return  for  liis  services.  This  was 
in  Ripley  County,  Ind.,  whither  he  moved,  farming 
there  and  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  Still 
later  he  came  to  Vermilion  County,  111.,  and  after 
sojourning  there  about  thirty  years,  removed  to 
Oregon  near  Vancouver.  He  died  there  during 
the  Civil  War  at  the  age  of  about  four-.=core.  He 
was  a  very  energetic  man,  and  therefore  prospered, 
becoming  a  large  landowner.  He  used  to  haul 
wheat  from  Danville,  111.,  to  Chicago,  for  seventy- 
live  cents  per  bushel.  In  politics  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat and  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  tiie  Baptist 
Church.  They  reared  a  large  family,  comprising 
six  sons  and  four  daughters.  Grandmother  Martin 
also  lived  to  be  quite  aged. 


RS.  SARAH  J. (HOWELL)  SMITH.  Among 
the  native-born  citizens  of  Calhoun  County 
none  are  more  deserving  of  representation 
in  a  work  of  this  nature  than  Mrs.  Smith, 
vrhose  birthi)lace  was  in  Belleview  Precinct.  Her 
fatlier,  it  is  thought  was  a  native  of  Missouri.  His 
father,  John  Howell,  was  a  Virginian,  residino-  in 
the  earlier  part  of  his  life  near  Richmond.  He  was 
there  married,  and  removed  to  Missouri  at  an  early 
d.'y  in  the  settlement  of  that  Territory,  corainsr 
from  there  to  what  is  now  Calhoun  Count}',  in  the 
'20s.  He  located  in  what  is  now  Belleview  Pre- 
cinct, and  on  the  line  of  Pikf  County,  being  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  that  section  of  country.  He  bought 
a  "squatter's"  claim,  and  entered  a  tract  of  Govern- 
ment land  which  he  cleared  and  improved  into  a 
f.irm.      Although    residing    on   several    different 


places,  he  remained  in  tlie  same  precinct  until  his 
death  at  eighty-eigiit  years  of  age. 

William  Howell,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Smith,  came 
to  Calhoun  County  when  a  young  man,  but  re- 
turned to  Missouri  for  a  wife,  being  married  in 
Cape  Girardeau  County,  to  Elizabeth  Bailey,  a  na- 
tive of  that  State.  Coming  again  to  Illinois,  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land  in  Belleview  Precinct  which 
was  part  prairie  and  part  timber,  and  built  the  log 
house  in  which  our  subject  was  born.  He  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  keeping  a  general  store 
for  a  few  years,  then  resumed  farming,  and  re- 
mained a  resident  of  the  same  precinct  until  his 
death  which  occurred  in  1852.  His  wife,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  died  in  1845.  Mrs.  Smith  was  the 
eldest  of  their  family  of  six  children,  the  others,  be- 
ing— Julia  Ann,  Lovina  Caroline,  John,  William 
H.  H.,  and  Mary  Ann.  Of  these  Mrs.  Smith,  Caro- 
line, and  Mary  are  all  that  survive. 

In  those  early  days  the  cooking  was  all  done  at 
the  open  fireplace,  and  the  mother  of  the  household 
S|)un  and  wove  the  material  for  the  clothes  of  her 
family.  There  were  no  outside  amusements,  and 
but  scant  tidings  of  the  doings  of  the  busy  world 
reached  the  cabins  of  the  pioneers,  but  as  a  com- 
pensation tliP}'  were  not  troubled  about  the  changes 
in  fashion,  or  the  isms  and  ologies  which  now  vex 
the  spirits  of  their  descendants. 

I'pon  being  weaned  from  her  mother's  l)reast, 
Mrs.  Smith,  who  was  a  mere  infant,  was  taken  by 
her  paternal  grandparents  with  whom  she  remained 
until  her  marriage,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  >-ears,  to 
Wallace  Joslyn.  Mr.  Josyln  was  the  son  of  John 
P.  and  Sarah  Joslyn,  whu  were  pioneers  of  Calhoun 
Count}',  where  he  was  rea)ed  on  a  farm.  Afierhis 
marriage  he  went  to  Missouri,  and  soon  returned 
and  settled  u|)on  land  which  had  been  given  his 
wife  by  her  grandfather.  In  1852  Mr.  Joslyn  fol- 
lowed the  tide  of  emigration  which  was  flowing  to- 
ward the  gold  fields  of  California,  taking  a  drove  of 
cattle  across  the  plains.  In  that  jjeriod  of  rough 
and  dangerous  travel,  many  a  man  was  lost  sight  of 
forever,  and  such  luoved  to  be  the  case  with  Mr. 
Josl}-n,  who  never  returned  from  his  perilous  jour- 
ney. 

In  1859  tlie  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to 
Augustus  Smith.     Mr.  Smith  was  born   in    Hardin 


^^^c^^  (]/ lUi. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


235 


Precinct,  Callioun  CounU'.  in  1828,  and  was  the 
srventli  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Pollie  Smith,  who 
were  among  the  early  settlers  here.  He  inherited 
tlie  home  farm  and  spent  his  entire  life  here,  pass- 
injj;  awaj'  iu  Febrnary  1888.  He  was  an  industri- 
ous thrifty  man,  who  was  higlily  respected  by  all 
who  knevv  him.  The  farm  vvliieh  Mrs.  Sraitii  still 
occupies  and  manages  with  mucli  skill,  comprises 
one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  good  land  well-im- 
jjroved.  Mrs.  Smitli  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episco|jal  Church,  as  was  her  husband. 

By  lier  first  marriage,  j\Irs.  .Smith  became  the 
niotlier  of  two  children,  one  living :  Sarah  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  C.  W.  Squier,  wliose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  Mr.  Smith  was  also  twice 
married,  one  soi\  Andrew  J.,  being  the  result  of  his 
first  marriage.  lie  married  Mrs.  Sophronia  Naren, 
and  died  in  Bachtown  in  1882. 


CHARLES  C.  ROHNING,  M.  D.     Calhoun 
County    has  its  fair   share    of    skillful  and 


■educated  professional  men,  but  none  more 
thoroughly  versed  than  Dr.  Rohning  of  Brussels. 
Tiie  profession  wliich  he  chose  is  one  in  which 
several  of  liis  ancestors  won  renown  and  he  has  in- 
herited the  scientific  tastes  and  practical  skill  which, 
backed  by  thorough  scliooling,  have  led  to  liis  own 
high  standing.  Among  tlie  people  of  Brussels  and 
vicinity  lie  is  exceedingly  popular  and  no  medical 
man  in  this  section  is  more  iiiglily  spoken  of  on  all 
sides.  We  invite  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  his 
portrait  on  tlie  ojiposite  page. 

In  glancing  over  the  ancestral  history  of  Dr. 
Rohning's  family  we  find  Heinrieh  Rolining,  who 
was  born  in  Berlin,  was  graduated  from  a  medical 
college  in  Paris  and  located  for  practice  in  Got- 
tingen,  German}'.  This  city  was  the  birthplace  of 
the  next  three  generations  of  tlie  family.  Follow- 
ing Heinrieh  was  Samuel  who  was  graduated  from 
the  King's  I'niversitj'  at  Berlin  when  twenty-five 
years  old  and  practiced  medicine  in  his  native  place, 
during  tlie  remainder  of  his  life.  The  next  in  the 
diiect  line  was  Joseph  who,  after  studying  with  his 
fathii-.  was  graduated  from  the  same  college  at  the 


age  of  twenty-three  years.  He  also  returned  to 
Gottingen  to  practice  and  is  still  living  there,  hav- 
ing now  reached  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  two 
years.  Joseph  Rohning  married  Ernestina  Freund- 
lich,  a  native  of  the  same  city  as  himself,  who  vvas 
removed  by  death  in  1847.  Tliey  reared  two  chil- 
dren, Gottlieb  and  Charles  C,  the  elder  of  whom 
now  lives  in  Zellc,  Hanover,  [uacticing  the  profes- 
sion whicli  seems  liereditary  in  the  family.  This 
Dr.  Rohning  was  graduated  from  the  Hanover 
Medical  College  in  Gottingen,  also  the  King's  Uni- 
versity. 

Dr.  C.  C.  Rohning  of  wliom  we  write,  was  born 
in  Gottingen,  in  tiie  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  Ger- 
many, March  8,  1843.  He  received  his  classical 
education  in  tlie  famous  schools  of  his  niitivc  city, 
and  began  tlie  study  of  medicine  with  his  father 
when  but  fifteen  years  old.  Three  years  later  he 
entered  the  King's  University  at  Berlin,  from 
wliicli  he  was  graduated  in  his  twenty-second  year. 
His  fatiier  has  been  Regimental  Surgeon  upwards 
of  fortj'  years  and  during  the  war  between  Austria 
and  Prussia  in  1866,  our  subject  accompanied  him 
to  the  front  as  Assistant  Surgeon. 

On  the  12th  of  October,  1869,  Dr.  Rohning  set 
sail  from  Hamburg  with  the  intention  of  founding 
a  liome  in  tlie  United  States.  He  landed  at  Castle 
(larden,  N.  Y.,  October  26,  and  at  once  located  in 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  After  practicing  in  that  city  seven 
years  he  removed  to  Kansas  City  wherein  he  so- 
journed five  years,  then  went  to  Orange  County, 
Tex.  In  1887  by  tiie  express  wisli  of  the  people  of 
Brussels  lie  came  here  to  practice,  and  aitiiough  his 
field  of  labor  is  not  perhaps  as  grand  a  one  as  lifc 
would  have  in  a  metropolis,  he  is  doing  great  good 
and  securing  llie  admiration  and  love  of  the  people. 
Tlie  marriage  of  Dr.  Rohning  and  Miss  Dora 
Rolining,  a  native  of  Hermann,  Mo.,  was  solemnized 
at  the  bride's  home  January  26,  1882.  Her  parents. 
Christian  and  Lizzie  Rohning,  were  b(ini  in 
Luckau,  Hanover,  and  died  in  Missouri.  Doctor 
and  Mrs.  Rohning  belong  to  the  Evangelical  Luth- 
eran Church  at  Brussels.  Mrs.  Rohning  is  an 
intelligent,  amiable  woman,  thoroughly  versed  in 
the  housewifely  arts  for  which  the  women  of  her 
race  are  noted,  and  imbued  with  a  kindly  benevo- 
lent spirit  that  makes  her  useful  wherever  woman's 


236 


PORTRAIT  AND  lilOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


sympatiiy  is  neederl.  Dr.  Rolininglis  de-*cenflcrl 
from  a  long-lived  race.  His  piternal  graiiilfatlicr 
lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  seven  j-oars 
and  tbe  wife  of  that  gentleman,  formerly  Henrietta 
Saehs.  died  when  one  hundred  and  four  years  old. 
at  which  age  she  could  thread  a  needle  without  the 
use  of  glasses. 


•Kg?SS' 


*tT|U^ENRY  B.  ATKINSON.  Perhaps  no  resi- 
Y  dent  in  New  Canlon.  Pike  County,  has  been 
more  closely    identified    with  the    business 

(^  life  of  that  'hriving  town  during  the  past 
few  years  than  the  gentleman  above-named.  He  is 
a  druggist,  and  also  engaged  in  the  sale  of  grocer- 
ies and  hardware,  and  brings  lo  bear  upon  his  busi- 
ness affairs  the  experience  gained  in  mercantile 
pursuits  during  former  years,  and  the  keen  tact  and 
acumen  v^iiich  are  his  by  inheritance.  His  business 
establisiiinents  are  taslefull}'  arranged,  well  stocked 
with  carefully-selected  goods,  and  conducted  ac- 
cording to  the  most  honorable  and  enterprising 
methods.  The  proprietor  is  therefore  carrying  on 
a  successful  trade  in  the  various  departments,  and 
securing  an  increase  in  patronage  from  3'car  to 
year. 

Before  briefly  noting  the  life  histor}-  of  Mr.  At- 
kinson, a  few  words  regarding  his  progenitors  will 
not  be  amiss.  His  father,  JJuddle  H.  Atkinson,  was 
born  in  New  Jersey,  and  removed  to  Pike  County, 
HI.,  in  1846,  locating  in  Pittsfitld.  He  was  a  mer- 
chant tailor,  a  banker,  and  interested  in  various 
other  kinds  of  business  for  many  years,  becoming 
well  and  favorably  known  in  commercial  and  social 
circles.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business  en- 
terprises, enjoying  case  and  comfort  in  the  county 
seat.  He  was  bereft  of  his  faithful  companion,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Harriet  Morgan,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  that  State  became  a 
wife.  Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Atkinson,  named  respectively :  Richard  M.,  Sarah 
A.,  Henry,  Mary  E.,  Amelia  L.,  Harriet  C,  Emma 
and  George  M.  All  are  still  living  but  Richard, 
wlio  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  onr  readers  as 
!Ui  etflcient  County  Judge  during  several  years. 


The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo..  July  2'J,  1842.  He  was  but  four  years  old 
when^he  began  bis^residence  in  Pike  County.  His 
early  school  daj's  were  spent  in  private  schools,  and 
most  of  his  education  was  obtained  before  he  en- 
tered the  public  schools.  After  his  school  d.ays 
were  over  he  remained  on  a  farm  for  a  time,  then 
went  into  a  store  with  his  father  as  a  clerk.  He 
was  first  employed  in  the  sale  of  drugs,  and  after 
becoming  conversant  with  the  business,  entered  the 
dry-goods  store  in  which  he  remained  until  Et. 
Sumter  was  fired  upon.  His  loyalty  was  such 
that  he  was  not  content  with  a  merchant's  calling, 
and  in  1861  he  became  a  member  of  Company  K, 
Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry.  The  enrollment  was 
for  a  short  i)eriod,  and  finding  tliat  the  war  was 
likely  to  continue,  young  Atkinson  again  enlisted 
in  August,  1862,  on  this  occasion  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  G,  Ninety-nintli  Illinois  Infantry. 

The  first  rank  reached  by  Mr.  Atkinson  was  that 
of  Second  Sergeant,  and  the  next  that  of  Orderlj- 
Sergeant.  On  January  31,  1863,  he  took  his  place 
among  the  commissioned  officers  as  a  First  Lieuten- 
ant, from  which  time  he  had  command  of  the  com- 
pany. He  received  his  _  Captain's  [commission 
November  22,  1864,  but  on  account  of  the  consoli- 
dation of  regiments,  was  not  sworn  lin  as>ucli.  The 
more  important  engagements  in  which  he  took  part 
were  at  Magnolia  Hills,  Champion  Hills,  Edward's 
Station,  Black  River  Bridge,  the  charge  and  siege' 
of  Vicksburg,  followed  by  a  march  to  Louisiana, 
an  engagement  at  Ft.  Esperanza,  and  a  winter  spent 
in  Indianola,  Tex.  StilUlater^in  the  war  he  was 
present  at  Spanish  Fort  and  Ft.  Blakeley.  During 
the  intervals  that  elapsed  between  these  well-known 
contests,  Mr.  Atkinson  performed  the  usual  amount 
of  camp  duty,  took  part  in  skirmishes  and  scouting 
expeditions,  and  aided  in  the  work  which  was  as 
much  needed,  though  not  as  exciting  or  conspicu- 
ous as  that  of  the  bloody  battles.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  of  theiscrvice  at  Baton  Rouge,  July  31. 
1865,  paid  off  and  honorably  discharged  at  Spring- 
field in  August. 

Capt.  Atkinson  at  once  returned  to  his  old  home 
and  soon  afterward  engaged  in  the  sale  of  hard- 
ware, stoves  and  furniture,  continuing  the  business 
until  the  spiing  of  1876  when  he  removed  to  New 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


237 


Canton,  ami  tmbarkcd  in  his  present  enterprise. 
Besides  liis  possessions  in  stock  and  store  fittings, 
Mr.  Atkinson  is  interested  in  ths  Sny  Island  J^cvee 
District,  where  lie  and  his  father  own  two  thousand 
acres,  and  where  the\'  had  five  hundred  acres  of 
wiieat  this  season.  Our  sulijectis  Treasurer  of  the 
district. 

At  the  he.ad  of  tiie  household  economy  in  Mr.  At- 
kinson's pleasant  abode,  is  a  lady  who  became  his 
wife  May  12,  1868,  prior  to  which  time  she  was 
known  as  Miss  Orpha  Witt.  She  was  born  in 
Woodstock,  Vt.,  in  February,  1844,  received  an  ex- 
cellent education  in  the  schools  of  her  native  place, 
and  came  to  this  State  in  the  fall  of  1860.  Her 
father  died  in  the  Green  Mountain  State  many  3'ears 
ago.  Her  mother,  Marinda  Witt,  is  still  living,  and 
is  deaf  and  dumb,  the  affliction  having  been  caused 
by  a  fever  and  dating  from  her  second  year.  Mrs. 
Witt  has  one  son.  Frank,  wlio  is  living  in  Colorado. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  four  children  have 
come,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancj'.  The  surviv- 
ors are  Fanny  M.,  Lau  a  E.,  and  Kicliard  M. 

Mr.  Atkinson  is  quite  a  politician,  giving  his  ad- 
herence to  the  principles  of  Democrac}-.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  from 
1884  to  1890,  and  Chairman  of  the  Board  during 
the  last  two  years.  He  w.as  Town  Clerk  in  Pitts- 
field  one  vear,  and  has  been  Clerk  of  Pleasant  Vale 
Township  a  twelvemonth.  He  belongs  to  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America,  to  the  Grand  Array  of 
the  Re|>ublic,  and  is  a  Mason  in  high  standing.  He 
and  his  wife  are  considered  great  .additions  to  the 
social  circles  of  New  Canton,  and  are  looked  upon 
with  much  respect  by  their  many  acquaintances. 


flLLIAM  H.  GAY.  a  veteran  of  the  late 
'/'  war,  is  a  prominent  farmer  and  exten- 
^/  sive  landowner  in  Atlas  Township,  Pike 
County.  He  was  born  in  Pike  County  March  2, 
1840,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Gay,  of  whom  a 
sketch  appears  in  this  volume.  Our  subject  spent 
his  early  youth  in  .attendance  at  the  old  log  school- 
hiiiisis  with  open  fireplaces,  slab  benches  and  other 
rude    furnishings,  and   when  not  going  to  school 


he  worked  on  his  father's  farm.  He  had  tlie  ad- 
vantage of  attending  the  High  School  at  I'ittslield 
one  term,  where  he  pursued  an  excellent  course 
of  study.  He  taught  school  in  the  winter  of  1859-60. 

The  breaking  out  of  the  war  turned  our  suliject's 
attention  from  the  vocation  that  he  hail  been  pur- 
suing to  thoughts  of  his  country  and  the  tleter- 
minaticni  to  enlist  and  help  to  save  the  honor  of 
the  old  Hag.  He  was  among  the  first  to  volun- 
teer, and  in  the  spring  of  1861  offered  his  services 
for  three  years,  and  on  May  24,  1861,  wss  sworn 
into  the  United  States  service  at  Quiney,  III.,  as 
a  member  of  Company  K,  Sixteenth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. On  June  12,  1861,  his  regiment  moved  to 
Hannibal.  Mo.,  and  spent  the  season  along  the 
Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad.  In  the  month  of 
Februaiy,  18G2,  it  was  sent  to  Bird's  Point,  5Io., 
and  soon  after  joined  Gen.  Pope  at  New  Madriil. 
Mo.,  and  assisted  in  capturing  that  place  together 
with  the  rebel  forces  of  Island  No.  10,  Tijiton- 
ville.  The  Sixteenth  Illinois  received  considerable 
distinction  for  the  part  it  took  in  the  capture  of 
Island  No.  10,  and  had  been  noticed  for  its  gallant 
conduct  in  some  skirmishes  previous  to  that  event. 

On  July  10,  at  Monroe  Station,  our  subject's 
regiment  was  attacked  by  sixteen  hundred  mounted 
rebels,  and  August  20  marched  to  Kirksville  in 
pursuit  of  Gen.  Green,  and  had  some  engagements 
with  bushwh.ackers  on  the  way.  While  at  Salt  River 
Bridge  Gen.  Grant  passed  with  the  Twenty-first  Illi- 
nois, of  which  he  was  then  Colonel.  September  1 1 
the  Sixteenth  Illinois  had  a  skirmish  at  Platte 
City,  Mo.,  and  January  27  was  ordered  to  Bird's 
Point.  While  there  our  subject  and  his  comrades 
had  an  eng.agement  with  the  rebel  cavalry,  and 
March  3  were  dispatched  to  New  Madrid,  where 
they  were  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Mississippi, 
the  Second  Brigade  under  Col.  .Alorgan  and  the 
First  Division  commanded  b}-  Col.  E.  A.  Paine. 

On  the  eve  of  March  12  the  Tenth  and  Sixteenth 
Illinois  regiments  were  thrown  forward  to  erect 
earthworks  to  mount  four  heavy  guns  within 
half  a  mile  of  Clie  enemy's  works.  The  foUowin"- 
morning  the  battle  of  New  Madri<l  was  fought,  .Mr. 
Gay's  regiment  supporting  the  siege  guns,  and  at 
night  the  enemy;left  the  Union  army  in  possession 
of  the  fort.     April  7  the  Federal  army  crossed  the 


238 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mississippi  River  and  followeii  tlie  enemy  to  Tip- 
tonville,  vvliere  it  captuierl  five  thousand  prisoners, 
a  large  amount  of  artillery  and  some  ammunition. 

April  9  tiie  .Sixtecntli  Illinois  went  down  the 
river  with  a  gunboat  fleet,  but  was  recalled  to  re- 
inforce Gen.  Grant  at  Shiloh  or  Corinth.  The 
men  arrived  at  Hamburo-  April  22,  in  season  to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  siege  of  Corinth,  and 
also  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Farinington  and  in  all 
the  battles  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army.  After  the 
evacuation  of  Corinth  they  followed  the  retreating 
enemy  to  Booneville  and  June  12  returned  to  Big 
Springs.  There  our  su))ject  first  saw  Gen.  Slieridan, 
who  was  then  Lieutenant  Colonel.  .Tuly  lU  the 
regiment  marched  to  Tuscurabia,  Ala.,  and  Sep- 
tember 15  arrived  at  Nashville,  Tcnn.,  after  seven- 
teen daj's'  march  with  almost  continuous  guerrilla 
warfare,  in  which  Mr.  Gay  was  shot  in  the  right 
arm.  the  ball  grazing  the  bone.  The  regiment  did 
garrison  duty  at  Edgefield,  Tcnn.,  and  was  set  to 
g'.iard  the  railway  bridges.  It  was  attacked  there 
Nuveinber  5  by  Gen.  Morgan  and  repulsed  him, 
the  loss  of  our  men  being  one  killed  and  five 
tt'ounded,  while  the  enemy  left  many  dead  and 
wounded  on  the  battle-field.  Mr.  Gay  and  his 
comrades  remained  there  until  Jul3',  1863,  and 
then  inarched  to  Murfreesboro,  where  they  re- 
mained one  month  and  then  went  to  Columbia, 
Teiui.,  and  Athens,  and  also  to  Huntsville  and 
Stephenson,  Ala.  From  the  latter  place  the^'  made 
!i  forced  march  to  Bridgeport,  where  they  did 
guard  duty,  and  September  19  our  subject  acted 
as  guard  on  a  train  that  ran  into  Chattanooga, 
and  then  returned  to  Bridgeport. 

September  30  the  stores  blew  up  at  Briilgeport, 
and  fourteen  men  were  killed  by  the  explosion. 
Mr.  Gay  was  wounded  in  the  left  hand.  All  the 
touts  except  his  were  burned.  He  was  stunned  at 
the  time  and  when  he  recovered  his  senses  found  a 
comrade  outside  of  his  tent  with  a  leg  broken  by 
a  shell  exploding  and  the  tent  all  afire.  He  seized 
his  comrade  and  carried  him  out  of  danger,  ex- 
tinguishing the  flames  that  threatened  his  life. 
Early  in  October,  1863,  Mr.  Gay  and  his  fellow- 
soldiers  marched  up  to  Anderson  (iap,  where  Ihey 
were  transferred  to  the  Urst  Brigade,  Second  Di- 
vision, Fourteenth   Army  Corps,  under  Gen.  J.  D. 


Morgan,  Gen.  Jefferson  C.  Davis  being  the  Di- 
vision Commander,  and  Gen.  Palmer  being  the 
Corps  Commander.  They  were  dispatched  to 
AValdron's  Ridge  and  guarded  a  line  of  transporta- 
tion up  the  Tennessee  River,  being  nearly  con- 
stantly engaged  in  picket  firing  along  the  Tennessee 
with  the  rebels  for  two  weeks.  From  there  they 
went  to  Kelley's  Ferry,  and  er  gaged  in  unloading 
rations  from  the  boats  and  sending  them  to  Thomas' 
army  at  Chattano(>ga.  From  December  20  to  De- 
cember 31  the  regiment  re-enlisted  as  veterans. 
Our  subject  did  not  re-enlist,  however,  but  was 
transferred  to  Company  I,  Sistietli  Illinois  In- 
fantr\',  and  with  that  regiment  eiigaged  in  the 
the  battle  at  Dalton,  and  was  with  it  at  Tunnel 
Hill,  Ringgold  and  Buzzard's  Roost,  where  he  was 
sliglitl}'  wounded  in  the  left  arm.  Soon  after  he 
was  vaccinateil  in  the  right  arm  with  impure  vac- 
cine, and  was  laid  up  from  the  effects  of  it  iu  the 
regimental  hospital.  He  was  sent  from  there  to  the 
brigade  hospital,  thence  to  the  hospital  at  Chatta- 
nooga, and  from  there  to  Lookout  Mountain, 
where  he  was  discharged  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service,  still  suffering  from  his  arm.  He 
received  his  discharge  papers  at  Chattanooga,  June 
12,  1864,  having  served  long  and  faithfnll}-  and 
won  a  war  record  that  reflects  credit  on  the  sol- 
diery of  his  native  State. 

After  his  experience  of  military  life  our  subject 
resumed  his  professional  work  as  a  school  teacher 
and  taught  north  of  Jacksonville  that  winter.  In 
the  spring  of  1865  he  began  farming  at  Atlas 
Township,  and  gave  his  attention  to  stock-raising, 
teaching  in  the  winter,  teaching  his  last  term  in 
the  winter  of  1866.  He  bought  his  first  land  in 
1869.  comprising  part  of  his  present  place  on  sec- 
tion 9,  Atlas  Township.  He  now  owns  one  thou- 
sand acres  and  more  of  choice  farming  land,  of 
which  four  hundred  and  eight}-  acres  are  in  the 
rich  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  lying  near 
Scott's  Landing.  His  home  place  comprises  five 
hundred  and  fifty -seven  acres,  all  under  excellent 
till.ageand  yielding  fine  harvests.  Mr.  Gaj-  farms 
quite  extensively  and  raises  many  cattle,  sheep  and 
horses.  He  built  his  present  neat  frame  house  in 
1877,  at  a  cost  of  $1,000,  and  has  other  necessary 
buildings.     In  his   politics   Mr.  Gay    is   a  firm  ad- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


239 


herenl  of  the  Republican  party,  and  his  course 
(luring  and  since  the  war  has  ever  shown  him  to 
be  a  true,  loyal  and  public-spirited  citizen. 

To  the  lad}'  who  presides  over  his  pleasant  home 
our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  October  23, 
1867.  Mrs.  Gay's  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Sliinn.  the  daughter  of  William  Shinn.  She  was 
born  on  the  19th  of  October.  1847.  Five  chil- 
dren, one  daughter  and  four  sons,  have  come 
of  tlie  happy  wedded  life  of  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  wliom  they  have  named:  !Maj-,  Palmer  D., 
Charles  L..  William  W.  and  Fred  S. 

— ^3.^ ^ 


"jf)OHN  B.  CHAMBERLIN,  the  well-known 
'  proprietor  of  a  large  and  handsomely  fittefl 
up  clothing  store  in  Barry,  Pilvc  County, 
carrying  a  large  stock  of  gentlemen's  fur- 
nishing goods,  boots,  shoes,  etc.,  is  one  of  the 
most  enter[)i'ising'  and  wide-awake  business  men  in 
this  county.  A  native  of  Oliio,  lie  was  born  in 
Darrtown,  Butler  County,  May  11,  1832.  His 
father,  Aaron  Ciiamberlin,  was  born  in  Monmouth 
County,  N.  J.,  in  1787.  His  father,  also  named 
Aaron,  was  a  gallant  soldier  in  the  Revolution, 
and  fought  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  After  tiiat 
he  owned  a  farm  near  the  battle-Deld,  where  he 
spent  the  remaimler  of  a  long  life,  dying  at  the 
ripe  old  age  of  ninety-four  years. 

The  fatlier  of  our  subject  went  to  Ohio  and  was 
married  in  that  State  to  Rachael  Hryanl,  a  native 
of  Butler  County.  Her  father  was  a  pioneer  of 
that  part  of  Ohio.  Mr.  Charal)erliii  worked  at 
the  wagonraaker's  trade  in  Darrtown  until  1835, 
when  he  again  became  a  jjioneer,  coming  with  his 
wife  and  five  chihlren  to  tlie  wilds  of  Illinois, 
making  the  journey  by  the  way  of  the  Ohio,  Mis- 
sissippi and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Phillip's  Ferry,  and 
thence  to  El  Dara  Township.  He  had  previously 
visited  this  county  and  had  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  in  that  place,  of  which  twelve  or  fifteen  acres 
were  cleared  and  the  remainder  was  wild  prairie 
and  timber.  He  and  his  family  moved  into  the 
log  cabin  that  stood  there,  and  he  resided  there 
until  his  death  in  18o0,  he  falling  a  victim  to  the 


cholera.  His  widow  continued  to  live  on  the 
home  farm  until  her  death  in  1888.  She  i  eared 
four  children  to  good  and  useful  lives:  Alfred, 
James  W.,  .lohn,  and  Lydia  (now  INIrs.  Martin). 
The  father  of  our  subject  had  one  son  by  a  former 
marriage  named  William. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  three  years  old  when 
his  parents  brought  him  to   Pike  County,  and   his 
education  was  conducted  in  the  [irimitive   schools 
of  those  days  taught  in  a  log  cabin.    He  was  reared 
amid   pioneer  scenes,  and   as  wild  game  was  then 
very   plentiful  as  soon  as  he  was   large  enough    to 
handle  a  gun   he  roamed   through   the  woods  and 
over  the  wild    piairie  and  brought  down  many  a 
deer  within  the  confines  of   his  county.     In   1848 
he  entered  upon  the   work   which   was  to  prepare 
him   for  his  after  mercantile   career,  commencing 
to  clerk  in  a  general  store  at  that  time  at  Rockport. 
In  18.30  Mr.  Chamberlin  accompanied  his  father 
on  a  visit  to  the  latter's  old   home  in  New  Jersey. 
They  took  the  must  convenient  route  at  that  time, 
going  by  the  Illinois,  Mississippi   and  Oliio  Rivers 
to   Cincinnati,    and  thence    by   rail    to    Sandusky 
City,  where  they  arrived  Saturday  eviening.     The 
regular   packet   which  they   intended   to  take  did 
not  leave  port  till   Monday.     Our  subject  and  his 
father  were  met  at  the  station    by  a  man    who  was 
soliciting  travelers  to  take  passage  on   a  boat  that 
was  to  leave  Sandusky  that  night.     A  lady  named 
Br.adley  was    traveling  with  them^   and  she   being 
very  tired,  desired  to  wait   till  Monday,  and   they 
did  so.     Sunday  they  received  the  news  of  the  loss 
of  the  boat  on  which  they  had  been  urged  to  take 
passage,  with  all    on   board,   and    they    felt    very 
thankful  that  they   had    been    saved   from   a    like 
fate  by  staying  with  their  friend.     Monday  morn- 
ing they    resumed   their  journey    on  a    packet  to 
Buffalo,  and    thence   went    by  rail    to    New  York 
City,  and  finally  arrived  at  their  destination.     On 
their  rctuin  trip  Mr.   Chambeilin   and    his  father 
came  by  the  waj-  of  the    lake  from   Buffalo  to  De- 
troit, and  thence  by  rail  .across  the  St.ate  of  Michi- 
gan, and  from  Ne^v  Bufl:alo  across  Lake   Michigan 
to  Chicago,  from   there  by  canal  to  La  Salle,  and 
thence  by  the  Illinois  River  home. 

Our  subject  continued  clerking  about  four  years 
and  w.as  thus    well    fitted    to  enter   uiion    an    inde- 


240 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


pendent  career  as  a  merchant  in  Rockport.  In 
1858  he  came  to  Bariy  and  established  himself  in 
business  here  in  a  rented  building  with  a  small 
stocii  of  ready  made  clothing.  From  that  small 
begiiining  has  sprung  up  his  present  large  and 
flourisliing  business.  In  1881  Mr.  Chamberlin 
erected  liis  present  building,  a  handsome  two- 
story  brieii  structure,  with  a  frontage  of  thirty- 
one  feet  and  extending  baciv  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet.  Here  in  this  ample  building  he  has 
a  perfectly  fitted  up  eslablishinent,  in  which  he 
carries  n  large  and  complete  stock  of  clothing  and 
gentlemen's  furnishing  goods,  boots,  shoes,  etc..  he 
iiaving  liere  as  complete  an  assortment  as  can  be 
found  ill  many  a  store  in  a  metropolitan  city.  He 
is  always  at  tlie  front  with  the  latest  and  the  best, 
and  thus  serves  the  home  trade  with  the  most 
fasiiionable  and  stylish  goods  to  be  found  in  the 
market.  Our  subject  has  been  in  business  in  Barry 
for  the  past  thirty-two  years  without  a  partner, 
and  has  not  missed  being  in  liis  store  one  .Satur- 
day, a  year  in  that  time. 

Mr.  Cliamherlin  and  Miss  Martha  E.  Rush 
were  wedded  in  185-t,  and  they  liave  one  of  tiie 
most  beautiful  homes  in  Barry  in  tlie  southern 
I)art  of  the  city.  They  have  two  children  living, 
Eugenie  and  Albert.  Freddie,  their  second  child, 
died  at  the  age  of  five  j'ears. 


AJ.  EDWIN  A.  CRANDALL,  Mayor  of 
Barry,  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
of  Pike  Count}',  prominently  connected 
with  the  grocery  trade,  and  has  done  as 
much  as  any  man  to  promote  its  commerce  and 
manufactures  and  its  financial  standing.  He  was 
a  distinguished  officer  in  the  late  war,  in  which  he 
rendered  the  Government  valuable  service,  and  lie 
has  been  no  less  conspicuous  in  the  public  life  of 
this  conntj. 

Maj.  Crandali  was  born  in  the  town  of  Berlin, 
Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  August  18,  1836.  His 
father,  Joshua  Crandali,  was  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  was  of  New  England  antecedents.  He  was  a 
son  of  Joseph  Crandali,  who  removed  from  Rhode 


Island  to  New  York,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Berlin.  He  remained  a  resident  of  the  Empire 
State  until  his  death,  spending  his  last  years  at 
Prattsburg. 

The  father  of  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of 
a  hatter,  and  also  of  a  tanner  and  shoemaker.  He 
lived  in  Berlin  until  1839,  when  he  too  became  a 
pioneer,  emigrating  to  this  State  with  his  wife  and 
six  children.  They  came  by  the  way  of  the  Erie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  where  the}'  embarked  on  Lake 
Erie  and  sailed  to  Cleveland  and  then  crossed  the 
State  of  Ohio  and  traveled  on  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi Rivers  to  Illinois.  They  located  at  Barry, 
which  was  then  a  small  village,  where  the  father 
was  engaged  in  business  at  his  trades  as  long  as  his 
health  would  permit,  and  he  then  lived  retired 
until  his  death  in  1866.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Fannie  Burdick,  and  she  was  also  a  native 
of  New  York.  Her  death  occurred  here  in  1865. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  reared  eight  children, 
named  Frances,  Melissa,  Elizabeth,  Harriet,  Joseph, 
Edwin  A.,  Frederick  and  Emma. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  but  three  years  old 
when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Illinois.  His 
early  education  was  received  in  the  pioneer  school 
of  Barry,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  jears  he  en- 
tered upon  his  mercantile  career  as  a  clerk  in  a 
general  store.  He  carefullv  saved  all  that  he 
could  of  his  salary,  as  he  was  ambitious  to  obtain 
money  to  further  bis  education,  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years  he  was  enabled  to  enter  Shurtliff  Col- 
lege, where  he  pursued  a  fine  course  of  studj-.  On 
his  return  from  college  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  Lewis  Angle,  buying  the  interest  of  B.  D. 
Brown  in  a  mercantile  and  pork  packing  business, 
and  conducting  it  under  the  firm  name  of  Angle  cfe 
Crandali.  They  continued  together  three  years 
and  then  both  sold  out,  and  our  subject  went  to 
Washington,  D.  C,  to  become  a  student  at  Colurn- 
lia  College,  and  at  the  same  time  read  law  with 
Mr.  Baxter,   former  Alt(nney-General  of  Virginia. 

In  1859,  having  completed  his  studies,  our  sub- 
ject returned  from  Washington  to  Bai-ry,  formed  a 
new  partnership  with  Mr.  Angle,  and  they  carried 
on  a  general  merchandising  and  pork  packing  busi- 
ness until  1862.  Our  subject  then  sold  liis  interest 
in  that  concern,  and  la3'ing  aside  all  personal   aims 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


241 


and  ambitions  offered  his  services  to  tiie  Govern- 
ment to  aiil  in  cnrryino;  on  the  war.  He  lielped  to 
raise  a  companj'  of  volunteers,  which  was  desig- 
nated as  Company  D,  Ninetj'-ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, a.d  he  was  apjiointed  its  Major  by  Gov. 
Yates,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Springfield.  He 
inmicdiately  went  to  the  front  with  his  regiment, 
going  first  to  Missouri,  and  took  part  tiiere  in  the 
battle  of  Ilartville  and  in  several  skirmishes.  Fronit 
Missouri  be  was  ordered  to  Milliken's  Bend  with 
his  men  to  join  Grant's  command,  and  he  took  an 
active  part  in  all  the  battles  fought  by  the  General 
to  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg.  The  Major  was 
then  dispatched  to  New  Orleans  and  thence  to  the 
Tasche  Country,  where  he  lemained  a  few  months. 
Returning  to  New  Orleans  he  went  from  there  to 
the  Rio  Grande  in  Texas,  and  was  stationed  there 
a  few  months.  His  regiment  was  ordered  b.ack  to 
New  Orleans,  and  after  a  short  stay  in  that  city 
went  on  the  Red  River  expedition,  and  was  also  in 
the  Mobile  campaign.  In  November,  1864,  Maj. 
Crandall  resigned  his  commission,  having  won  a 
fine  military  record  for  his  courage,  endurance 
and  capability  during  a  long  and   faithful  service. 

After  he  left  the  army  our  subject  returned 
home,  and  with  others  built  a  woolen  mill  in  Barry 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods. 
He  retained  his  interest  in  the  woolen  mills  eight 
years  and  at  the  same  time  was  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business.  In  1882  he  entered  into  the  bank- 
ing business,  being  associated  with  Benjamin  D. 
Brown,  Eugene  Smith  and  M.  G.  Patterson,  and  is 
still  connected  with  the  bank.  In  1884  the  Major 
was  one  of  the  organizers  <if  the  Barry  Milling 
Companj'.  which  built  the  Barry  Flouring  Mills, 
and  he  is  still  associated  with  the  comi>any.  The 
iirst  two  3'ears  after  he  became  interested  in  the 
bank  be  gave  that  business  his  [icrsonal  attention, 
an  1  after  the  mill  was  completed  gave  his  time  to 
its  mauagenient.  Since  then  he  has  devoted  him- 
self to  the  grocery  business,  and  is  carrying  on  one 
of  the  most  extensive  trades  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  and  has  one  of  the  finest,  best  fitted  and  best 
stocked  establishments  in  the  county. 

Maj.  Crandall  has  been  twice  married.  First  in 
1860,  to  Eliza  F.  Hui't.  a  flaughter  of  Elisha  and 
Jane  Hurt.     Their  wedded    life   though   hapi)y  was 


brief,  as  she  died  in  1867,  leaving  one  daughter, 
Fannie  L.  The  second  marriage  of  our  subject 
took  place  in  1871  with  Miss  Jennie  Gordon,  a  na- 
tive of  New  York  City  and  a  daughter  of  Nathan- 
iel and  Emily  A.  Gordon.  They  have  here  a 
well  appointed  and  attractive  home,  the  centre  of 
of  a  charming  hospitality.  Of  their  pleasant 
wedded  life  one  son  has  been  born,  whom  they 
have  named  Louis. 

A  man  of  a  well-trained,  well-poised  intellect,  of 
marked  enterprise  and  of  good  business  and  execu- 
tive ability,  Maj.  Crandall  has  been  a  prominent 
factor  in  advancing  the  rise  and  growth  of  the  city 
of  Barrj'  in  particular  and  of  Pike  County  gener- 
ally. His  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  the  fact  tli.at 
a  man  of  his  calibre  and  character  is  well  adapted 
to  .administer  public  affairs,  have  often  called  him 
to  important  civic  offices,  and  he  has  represented 
Barry  Township  on  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors, has  served  as  a  member  of  the  City  Board, 
and  for  twelve  years  has  been  a  memlier  of  the 
Board  of  Education.  He  is  now  at  the  head  of  the 
municipal  government  of  Barry,  and  as  its  Mayor 
his  public  spirit  and  liberality  have  greatly  ad- 
vanced its  interests.  In  early  life  our  subject  was 
a  Democrat  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  but  since  then  he  has  been  unswerving  in 
his  allegiance  to  the  Republican   party. 


■•t-^<^<: 


# 


.^p*IIOMAS  N.  HALL,  capitalist  and  retired 
m^^  merchant,  is  a  native  born  citizen  of  Pike 
'^^^  County,  and  is  classed  among  its  men  of 
wealth  and  influence.  His  superior  business  tact 
and  financial  talent  have  been  potent  factors  in 
bringing  about  its  present  prosperity. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Detroit  Township,  Pike 
(lountj',  November  19,  1836.  He  is  a  son  of  one 
of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  countrj', 
Thomas  L.  Hall, who  was  a  native  of  Rowan  County, 
N.  C  where  he  was  born  in  1802,  the  second  son 
of  Joseph  Hall.  The  Halls  were  of  Scotch-Irish  de- 
scent.    Thomas  was  reared  to  the   life  of  a   farmer 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  the  State  of  his  nativity  ami  was  there  marriefi 
ti)  Itliss  Angeliiie  Clemens,  also  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  a  (laiiiihter  of  Peter  Clemens,  who  moved 
to  that  State  from  his  old  home  in  Virginia.  He 
was  a  descendant  of  an  old  English  and  French 
family.  Illustrious  among  his  ancestors  shines  the 
name  of  Gregory  Clemens,  who  lived  in  the  first 
half  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  was  a  contempo- 
rary of  Shakespeare  and  Cromwell  the  Protector  of 
England.  He  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  the 
public  and  political  life  of  the  county,  and  took 
sides  with  the  liberals.  He  was  a  JMinister  to  France 
and  was  a  member  of  Parliament  at  the  lime  of  the 
trial  of  Charles  Isl  and  signe<l  his  death  warrant, 
which  was  executed  January  30,  1649.  Upon  the 
accession  of  Charles  II  to  the  throne  Gregory  Clem- 
ens, with  others  was  tried  as  a  regicide  and  exe- 
cuted, his  property'  being  confis^-ateil  by  the  crown. 
After  his  execution  his  widow  and  children  with  his 
two  brothers  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in 
Virginia.  His  descendants  are  now  scattered  all 
over  the  United  States.  Some  retained  tlie  name  as 
it  was  spelled  in  olden  times  while  oLiiers  spell  the 
name  Clemmous. 

Thomas  L.  Hall  and  his  family  moved  from 
North  Carolina  to  this  State  in  1H30,  and  settled  in 
Detroit  Township,  this  county,  upon  a  tract  of  wild 
land.  He  vigorously  entered  upon  the  pioneer  la- 
bors of  developing  it,  and  in  thoyeais  that  foU^iwed 
improved  it  into  a  valuable  farm,  which  remained 
his  home  until  his  death  in  1872  rounded  out  a  life 
that  was  honoralile  to  himself  and  had  been  useful 
to  the  count}'.  As  a  pioneer  he  had  aided  in  build- 
ing up  this  section  of  the  countr}-,  and  his  name 
will  ever  be  associated  with  the  early  develoimient 
of  Detroit  Township.  His  wife  and  seven  children 
survived  him.  Of  the  latter  there  were  live  sons 
and  two  daughters,  of  whom  six  are  now  living,  as 
follows:  Joseph,  a  resident  of  Milton,  this  county; 
Calvin,  who  occupies  the  old  homestead,  which  his 
father  bought  from  the  Government  sixty  years 
ago;  John,  deceased;  Thomas  N.;  ]\largaret  C, 
the  wife  of  William  McCrudden  of  Nevada,  Mo. ; 
Louesa,  wife  of  Dr.  Thomas  Shastid.  of  Pittsfield; 
and  William  C.  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking 
business  at  Abingdon,  111. 

Our  subject  obtained  the  preliminaries  of  his  edu- 


cation in  the  common  schools  of  Detroit  Township, 
and  afterwards  became  a  student  at  the  Griggsville 
High  .School  where  he  pursued  his  studies  two 
years.  He  subsequently  entered  into  partnership 
with  his  brother-in-law  in  the  marble  business  and 
remained  with  him  from  18G1  until  18G5  when  he 
sold  out.  In  the  month  of  October  the  same^'carhe 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in  Detroit  with 
•William  McCrudden,  and  the}'  remained  together 
until  the  spring  of  1867,  when  they  sold  out.  Our 
subject  then  purchased  a  general  store  there 
where  he  continued  actively  engaged  in  business 
until  1886,  when  he  disposed  of  his  store  in  Jlilton 
and  purchased  in  comi)any  with  Charles  H.  Luthy 
the  Gano  stock  of  goods  at  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Hall  has 
met  with  more  than  ordinar}'  success  and  by  judi- 
cious investments  and  the  careful  management  of 
his  business  affairs  he  has  become  a  large  landed 
proprietor  and  a  man  of  wealth.  He  owns  many 
thousand  acres  of  land,  having  thirteen  hundred 
acres  of  well-improved  land  in  Missouri,  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  choice  tanning  land  in  Pike  County, 
and  nine  thousand  acres  of  valuable  land  in  the 
State  of  Texas.  He  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary' enterprise  and  sagacity,  and  while  he  is  bold 
and  pushing  in  his  methods  of  transacting  business, 
he  is  at  the  same  time  careful  and  cautious,  and 
hence  his  success. 

Mr.  Hall  has  been  twice  married.  In  1876  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Blary  Williams  of  New  burg 
Township,  Pike  County.  111.,  and  a  daughter  of 
Richmond  Williams.  She  died  in  1881.  Mr.  Hall's 
present  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  18S5,  was 
formerly  Mary  Haskins,  of  Hardin  Township,  and 
a  daughter  of  Otis  Haskins. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  established  a  home 
that  is  one  of  the  ple.asantest  and  nDOSt  attrrc- 
live  in  its  vicinity,  and  is  the  center  of  a  charming 
hospitality.  Mr.  Hall  is  a  man  of  true  public  spirit 
and  has  done  much  to  forward  various  enterprises 
for  the  advancement  of  the  countv.  He  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  its  government  and  has  been  a 
valuable  civic  official.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  three  terms,  re|)resenting 
Montezuma  Township  from  1883  to  1886.  He  is  a 
member  of  Milton  Lodge,  No.  275,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
Ills  career  in  life  has  always    been  guided  by  the 


V 


/^i://i:cu^ -^^^ 


/?45x?*«>^'^'^-^*^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


245 


higliest  principles  of  honor  and  reciludo  and  lie  is 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  is 
bis  wife,  and  he  has  served  several  years  as  Deacon. 


^ 


E^M^ 


ILLIAM  GRAMiNIER  is  widely  and  favor- 
^,  ably  known  throughout  Pike  Count}',  with 

'yyj  whose  educational  and  agricultural  interests 
he  has  been  closely  connected  for  many)  ears.  He 
lias  been  a  consi)icuous  Bgure  in  the  political  life  of 
this  section  of  the  State  and  prominent  in  the  man- 
agement of  civic  affairs.  He  is  |)lcnsantly  situated 
in  one  of  the  comfortable  homes  of  Hadley  Town- 
ship, where  he  has  a  ver)-  desirable,  well  improved 
farm  on  section  30. 

Mr.  Grammer  is  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  where 
his  birth  occurred  January  8,  1821.  His  father, 
Seth  Grammer,  was  also  a  native  of  the  old  Bay 
State  and  was  born  in  1797.  He  took  part  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  came  to  Pike  County  in  an  earl_y 
daj-  when  it  was  but  a  wilderness.  Locating  on 
section  2,  Iladlej'  Township,  he  built  a  log  cabin  for 
the  sueller  of  his  familj' and  cleared  the  place  of 
the  timber  that  stood  on  it.  He  built  a  mill  and 
was  .actively  engaged  in  the  pioneer  labors  that  de- 
veloped the  county.  His  death  in  1858  was  a  ser- 
ious loss  to  the  community,  toward  the  advancement 
of  which  he  had  accomplished  so  much. 

Our  subject's  mother.  L3'dia  (JIarshall)  Gram- 
mer, was  also  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  was 
there  reared  to  womanhood.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  Marshall,  who  was  born  in  JLassachusetts 
and  served  in  tlie  Revolutionaiy  War.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfatlier  of  our  subject,  Joseph  Grammer, 
was  a  seafaring  man  and  took  part  in  the  Revolu- 
tion. 'I'he  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in 
Boston,  JLass.,  in  1811,  and  twelve  children  came 
of  their  wedded  life,  one  daughter  and  eleven  sons, 
of  whom  the  daughter  and  eight  of  the  sons  were 
reared  to  maturity.  Those  now  living  are  >Seth  W., 
William,  Charles  M.,  and  Lydia  M. 

William  (irammer,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  review  was  reared  and  educated  in 
the  State  of  lii.s  birlh.  wlicre  he  lemained  until  he 
was  eighteen   years    of  age.     He    early    displayed 


good  scholarship  and  a  fondness  for  books  and 
gained  the  preliminaries  of  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  He  subsequently  attended  acad- 
emies at  Lexington  and  Jlethuen,  where  he  pursued 
fine  courses  of  study  that  amply  fitted  him  for  the 
profession  which  he  followed  with  success  for  many 
years  in  his  after  life.  He  was  twenty  years  old 
when  he  commenced  teaching  in  the  pioneer  schools 
of  Pike  County,  and  in  the  first  school  that  lie 
taught  he  received  *12  a  month,  and  boarded 
around  among  the  |)areuts  of  the  pupils.  Xine  of 
his  scholars  became  successful  |)liysicians  and  others 
are  prominent  in  various  walks  in  life.  Among 
them  we  mav  mention  J.  M.  Harvey  ex-Governor 
of  Kansas,  and  once  United  States  Senator. 

In  the  summer  time  our  subject  assisted  his  fa- 
ther in  the  management  of  his  farm  and  carried  on 
his  vocation  at  other  seasons  of  the  year,  becoming 
one  of  the  leading  educators  in  the  county.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  received  SIO  a  month  for  teaching, 
and  his  services  were  always  vakuHl  wherever  he 
was  stationed.  His  successful  career  as  .a  teacher 
showed  that  he  w.as  well  qualified  for  his  work  by 
temperament,  by  a  clear  well-trained  intellect  and  a 
happy  faculty  for  imparting  information  in  an  in- 
teresting manner.  He  remained  on  the  old  home- 
stead until  after  the  death  of  his  mother  in  1871, 
and  now  has  possession  of  tlie  place  to  which  he 
returned  in  1874.  and  which  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  has  here  two  hundred  and  eight}'  acres 
of  valuable,  well-tilled  land,  i>rovided  with  ample 
improvements,  and  all  the  necessary  farming  ma- 
chinery for  conducting  agriculture  advanlageonsl}'. 
He  is  notdoing  much  farming  at  |)resent,  but  spends 
his  declining  years  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  a 
goodly  competency,  which  he  has  acquired  by  the 
intelligent  and  business-like  management  of  his  af- 
fairs. 

Our  subject  "^'as  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Eliza  I'hilpot,  December  2.5,  1816.  She  was  a  na- 
tive of  England  born  in  Kentshire,  and  came 
with  her  parents  to  Pike  County,  in  an  early  day. 
She  died  in  1865  leaving  one  child,  Maria,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Blake  and  lives  on  her  fathei's 
lioinestcad.  Our  subject's  second  marriage  was 
with  Lucy  (Hart)  Smith.  They  had  one  son,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  months.      Mrs.  thani- 


246 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALRUM. 


mer  departed  this  life  in  1872.  Mr.  Gramraer  was 
married  to  liis  present  estimable  wife  in  llie  year 
1874.  She  was  born  in  Vermont  in  1828,  and  en- 
joys the  esteem  of  manj'  friends. 

Our  subject  lias  always  taken  a  deep  and  intelli- 
gent interest  in  politics,  and  has  ever  advocated 
the  policy  of  the  Republican  party.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  prominent  civic 
ofiicials  of  this  township,  which  he  represented  on 
the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  for  the  long 
period  of  twenty- seven  years.  He  is  now  School 
Treasurer,  having  held  that  office  ten  years,  and  lias 
served  as  Commisi^ioiier  of  Highways,  always  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  growth  and  mate- 
rial prosperity  of  township  and  county.  He  is  thus 
showing  himself  to  be  possessed  of  a  loyal  and  true 
public  spirit.  He  is  President  of  tlie  Barry  Far- 
mers Mutu.'il  Insurance  Company,  which  has  flour- 
ished well  under  his  guidance  as  an  ii.cumbent  of 
that  office  which  he  has  held  for  eight  years.  He 
is  a  man  who  possesses  many  fine  personal  traits  of 
character,  and  Is  very  temperate  and  correct  in  his 
habits,  having  never  used  tobacco  in  any  form  and 
having  abstained  from  the  use  of  liquor  since  he 
signed  the  Washipgtonian  pledge  in  1842,  nearly 
fifty  years  ago. 

Elsewhere  in  tliis  volume  the  reader  will  notice 
a  lithographic  portrait  of  Mr.  Grammer. 


CLEMENT  L.  HOSKJN.  It  affords  the  bio- 
graphical writer  much  pleasure  to  note  the 
'  beautiful  homes  in  Pike  County,  wiiich  fur- 
nish conclusive  evidence  of  the  energy  and  good 
judgment  which  have  led  to  the  prosperity  of  so 
many  of  her  agriculturists.  Particularly  is  this 
true  when  our  attention  is  called  to  a  family  whose 
members  have  borne  an  important  sliare  in  tiie  de- 
velopment of  the  county,  and  ai<led  by  their  zeal 
in  its  growth  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  best  civili- 
zation. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  these  para- 
graphs, is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Isaac  Hoskin,  who 
was  born  in  the  Empire  State,  and  came  to  Illinois 


1  in  1820,  settling  on  tlie  American  Bottoms,  not  far 
j  from  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  vvhen  that  now  populous  city 
comprised  but  a  few  log  cabins.  In  a  short  time 
Mr.  Hoskin  was  located  in  Pike  County,  where  he 
spent  tlie  remainder  of  his  life,  dying  when  up- 
wards of  eighty  years  of  age.  In  common  with  the 
pioneers  in  general,  he  often  liunted  deer  and  other 
game,  witli  whicii  the  country  abounded  when  he 
J  fust  arrived.  While  on  one  of  his  hunts,  he  came 
across  some  bear  culjs  and  captured  one.  whose  cries 
were  heard  by  the  old  bear,  which  came  to  the  res- 
cue of  the  little  one,  Mr.  Hoskin  having  a  very  nar- 
row escape  from  its  clutches.  He  succeeded  in 
reaching  his  home,  but  lost  the  cub.  Mr.  Hoskin 
was  a  soldier  during  the  Black  Hawk  AVar.  He 
was  an  Old-Line  Whig  in  politics,  and  later  a  Re- 
publican, and  was  a  sincere  Christian. 

The  next  in  the  direct  line  of  descent  was  Charles 
Hoskin,  wlio  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y., 
in  1810.  From  the  age  of  ten  years,  wlien  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Pike  County,  he  made  his 
home  here,  growing  to  maturity  amid  tlie  surround- 
ings of  frontier  life,  and  bearing  a  part  in  clearing 
and  otherwise  developing  the  country.  During  his 
early  life  tlie  settlers  ground  their  corn  in  mills 
run  by  horse-power,  lived  principally  on  corn- 
bread  and  wild  game,  and  wore  homespun  clothing. 
His  father  would  often  take  his  old  flint-lock  rifle 
before  breakfast  on  a  frosty  morning,  and  go  out 
and  kill  a  deer  which  would  furnish  meat  for  some 
days.  Charles  Hoskin  during  his  youth  had  a  colt 
killed  by  a  black  wolf  and  setting  a  trap,  caught 
the  marauder  the  following  night.  It  was  neces- 
sary for  the  settlers  to  keep  their  sheep  in  a  pen 
against  the  house  in  order  to  protect  them  against 
the  wolves  which  were  numerous  and  bold.  Charles 
Hoskin  traded  with  the  Indians  years  ago,  and  oth- 
erwise occupied  himself  as  a  farmer,  becoming  the 
owner  of  about  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  His 
first  vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Jackson,  and  he  con^^ 
tinned  to  adhere  to  the  party  to  which  i  e  first  gave 
his  allegiance.  He  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years,  leaving  behind  him  the  record  of  a  worthy 
citizen  and  honored  pioneer. 

The  wife  of  Charles  Hoskin  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Eliza  Shinn,  was  born  in  Ohio,  December 
20,  1810,  and  is  still   living  in  the  enjoyment  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


247 


good  liealth.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Cluirch.  and  has  ever  endeavored  to  eon- 
scieutioiisij'  discharge  hei'  duties  as  wife,  mother, 
and  member  of  societj'.  Her  family  consisted  of 
the  followinfj  children:  Isaac,  Daniel  (deceased), 
Charles,  Clement  (our  subject),  Asa,  William, 
Nancy,  Jane.  Rachel,  Lydia  (deceased),  and  Mary. 

Clement  L.  Iloskin  was  born  October  13,  1835,  in 
Pike  Count}',  which  is  still  his  home,  and  reared  in 
the  manner  usual  to  the  sons  of  pioneer  farmers. 
He  attended  school  in  the  old  log  schoolhouse  dur- 
ing the  days  when  the  teacher  was  engaged  under 
the  subscription  method,  and  Improved  his  oppor- 
tunities to  the  best  advantage  possible.  So  great 
was  his  desire  for  knowledge,  that  after  he  had  at- 
tained to  his  majorit}',  he  spent  one  winter  pursu- 
ing his  studies  in  the  High  School  at  AVinchester, 
Scott  County.  His  lifework  as  a  farmer  was  begun 
on  rented  land  which  he  cultivated  on  shares,  con- 
tinuing to  labor  in  this  way  until  1861.  He  then 
purchased  eighty  acres  on  section  2G,  Derry  Town- 
ship, but  soon  sold  it  and  bought  a  tract  of  the 
same  size  on  section  22. 

Ere  long  Mr.  Iloskin  became  the  owner  of  forty 
acres  on  section  10,  which  he  occupied  two  years, 
then  bought  and  removed  to  an  eighty-acre  tract 
on  section  14.  His  present  residence  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  township,  built  of  frame  and  pleasantly 
situated  back  from  the  road,  to  which  a  drive  lined 
with  maple  trees  leads.  It  is  built  of  frame,  and 
was  erected  in  tiie  summer  of  1890.  Mr.  Hoskin 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land,  all 
of  fertile  soil  which  ha.'  been  brought  to  a  high  state 
of  cultiv.ation,  and  is  capable  of  producing  abun- 
dant crops.  The  owner  raises  some  stock,  his  prin- 
cipal attention  in  that  line  being  paid  to  swine. 

April  1,  1860,  5Ir.  Hoskin  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sarah  P.iyne,  who  died  eleven 
months  after  marriage,  leaving  an  infant  daughter, 
Sarah.  After  having  lived  a  widower  until  1866. 
Mr.  Hoskin  was  again  married,  his  bride  being  Miss 
Nancy  Baker,  who  was  spared  to  him  but  two  years. 
The  rites  of  wedlock  between  our  subject  and  his 
present  wife  were  solemnized  August  11,  1872. 
Mrs.  Hoskin  is  a  native  of  Pike  County,  intelligent, 
efficient,  and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Jlethodist 
Episcopal  Cluirch.     She  was  known  in  her  girlhood 


as  Miss  Edna  Ward.  Her  happ}'  union  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children,  Fila,  and 
Mary. 

The  sterling  qualities  of  Mr.  Hoskin  have  been 
recognized  by  his  fellow-citizens  in  bestowing  upon 
him  the  office  of  I'ownship  Assessor,  in  which  he 
has  served  four  terms,  and  that  of  Supervisor  which 
he  has  held  two  terms.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  party. 


ELYILLE  D.  MASSIE,  who  is  engaged  in 
the  sale  of  merchau<lise  and  in  milling  in 
New  Canton,  Pike  County,  is  one  of  the 
popular  and  influential  citizens  of  that 
thriving  town.  He  has  been  intimately  connected 
w^ith  the  civil,  political,  and  social  affairs  of  the 
township,  and  is  one  of  the  old  soldiers  whom  it  is 
the  delight  of  all  true  Americans  to  honor.  He  is 
a  native  of  the  county,  born  in  Pittsfield,  January 
21,  1838,  and  during  his  boyhood  attended  what 
was  known  as  the  half  free  schools.  He  obtained  a 
common-school  education,  abandoning  his  studies 
when  fifteen  years  old  to  begin  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  serving  a  year  and 
a  half. 

In  1854  young  Massie  located  in  New  Canton, 
giving  up  his  trade  and  securing  a  clerkship  in  a 
general  store.  He  continued  in  that  occupation 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  when 
his  patriotic  fervor  would  not  allow  him  longer  to 
remain  in  the  North,  while  the  life  of  his  country 
was  in  danger.  In  1862  he  was  enrolled  in  Com- 
panj'  G,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  par- 
tieipaterl  in  all  the  battles  from  the  opening  of 
Grant's  campaign,  that  year,  until  after  the  fall  of 
Vicksburg,  in  the  siege  of  which  place  he  bore  a 
part  forty  days.  He  afterward  accompanied  the 
regiment  through  Tennessee.  Arkansas.  Louisiana, 
and  Texas,  being  present  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
campaigns  in  the  South,  when  Fts.  Spanish  and 
Blakesley  were  reduced,  and  Mobile  taken.  Mr. 
Massie  was  then  sent  on  detached  duly  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Rio  (Jrandc  Uiver,  and  linally  mus- 
tered out  with  the  regiment  in  Springfield,  in    Au- 


248 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


gust,  1865.  During  the  year  in  wbich  be  enlisted 
he  was  promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant,  and  in 
July,  18G3.  advanced  to  the  Captainc}-,  and  later 
served  as  Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  the  Brig- 
ade. 

Capt.  Massie  was  mustered  out  at  the  time  and 
place  where  he  received  his  discharge,  and  at  once 
returning  to  his  former  home,  engaged  in  his  pres- 
ent business.  He  is  now  operating  very  success- 
full}',  his  enterprise  iiaving  grown  to  a  very  exten- 
sive dealing  throughout  tlie  county  and  adjacent 
territory.  In  the  conduct  of  his  ati'airs  lie  has  used 
the  best  business  methods,  tiie  native  energy  which 
he  possesses  in  a  large  degree,  and  the  considerate 
spirit  which  thinks  of  customers  as  well  as  man- 
ager. This  lias  brought  him  trade,  as  his  character 
and  methods  have  become  known,  and  given  liim 
also  the  goodwill  of  the  people. 

From  the  time  when  he  started  in  business  Mr. 
Massie  has  manifested  a  great  interest  in  the  town, 
and  has  used  every  means  in  his  power  to  advance 
its  interests  encouraging  every  possible  enterprise 
that  might  locate  here.  He  has  had  great  faith  in 
the  future  of  this  section  of  country,  and  has  siiown 
that  faith  by  his  works.  The  project  of  reclaiming 
the  Sny  Levee  lands  has  had  a  firm  and  true  friend 
in  Mr.  Massie,  and  the  vicissitudes  through  which 
the  enterprise  has  passed  have  not  detracted  from 
his  interest  or  faith  in  the  final  result. 

Although,  as  before  stated,  Mr.  Massie  received 
but  a  common-school  education  in  boyhood,  he  h.as 
built  upon  that  foundation  a  structure  of  extended 
information  and  practical  knowledge  whieli  places 
him  on  an  equality  with  those  whose  school  privi- 
leges  were  far  superior  to  his  own,  but  who  have 
been  content  with  what  Ihej*  learned  there.  Mr. 
Massie  has  traveled  quite  extensively-,  his  journeys 
embracing  thirty  States,  together  with  Canada  and 
Mexico,  and  his  close  observation  of  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  people,  and  the  scenes  which  he 
witnessed  makes  an  hour  spout  in  his  company  both 
pleasing  and  instructive.  In  his  judgment  the 
principles  .advocated  by  the  Republican  part}'  are 
those  best  adapted  for  the  good  of  the  people,  and 
lie  therefore  supports  them  with  his  vote.  He  was 
the  firsl  Representative  from  the  county  under  the 
new  constitution,  and  was  an  earnest    advocate    of 


the  rights  of  his  constituents.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  Township  Supervisor  four  years,  and 
served  in  the  school  offices.  He  belongs  to  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  a  Knight 
Templar. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  John  C.  Massie. 
who  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Ky.,  in 
1795.  He  came  from  Sangamon  County,  this  State, 
to  Pike  County  in  1836,  establishing  himself  at 
Pittsfield,  whence  he  subsequently  removed  to  Mis- 
souri, in  which  State  his  death  occurred  in  1853. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  the 
son  of  a  Virginian  who  had  fought  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  was  a  cousin  to  Nathaniel  Massie,  a  noted 
civil  engineer  of  the  Old  Dominion,  who  was  after- 
ward a  candidate  for  Governor  of  Ohio,  running  in 
opposition  to  Gen.  Meigs,  who  was  elected.  It  be- 
ing thought  that  Meigs  was  ineligible,  Mr.  Massie 
was  declared  Governor,  but  his  high  sense  of  honor 
and  justice  caused  him  to  immediately  resign,  .as 
he  considered  that  Mr.  Meigs  had  the  suffrages  of 
the  people. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Cherry 
Valley,  N.  Y.,  in  1807,  and  died  in  Missouri  in 
1853.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  the  Empire 
State,  whence  they  came  to  Pike  County,  111.,  about 
1832,  making  a  permanent  location  in  Derry  Town- 
ship two  years  later.  Mrs.  John  C.  Massie  liore  the 
maiden  name  of  Maiy  Shaw. 

The  lady  whoso  pleasing  manners  and  good 
qualities  made  her  the  choice  of  our  subject,  liore 
the  maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Morey,  and  became 
Mrs.  Massie  in  January,  1866.  Her  parents  Amos 
and  Martha  Morey,  were  born  in  New  York  .and 
Virginia  respectively,  and  m.ade  their  home  in  this 
county  many  years  ago.  Mr.  Morey  died  in  New 
Canton  in  1867,  and  his  widow  is  still  living  there. 
Mr.  Morey  was  honored  as  few  private  citizens  are, 
by  having  the  Grand  Arm\'  Post  at  New  Canton 
named  for  him.  It  was  done  as  a  tribute  to  the 
substantial  aid  which  he  had  given  to  the  soldiers 
during  the  late  war.  Mrs.  Massie  was  born  in  that 
town  in  Feliruary,  1844,  and  after  (tursuing  the 
studies  of  the  common  schools,  attended  college  in 
Jacksonville  and  Monticello.  Cultured  and  refined, 
she  is  well  fitted  for  a  leading  position  in  the  social 
circles  of  New  Canton,  and  is  equally  well  qualified 


PORTRAIT  AXD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


249 


to  discharge  the  duties  which  lie  before  her  as  a  wife 
and  mother.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Msissie  have  had  tliree 
sons  and  tliree  daugliters.  namely:  Harry,  Blanche, 
Bertha,  George,  Bret  and  Nellie.  All  are  living 
except  Bret  who  died  in  childhood. 


_§=-,. 


A  ULAN  P.  DODGE.  The  name  of  this 
f(  ))!  gentleman  will  long  be  associated  with  the 
histor}-  ot  the  early  develo|iment  of  the 
Mississippi  bottom  land  lying  south  and 
west  of  the  old  town  of  Atlas,  as  no  man  has  done 
more  than  he  to  change  that  once  vast  tract  of 
worthless  swamp  into  its  present  state  of  fertility 
and  productiveness.  Mr.  Dodge,  a  veteran  of  the 
late  war,  is  one  of  the  foremost  farmers  of  Atlas 
Township,  where  his  interests  are  centred,  and  of 
Pike  County.  He  was  born  in  Hancock  County, 
Me.,  Noverabe'-  10,  1842,  and  came  of  sterling  New 
England  stock. 

Deacon  Jonathan  Dodge,  his  father,  was  also  a 
native  of  Hancock  County,  Me.,  where  he  was 
prosperously  engaged  as  a  farmer  during  his  active 
life,  owning  a  fine  farm  of  some  two  hundred  acres 
of  land.  He  was  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational 
Church  for  over  fifty  years.  He  was  reared  an  old- 
line  Whig  and  later  in  life  became  a  Republican. 
He  married  Abigail  Roberts,  who  was  a  native  of 
Hancock  Count}*,  Me.  She  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years,  leaving  the  record  of  a  life  well-spent. 
She  was  a  devoted  wife  and  mother  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  The  father  of 
subject  departed  this  life  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eight5'-four  j'ears.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished 
character,  and  was  revered  by  the  communit}' 
where  he  lived  for  his  many  fine  personal  traits. 

Harlan  Dodge  was  one  of  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, five  sons  and  four  daughters.  The  first 
years  of  his  life  were  passed  on  his  father's  farm 
in  JIaine.  He  ventured  forth  from  home  at  an 
early  period  and  sailed  the  seas  for  two  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1861  he  located  in  Hancock  Count}', 
111.,  where  he  worker!  on  a  farm  until  July,  18C2. 

Our  subject's  jjatriotism  was  aroused  during  the 
great  contest  between  the  North  and  South  and  in 


the  month  of  July,  1862,  he  enlisted  to  do  his  share 
of  fighting  for  his  country.     He  became  a  member 
of  Companx-  G..  Second  Illinois  Cavalry-,  and  was 
at  the  front  iluring  the  remainder  of  the  war,  receiv- 
ing his  discharge  papers  June   11,   18();j,  at  ^'icks- 
burg.      During    those    long   and    wear}-    years    he 
suffered  the  hardships  and  privations  of  army   life 
with  the  fortitude  and  |)atience  of  a   loyal  soldier 
and  bravcl}'  faced  the  enemy  in  many  a  hotly  con- 
tested engagement.     He  was  wounded  in  the   right 
shoulder  in  the  battle  of  Holly  Springs,  Miss.,  and 
was  obliged  to  remain    in   the   regimental   hospital 
one  month.     He  took  part  in  the  siege  and  capture 
■    of  Vicksburg,  in  the  battles  of  Champion  Hill,  Ray- 
j    mond.  Black  River  Bridge  and  Ft.  Blakely.    When 
'    at  Vicksburg  he  was  under  fire  forty-eight  days. 
After  his  experience  of  military  life  on  Southern 
battle  fields,  Mr.  Dodge  went  to  Leavenworth  Kan., 
and  made  an  overland  trip    with    a    Government 
train  to  Ft.  Riky.     He  remained  there    from    Sep- 
tember till  the    following   April    and    then    came 
:    eastward  as  far  as  Sandusky,  Iowa,   where    he  set- 
tled five  miles  north  of  Keokuk.    He  was  there  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  .ind  farming  for 
nine  years.      In  1S74  he  wound  up  his  affairs  there 
j   and  came  to  Pike  County  and  worked  on  the  levee 
till  its  completion.     He  then  bought  up  considera- 
ble bottom  land  and    began    farming.      The    land 
that  he  bought  was  originally  a  swam|»,  but  he  has 
since  cleared  it  and  drained  it,   and    h.as    placed    it 
under  such  flue  cultivation  that  it  now  blossoms 
like  the  rose.     He  now  owns  nine  hundred  acres  of 
rich  bottom  land  of  which  seven  hundred  acres  are 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.     He  rents  out 
much  of  his  land  and  is  kept  busy   from  morning 
till  night  superintending  the  farming  of   it.     He 
raises  large  quantities  of  wheat,  corn  and  hogs,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  extensive  farmers  in  the  county. 
Mr.  Dodge  has  a  very  pleasant  home  in  Atlas, 
and  to  the  lad}'  who  presides  over  it  and  co-operates 
with  him  in  extending  its  hospitality  to  their  many 
friends    when    occasion    offers,    he    was   united   in 
marriage  February   17,    18G8.      Mrs.    Dodge    was 
formerly  Emma  T.  Carter  and  she  was  born  on  the 
Susquehanna    River    in    Pennsylvania,    July    13, 
1850.     She  is  a    member    of   the    Congregational 
Church  and  is  a  woman  who  walks  in  accordance 


250 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


with  the  dictates  of  her  conscience.  Of  the  nine 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodge  the  following 
tliree  are  living:  Fannie  T.,  Marietta  and  Kniraa 
B. 

Mr.  Dodge  is  a  man  whose  energetic  character, 
firmness  of  purpose  and  foresight  combined  with 
his  f-apability  in  managing  his  affairs  in  a  business- 
like way,  have  placed  him  at  the  forefront  among 
the  progi'essive  and  enlightened  farmers  and  stock- 
men who  have  done  so  much  for  Pike  County's 
interests.  He  stands  well  socially  and  financially, 
and  is  held  to  be  one  of  our  most  desirable  citizens. 
His  political  views  are  in  accordance  with  the 
principles  promulgated  by  the  Republican  party. 


^I7  EVI  C.  BAIN  is  worthy  of  representation  in 
I  (@  *■'''*  Album  as  he  is  an  honorable  man  and 
/IL^  as  a  practical  farmer  is  contributing  his 
quota  towards  sustaining  and  extending  the  great 
farming  interests  of  Calhoun  County.  He  is  pleas- 
antly situated  in  Richwoods  Precinct  where  he  owns 
one  of  the  many  fine  farms  for  which  this  locality 
is  noted.  Mr.  Bain  was  born  in  Lincoln  County,  Mo., 
December  9,  1848.  His  father,  Jolin  Bain  was  born 
in  Kentucky  December  17,  1806,  his  father  having 
been  a  pioneer  farmer  of  that  State.  He  went  from 
there  to  serve  his  country  in  the  war  of  1812  and 
lost  his  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  but  six  j-ears  old 
when  his  father  died  and  he  was  reared  by  his 
mother  an<l  step-fatlier.  He  early  learned  the  trade 
of  a  stonemason  and  went  to  Missouri  when  a 
young  man  and  was  a  pioneer  of  Lincoln  County. 
He  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  seven  miles  from 
Troy  and  erected  thereon  n  cabin  for  the  shelter  of 
his  family,  and  other  necessary  buildings.  He 
worked  at  his  trade  part  of  the  time  and  the  rest  of 
the  time  was  engaged  in  farming,  continuing  his 
residence  there  until  1860,  when  he  wentto  Arkan- 
sas and  settled  near  Little  Rock.  He  was  there 
when  the  war  broke  out  and  on  that  account  as  he 
was  a  Union  sympathizer  he  returned  to  this  county 
and  bought  a  tract  of  land  that  he  might  carr^'  on 
farming  here.     Only  part  of  it  was  improved   and 


the  rest  of  it  was  in  timber,  but  he  did  not  clear 
much  of  it  as  he  soon  sold  it  and  moved  to  Madison 
County,  Mo. ;  from  there  he  again  went  to  Arkan- 
sas where  he  died  about  1878. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  in  early 
manhood  to  Mary  Guinn  who  was  born  in  Lincoln 
County,  N.  C.  in  1812.  Her  father,  George  Guiiui 
was  a  Virginian  by  birth  and  went  from  there 
to  South  Carolina  with  his  parents,  and  thence  to 
North  Carolina  where  he  married,  t.aking  as  his 
wife  Annie  Wheeler,  a  native  of  North  Carolina. 
He  flnaily  moved  to  the  Territory  of  Missouri 
traveling  overland  and  was  a  pioneer  of  Lincoln 
Count}'.  He  bought  land  near  Troy  which  he 
developed  into  a  farm  and  made  his  home  until 
his  death,  and  his  wife  also  died  in  Missouri.  ]\Irs. 
Bain  now  resides  in  Batchtown  with  her  children. 
She  is  the  mother  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
tlie  following  twelve  lived  to  maturity:  William, 
Mary,  Effle,  Julia,  John,  Emeline,  Rhoda,  George, 
Martha,  Levi,  Charles  and  Sarah.  James,  the  first 
born  died  young. 

Levi  Bain,  of  whom  we  write  was  twelve  years 
old  when  he  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents. 
He  was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  by  the 
time  he  had  attained  manhood  was  a  thorough  prac- 
tical farmer.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  fourteen  years  old  and  then  became  self-sup- 
porting, working  out  by  the  day  or  month  until  his 
marriage.  After  that  important  event  in  his  life 
he  rented  farm  land  one  year  and  then  located  on 
a  tract  of  eighty  acres  of  land  that  his  father-in- 
law  gave  to  his  wife,  on  section  16,  Ricli woods 
Precinct.  He  soon  bought  eighty  acres  adjoining 
it  on  the  same  section  and  now  has  it  under  sub- 
stantial improvement.  He  has  the  greater  part 
clear  and  under  admirable  cultivation  and  has  a 
roomy  well-ordered  set  of  frame  buildings.  He 
has  a  fine  orchard  of  nearly  twenty  acres,  choice 
fruit  trees  of  various  kinds,  and  from  it  he  derives 
an  excellent  income. 

Mr.  Bain  took  unto  himself  a  wife  February  26, 
1870,  in  the  person  of  Rebecca  (Wilson)  Powell, 
a  daughter  of  A.  C.  and  Sarah  Wilson,  of  whom  an 
extended  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bain  have  eight  children  living 
named  as  follows:  Mary,  Ida,  Levi  W.,  Ora,  Lottie, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


251 


Blanche,  Rose,  and  Rebecca.  Mrs.  Bain  had  one 
child  by  a  former  marriage  named  Sallie.  Mr.  Bain 
is  a  stalwart  ])emocrat  in  his  political  views  and  is 
a  good  citizen  of  his  precinct.  He  is  a  worker  who 
understands  well  how  to  direct  his  labors  advan- 
tageously and  his  thrift  and  good  maniigement  are 
evidenced  in  the  appearance  of  his  farm  and  in  the 
reputation  that  he  enjoys  of    being  a  good  farmer. 


1  LIAS  SIMPSON.  This  well-known  resident 
,^  of  Riehwoods  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  is 
I' — ^  one  of  the  men  whose  life  presents  an  ex- 
ample of  unswerving  integrity,  persistent  industry 
and  intense  loyalty,  worthy  of  the  emulation  of  the 
rising  generation.  He  was  born  in  Effingham 
County,  October  10,  1837,  is  of  remote  Scotch  an- 
cestry in  the  paternal  line  and  is  the  worth}^  sou  of 
respected  parents.  His  grandfather,  Abel  Simpson, 
was  born  in  Ireland  whence  he  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man.  He  married  in  Alabama,  but 
spent  the  lat  years  of  his  life  in  Illinois.  He  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  his  occupation 
was  that  of  a  farmer. 

George  Simpson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Alabama,  coming  to  this  State 
with  his  parents  when  a  young  man  and  being  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Eltingham  County.  In  18G1 
he  enlisted  in  the  Fifteen! Ii  Illinois  Infantry  and 
served  until  after  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was 
severely  wounded  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  is  now 
a  pensioner  of  the  United  States  government.  In 
1865  he  removed  to  Jersey  County  where  he  is  now 
living  at  the  rii)e  old  age  of  eighty-four  years.  He 
married  Nancy  Br\-ant,  who  died  in  Etflngiiam 
County  many  years  ago. 

Elias  Simpson  was  born  in  Effingham  County 
October  10,  1837,  and  was  bereft  of  his  mother  in 
infanc}'.  He  w.as  taken  in  charge  bj-  an  aunt  and 
cared  for  by  her  until  ten  years  old,  when  he  went 
to  Coles  County  to  live  with  another  aunt.  He 
was  reared  amid  the  surroundings  of  farm  life, 
adopted  the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been  bred, 
and  was  laboring  thereat  when  the  Civil  War  be- 
gan.    The  attempt  upon   the    Uni(jn   aroused  him 


from  his  peaceful  pursuit  and  Kl.  Siun|)ter  had 
scarcely  been  fired  upon  ere  he  had  <li'terinincd  tliat 
his  duty  l.ay  in  the  front  of  battle.  .June  10,  1861, 
his  name  w.as  attached  to  the  muster  roll  of  Com- 
pany B,  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry,  of  which  regi- 
ment we  find  the  following  in  the  Adjutant-Gener- 
al's report:  "It  was  the  first  organized  regiment 
from  Illinois  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice and  was  the  first  to  return  to  the  Capital  for 
re-cnlistment.  It  was  the  only  regiment  in  the 
whole  army  to  buy  its  own  guns — Henry  rifles, 
sixtceu-shooters — -and  pay  for  them  out  of  the 
meagre  salary  of  8I3  per  month." 

After  serving  with  the  regiment  until  the 
expiration  of  their  term,  July  2.5,  1861,  Mr.  Simp- 
son immediatelj'  re-enlisted  in  the  same  company 
and  on  December  22,  1863,  veteranized.  The  more 
important  battles  in  which  he  participated  were 
Ft.  Donelson,  Shiloh,  luka,  Tallahatchie,  Swallow 
Bluff  and  Altoona.  During  a  skirmish  in  Northern 
Alabama,  Blay  7,  1864,  he  was  captured  by  the  en- 
emy, taken  to  Mobile,  and  from  there  to  Ander- 
sonville.  He  was  confined  there  five  months,  then 
tr.insferred  to  Florence,  S.  C,  hut  before  reaching 
the  latter  place  he  and  a  comrade  named  William 
Allen  jumped  from  the  train  and  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing their  escape.  This  was  February  26,  1865,  and 
they  rejoined  their  regiment  at  Washington  City 
and  took  part  in  the  Grand  Review.  Mr.  Simpson 
was  mustered  out  with  the  regiment  and  honorably 
discharged  at  Louisville,  Ky..  July  9,  1865. 

When  his  services  were  no  longer  needed  in  the 
armies  of  his  country  Mr.  .Simpson  resumed  the  arts 
of  peace,  making  his  home  in  Calhoun  County.  He 
has  operated  threshing  machines,  clover  huUersand 
sawmills,  has  bought  and  improved  a  good  piece  of 
property  upon  which  he  resides,  and  is  able  to  sup- 
ply his  family  with  the  comforts  and  many  of  the 
luxuries  of  life  and  still  lay  .aside  something  for  a 
rainy  day.  His  army  days  are  lived  over  again  in 
association  with  his  comrades  in  Calhoun  Lodge, 
No.  448.  G.  A.  R. 

Mr.  .Simpson  is  a  peaceable,  law-abiding  citizen, 
interested  as  all  good  citizens  should  be  in  the  up- 
building of  the  country  and  the  thorough  establish- 
ment of  the  civilizing  institutions  of  the  Ian  1.  His 
attractive  home  is  presided  over  by  u  lady  who  bore 


252 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  maiden  name  of  Olive  Fuller  and  who  became 
liis  wife  March  17.  1872.  She  was  bom  in  tiie 
Precinct  in  which  she.  now  lives  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Alanson  and  Harriet  ^Twitchell)  FuUcr,  who 
were  natives  of  New  York  and  pioneer  settlers  here. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  have  five  children — Nettie, 
Lloyd,  Myrtle,  and  Harrison   and   Morton,   twins. 


v^    ular  and  beloved  ])astor  of 
'J^  W    olic    Church   at  Brussels, 


EV.  BLASIUS  WINTERHALTER.  the  pop. 

f  St.  Mary's  Cath- 
was  born  in  the 
village  of  St.  Peters  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Baden,  Germany.  His  father,  John  Winterhalter, 
was  a  farmer  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  the 
Fatlierland. 

Our  subject  was  left  an  orphan  at  a  very  earlv 
age  and  vvas  for  a  time  cared  for  by  relatives,  but 
when  still  quite  young  had  to  depend  upon  his  own 
exertions  for  a  living.  He  received  excellent 
school  advantages  in  his  native  land,  anfl  attended 
school  quite  regularly  between  the  ages  of  seven 
and  fourteen  years.  He  w.as  ambitious  to  see  some- 
thing more  of  the  world,  and  to  make  more  of  life 
than  he  could  in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and  at  the 
age  of  nineteen  years  he  came  to  America.  He 
was  naturally  studious  and  a  good  scholar,  and  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two  entered  St.  Thomas  College 
at  Bardstown,  Ky.,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
five  years  later  with  high  honors.  He  is  of  a  reli- 
gious nature  and  desiring  to  enter  the  priesthood 
he  prepared  for  his  new  vocation  at  St.  Mary's 
College  at  Cincinnati,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
theological  department  of  that  institution  two  and 
one-half  j'ears  later. 

Our  subject  ,vas  ordained  as  priest , at  Springfield, 
III.,  in  1864,  and  was  assistant  pastor  at  Spring- 
field, Columbia  and  Decatur,  this  State,  a  short 
time.  He  was  then  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
church  of  his  faith  at  Piopolis  in  Hamilton  County, 
and  continued  there  until  1870,  doing  a  good  work. 
In  that  ytnr  he  came  to  St.  IMary's  and  has  been 
here  since.  He  has  accomplished  much  during  his 
residence  in  this  place  and  has  now  under  his  charge 
one  of  the  most  flourishing  churches  in  the  diocesc. 


He  has  infused  new  life  into  the  society,  which  has 
grown  greatly  under  his  administration,  and  now 
includes  eighty  families,  over  whose  spiritual  wel- 
fare he  watches  tenderly.  Under  his  pastf)rate  new 
buildings  have  been  erected  including  the  church, 
which  is  a  handsome  brick  structure,  40x85  feet  in 
dimensions,  of  a  modern  st^le  of  architecture;  a  neat 
and  commodious  parsonage  also  of  brick,  and  a 
substantial  school  building,  which  is  in  charge  of 
the  Sisters  from  St.  Joseph's,  St.  Louis,  and  has  an 
attendance  of  from  seventy-five  to  eigiity  [jupils. 
The  buildings  with  their  ample  and  tastefully  laid 
out  grounds  are  an  ornament  to  the  village,  and  the 
readers  of  this  volume  will  be  pleased  to  see  a  view 
of  them  herein. 

Father  Winterhalter  is  a  man  of  fine  scholarship 
and  much  culture,  is  an  influence  for  good  among 
his  people  and  is  well  known  and  liked  outside  of 
his  society. 


"iflOHN  D.  ROSE.  This  name  will  be  at  once 
recognized  as  that  of  the  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Calhoun  Herald,  jiublished 
at  Hardin,  and  his  many  friends  will  he 
pleased  to  sse  an  account  of  his  life  and  labors 
in  this  Album.  The  life  of  a  country  editor  is  one 
which  calls  for  an  unfailing  supply  of  t.act,  a  keen 
appreciation  of  the  wants  of  the  people  in  regard  to 
news,  and  the  faculty  of  wielding  scissors  and  pen 
rapidly  and  efiicieutl}-.  The  journals  published  in 
our  smaller  towns  and  villages  are  expected  to  fur- 
nish their  readers  with  all  the  important  items  of 
local  and  general  information,  and  few  consider 
that  the  facilities  afforded  the  editor,  are  much  less 
than  those  of  his  city  brother,  with  whose  sheet  his 
own  must  comi)ete  in  interest.  No  one.  therefore, 
is  more  deserving  of  credit  when  successful,  or  of 
S3'mpathy  if  unsuccessful,  than  an  editor. 

A  brief  glance  at  the  ancestral  history  will  show 
whence  Mr.  Rose  derives  his  persevering,  entei  pris- 
ing spirit,  and  the  mental  qualities  which,  combined 
therewith  are  giving  him  success  in  the  journalistic 
Beld.  Going  back  a  few  generations  wc  come  to 
Francis  M.  Rose,  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the  son 


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33 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


255 


of  a  German  emigrant,  t'l-ancis  Rose  became  a 
pioneer  in  Giles  County,  Tenn.,  and  there  his  son, 
William  W.,  spent  liis  entire  life.  The  latter  mar- 
ried Lucinda  Hickman,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who 
is  still  livina;  in  Giles  County,  being  now  eighty- 
live  years  old. 

In  the  family  of  the  couple  just  mentioned  is  a 
son,  Francis  M.,  who  was  born  in  Giles  County, 
Tenn.,  November  8,  1822.  lie  received  an  aca- 
demic education,  and  in  his  early  manhood  began 
teaching,  carrj'ing  on  his  labors  in  his  native  .State 
until  1849,  then  going  to  Jlissouri  and  continuing 
his  profession  there.  After  a  time  he  joined  an  ex- 
ploring expedition,  and  traveled  with  wagons  and 
on  horseback  through  the  territory  now  embraced 
in  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  the  Indian  Territory.  In 
July.  1853,  he  came  to  Calhoun  Couuty,  111.,  and 
began  teaching  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county. 
With  the  exception  of  one  year,  this  county  has 
been  his  home  since  that  lime.  For  a  time  he 
was  engaged  in  dealing  in  staves,  which  in  the 
early  history  of  the  county  was  extensivelj'  carried 
on,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  time  has  been  de- 
voted to  farming  and  school  teaching.  His  family 
co'nsists  of  six  children,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
being  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 

In  this  county,  December  30,  1855,  Francis  Rose 
was  married  to  Lavina  Leeper.  That  lady  was 
born  in  Marion  County,  Ind.,  February  15,  1839, 
and  her  parents  were  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Vir- 
ginia, respectively.  She  accompanied  them  to  St. 
Charles  County,  Mo.,  in  1849,  butaj'ear  later  they 
took  up  their  residence  in  Calhoun  Count}-,  this 
State,  where  both  died  in  1852.  Besides  our  sub- 
ject the  familj'  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Francis  M.  Rose 
includes  William  T.,  whose  home  is  at  Summit 
Grove;  Mary  L.,  wife  of  T.  N.  Tharp,  living  in 
Carlin  Precinct;  Francis  L.,  whose  home  is  in 
Crater  Precinct:  Henr^'  A.,  who  lives  in  the  same 
precinct:  and  Jesse  L.,  who  died  when  eighteen 
years  old. 

The  gentleman  who  is  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical sketch,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Crater 
Precinct,  October  22.  18G0.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  count\-,  beginning  to  assist  his  fa- 
ther on  the  farm  when  quite  .young,  but  devoting 
every  siiare  moment  to  his  studies.     He  had  an  ar- 


dent desire  for  knowledge,  quickness  of  compre- 
hension, and  the  strong  will  which  enabled  him  to 
acquire  information  while  others  were  |)ursuing  the 
sports  of  the  young.  When  twenty-one  years  old 
he  began  teaching,  making  that  his  business  until 
1890.  He  imbued  his  pupils  with  something  of  his 
own  spirit  and  love  of  learning,  and  won  their  good 
will  by  his  heartfelt  sympathy.  During  the  period 
which  be  devoted  to  pedagogy,  Mr.  Rose  was  also 
a  re|)resentative  of  some  of  the  best  fire  and  life  in- 
surance companies  in  the  United  States.  On  Jan- 
uary 25,  1890,  he  purchased  the  plant  of  the  Cal- 
houn Herald,  and  is  now  devoting  himself  witli 
assiduit}'  to  the  work  of  an  editor.  He  has  a  job 
office,  and  is  working  up  an  excellent  business  in 
that  department.  He  continues  his  insurance  busi- 
ness, but  gives  himself  particularly  to  journalism. 
For  a  few  short  years  Mr.  Rose  enjoyed  a  hapjjy 
mairied  life,  having  been  wedded  August  19,  1885, 
to  Eva  M.  Nevius,  who  passed  awa}-  August  4, 
1889.  Jlrs.  Rose  was  born  at  Summit  Grove,  this 
county,  November  7,  1860,  being  a  daughter  of  D. 
S.  H.  and  Sarah  Nevius.  She  was  an  intelligent, 
lovable  woman,  whose  earl}-  death  is  mourned  by 
many  sincere  friends.  She  left  one  son,  Guy  D. 
Mr.  Rose  belongs  to  Calhoun  Lodge,  No.  444. 1.  O. 
O.  F.  His  bearing  is  gentlemanly  and  courteous, 
his  disposition  kind,  and  his  habits  manl}'  and  up- 
right. He  is  therefore  well  respected  by  those  who 
know  him  and  his  future  career  will  be  watched 
with  great  interest. 


WfgS^ICTOR  PREGALDIN.  A  native  of  sunny 
\v  /  France,  our  subject  was  born  in  Lorraine, 
^  July  22,  1835.  His  father,  Anton  Pregal- 
din,  was  also  a  native  of  that  beautiful  vine-covered 
district,  in  which  he  spent  his  entire  life,  following 
the  trade  of  a  baker.  His  familj'  consisted  of  three 
cliildren,  two  of  whom,  Victor  and  Peter  came  to 
America,  the  latter  being  a  resident  of  St.  Louis. 
The  daughter,  Hormine,  still  resides  in  her  native 
land. 

Our  subject  attended  school  until  eighteen  years 
of  age  acquiring  an  excellent  education,   and  then, 


256 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


filled  with  the  amliilions  of  youth  wiiich  ever 
looks  to  the  beyond  for  a  realization  of  its  hopes,  he 
decided  to  seek  the  shores  of  America,  tiiat  land  of 
promise  and  wide  opitortunities.  Sailing  from 
Havre,  IMarcli  1,  1854,  on  the  "Vanilusee"  he 
landed  at  New  Orleans  on  the  ■2Gth  of  April  fol- 
lowing. From  that  city  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  soon  after  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
buying  wood,  hoop-poles,  staves,  etc.,  throughout 
the  surrounding  counties,  chiefly  in  the  Illinois 
counties  of  Calhoun,  Jersey  and  Greene,  and  ship- 
ping down  the  river  on  barges  or  on  rafts. 

After 'his  marriage  in  1865  Mr.  Pregaldin  located 
on  the  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in 
Hardin  Precinct,  wiiich  he  now  owns  and  occupies, 
continuing  for  a  few  j-ears  to  manage  the  lum- 
ber business  also.  The  wife  of  our  subject  was  form- 
erl3'  Mrs.  Seraphine  (Gaudard)  De  Ljharlais,  a 
native  of  Canton  Freiburg,  Switzerland,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  Gaudard.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  became  the  motlier  of  two  daughters,  Ellen  and 
Elizabeth.  Of  her  union  with  our  subject,  one  son, 
Anton  J.,  has  been  born. 

Mr.  Pregaldin  is  a  liepublican  in  politics  and 
lias  served  as  a  member  of  the  School  Board  of 
District  No.  4  ever  since  its  organization.  He  was 
also  the  Census  Enumerator  for  Hardin  Precinct  in 
1890.  Mr.  Pregaldin  is  a  very  intelligent  and  well 
educated  man,  speaking  several  languages  and  con- 
stantly adding  to  his  store  of  knowledge  by  a  pe- 
rusal of  the  best  authors  of  the  past  and  present. 
He  and  his  famil}'  are  justl}'  held  in  high  regard 
by  the  entire  community. 


^-*-^ ^ 


\|)OSIAH  S.  ROWAND,  the  well-known  drug- 
gist of  Barry,  Pike  County,   who  is  honored 

j  and  respected  throughout  the  entire  com- 
(^^'  m unity,  is  one  of  the  oldest  business  men 
in  the  county  and  is  still  actively  engaged  in  busi- 
ness. He  is  a  native  of  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  where 
he  w.ns  born  April  25,  1813.  His  father,  Thomas 
Kowand,  was  a  native  of  the  same  place  and  his 
father,  wlioso  given  name  was  John,  is  also  sup- 
posed to  have  been  born  there  and  is  a  descendant 


of  some  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  State.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Societ}'  of  Friends  and  reared  his 
cliildren  in  the  same  faith.  He  spent  his  entire 
life  ill  New  .Jersey. 

The  father  of  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith  and  followed  it  at  Iladdenvillc  or  Row- 
andtown.  He  spent  his  last  years  at  the  home  of 
his  eldest  daughter  in  l^hiladelphia.  The  mother 
of  our  subject,  wluise  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Sharp,  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jerse_v,  and  she 
died  in  Pliiladei])liia  in  1846.  The  parents  of  our 
subject  reared  nine  children — Joseiih  T.,  Cliarles, 
John  R.,  Hannah  A.,  Mary,  Hamilton,  Emma  and 
Weston. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  lived  in 
his  native  State  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old, 
and  then  accom))anied  his  parents  to  Philadelphia, 
soon  after  commenced  work  in  a  sash  factory 
and  was  there  employed  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  until  1832.  He  then  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  his 
brother  John's  store  in  Philadelphia.  He  acquired 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  drug  business  in  all 
its  details,  and  in  1850  established  himself  in  that 
line,  on  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and  Brown  Streets, 
Philadelphia.  He  conducted  that  business  on  that 
site  until  1854,  and  in  1856  he  came  to  Barry, 
feeling  sure  that  for  a  young  man  of  enterprise, 
energy  and  good  cai)acitj',  a  newly  settled  country 
would  afford  better  opportunities  for  business,  and 
he  has  ever  since  had  a  drug  store  here.  This  is 
neatl}'  fitted  up,  is  well  stocked  with  all  kinds  of 
drugs  and  other  articles,  and  is  in  all  respects  a 
well-managed  establisliment  that  brings  in  its 
owner  a  good  annual  income. 

When  he  came  here  Mr.  Rowand  found  Barry  a 
small  town  of  about  eight  hundred  people.  .Since 
then  he  has  seen  its  population  doubled  and  has  wit- 
nessed its  growth  into  a  flourishing  and  busy  little 
city.  Within  his  time,  all  branches  of  business 
have  changed  hands,  and  he  is  now  the  oldest  bus- 
iness man  in  the  city  in  regard  to  the  length  of 
time  in  which  lie  has  been  established  here  if  not 
in  point  of  age.  Though  he  has  passed  the  mile- 
stone that  marks  a  life  c>f  seventy -seven  years,  he 
is  still  hale  and  vigorous,  is  as  prompt  and  active 
as  a  much  younger  man,  and  attends  to  his  Iiusi- 
ness  regularly.     He   is  a  man  of  frank,  open  mind, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


257 


of  .1  generous  anil  jovial  disposition,  and  is  a  oen- 
eral  favorite  witb  all  about  him.  He  keeps  up  his 
interest  in  politics  and  uses  his  influence  in  favor 
of  tlie  Republican  part}'.  He  and  his  wife  are 
true  and  consistent  members  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  are  never  found  wanting  in  Christian  charity 
and  synipatliy  towards  tiiose  in  affliction. 

Our  subject  has  been  very  fortunate  in  his  do- 
mestic relations,  having  found  in  his  wife  a  faith- 
ful companion  ami  helpmate.  They  liave  two  sons 
living — Bethuel  and  John.  IMr.  and  Mrs.  Rowaud 
have  l)een  called  upon  to  endure  the  sorrow  of 
parting  with  some  of  their  children,  as  follows: 
Horace,  who  died  in  April.  188C.  at  the  age  of 
forty-four  j-cars;  Isabel,  who  died  in  her  twentieth 
year,  and  Randolph,  who  died  in  his  ninth  year. 


...^.."..^1^..: 


■m 


<«  IVILLIAM  J.  TALBERT.  This  gentleman 
y  -„/'  is  entitled  to  a  place  among  the  old  settlers 
Vr^  of  Pike  County,  his  residence  here  having 
begun  in  the  year  18.33.  He  is  thoroughly  in- 
formed regarding  the  privations  and  hardships  that 
were  endured  by  the  earl}'  settlers,  and  the  scenes 
and  incidents  connected  with  life  on  the  frontier, 
where  log  houses,  horaesimn  clothing,  and  primi- 
tive household  utensils  were  the  rule.  In  those 
da3's  the  settlers  were  bound  together  by  strong  ties 
of  mutual  interest  and  protection,  and  a  kindly 
spirit  was  engendered  such  as  is  scarcely  known  to 
thickly-settled  districts.  The  sturdy  virtues  of 
persistence,  zeal,  goodwill  and  free-handed  hospi- 
tality were  everywhere  manifest,  and  no  one  who 
dealt  honorably  by  his  neighbor,  was  looked  down 
upon  on  account  of  his  financial  circumstances.  On 
the  contrar}',  every  one  was  ready  to  lend  a  helping 
hand,  and  friends  gathered  from  far  and  near  to 
raise  a  house,  make  a  little  clearing,  or  otherwise 
aid  in  establishing  a  new  home. 

'I'he  birthplace  of  our  subject  was  Washington 
County,  Va.,  in  which  Stale  his  parents,  James  and 
Kmily  (Jones)  Taibert,  had  been  reared  and  mar- 
ried. A  week  after  their  union  the  husband  en- 
li^ti'd  in  the  War  of  18r2,  and    being  so   fortunate 


as  to  return  from  the  scenes  of  deadly  conflict,  he 
engaged  in  firming.  In  1830  the  family  removed 
to  Randolph  County,  III.,  whence  they  went  to  Mis- 
souri, and  in  1833  came  to  Pike  County,  111.  A 
home  was  established  in  Atlas,  where  James  Tai- 
bert kept  a  tavern  for  a  year,  after  which  be  located 
on  a  farm  west  of  New  Canton.  He  took  up  his 
residence  in  a  hewed  log  house,  and  began  to  im- 
prove the  farm  upon  which  he  remained  until  18.')4. 
He  then  removed  to  Barry,  where  his  death  occur- 
red in  1865,  his  wife  having  died  two  years  pre- 
vious. The  family  of  James  and  Emily  Talbcrt 
included  five  sons  and  four  daughters. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
was  born  July  1'2,  1818,  and  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  the  first  removal  was  made  to  this  State.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  be  had  jjassed  the 
age  of  twenty-one.  accompanying  them  to  Mis- 
souri, and  later  to  Pike  County.  During  his  boy- 
hood and  youtli  he  pursued  his  studies  in  the  old- 
fashioned  logschoolhouses,  becoming  as  well  versed 
in  the  practical  branches  of  knowledges  as  the  cir- 
cumstances would  permit.  When  about  twenty- 
two  years  old  he  went  to  learn  the  tanner's  trade, 
and  after  working  as  an  apprentice  two  years, 
started  a  business  of  his  own,  one  and  a  half  miles 
east  of  New  Canton.  He  carried  on  the  enterprise 
at  that  place  twenty-si.x  years,  and  although  he  did 
not  become  a  millionaire,  he  was  able  t(j  live  well, 
and  lay  aside  something  for  future  needs. 

About  1864  Mr.  Taibert  bought  land  on  section 
36,  Kinderhook  Township,  and  establishing  himself 
there  im[)roved  the  place  in  many  ways,  settino- 
out  an  orchard  and  otherwise  adding  to  its  value 
and  attractive  appearance.  He  has  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  acres  of  fertile  land,  which,  by  means 
of  due  rotation  of  crops  and  the  most  approved 
methods  of  cultivation,  has  been  made  to  produce 
abundantly  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  and  to  "ive  a 
satisfactory  yield  in  quality  as  well  as  quantity. 
Mr.  Taibert  still  manages  his  .agricultural  affairs, 
but  has  rented  most  of  his  land.  He  keeps  »ood 
stock  of  various  kinds,  and  his  home  is  one  of  com- 
fort and  refinement. 

November  20,  1841.  Mr.  Taibert  led  to  tlie 
hymeneal  altar  Miss  Elizabeth  Hull,  who  was  born 
in  Randolph    County,  11'..   March   20,    182.'>,     For 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


nearly  half  a  century,  Mrs.  Talbert  aided  her  hus- 
band by  her  counsel,  her  sympathy,  and  the  labor 
of  her  hands  in  household  affairs,  then  laid  aside  the 
cares  of  life  to  enter  into  rest,  dying  January  21, 
1890.  To  the  happy  couple  nine  children  had 
come.  ''Some  are  mairied,  some  are  dead,"  one 
daughter  alone  remaining  with  her  father  on  the 
homestead:  Sarah  E.  died  when  six  years  old,  and 
William  K.  at  tlie  age  of  nine;  George,  who  was 
born  March  11,  1857,  died  when  nineteen  years  old; 
Hattie,  born  July  11,  18G3,  lived  to  the  age  of 
twenty-four  \'ears.  The  survivors  of  the  circle  are 
Thomas  N.,  born  January  28,  1850,  whose  home  is 
in  Washington;  Martha  E.,  her  father's  house- 
keeper and  com()anion,  who  was  born  February  28, 
1852;  Mary  I.,  wiio  was  born  Januar}'  25,  1855, 
married  J.  Dilley,  and  lives  in  Denver;  Charles  L., 
who  was  born  October  20,  1859,  and  resides  in 
Springfield,  Mo.;  Etta  A.,  who  was  born  January 
11,  1865,  married  F.  A.  Clark,  and  lives  in  Barry 
Township,  Pike  County. 

Mr.  Talbert  is  a  man  of  Christian  character,  lidd- 
ing membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
of  which  he  was  Class-Le.ader  eighteen  years,  and 
Sunday-school  Superintendent  an  equal  lengtii  of 
time.  In  politics  he  is  a  sturdy  Republican,  and 
as  he  voted  for  our  present  President  looks  back 
with  delight  to  tlie  casting  of  his  first  vote,  which 
was  for  William  Henry  Harrison.  He  has  ad- 
vanced the  interests  of  the  traveling  public  as  Road 
Overseer,  and  been  useful  in  the  educational  field 
as  School  Director. 


<|       felLLIAM  P.  CLUGSTEN.     The  fact  that  a 

wAw  ''^■'^"  ^'^^  '"  ''''^  service  of  iiis  country 
W^  during  tlie  trying  days  of  the  Civil  War  is 
sufficient  to  cause  him  to  be  looked  upon  with  favor 
by  all  loyal  Americans.  When  to  this  is  added  a 
manly  character,  industrious  habits  and  business 
acumen,  the  result  is  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all 
who  enjoy  his  acquaintance,  and  a  position  of  in- 
fluence in  the  community  of  which  he  forms  a  part. 
Such  a  place  in  the  minds  of  Calhoun  County  citi- 
zens is  held  liy  the  gentleman  whose   name   intro- 


duces these  paragraphs,  who  for  more  than  twenty 
years  has  been  identified  with  the  interests  of  Ham- 
burg Precinct. 

Mr.  Clugsten  is  descended  in  both  lines  from 
German  ancestors  and  his  parents,  John  and  Caro- 
line (Alford)  Clugsten,  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  were  quite  early  settlers  in  Scioto 
County,  Ohio,  and  in  Portsmouth  the  father  carried 
on  the  jewelry  business  for  a  time.  There  our  sub- 
ject opened  his  C3'es  to  the  light  January  16,  1842. 
He  was  one  of  five  children  born  to  his  [larents, 
and  is  tlie  youngest  of  those  who  are  now  living. 
The  other  survivors  are  Eveline,  wife  of  Charles  E. 
Rose,  who  resides  in  Hamburg,  and  Mary,  wife  of 
Robert  Jordan,  whose  home  is  in  Xebraska.  Oui- 
subject  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  county, 
and  pursued  the  common-school  branches  in  the 
schools  of  Portsmouth. 

The  patriotism  which  slumbers  in  the  bre.ast  of 
every  true  American,  was  aroused  to  life  by  tlie 
firing  upon  Ft.  Sumter,  and  our  subject,  although 
he  lacked  some  months  of  having  leached  his  ma- 
jorit3',  was  determined  to  offer  his  services  to  his 
country.  October  21,  1861,  he  entered  the  navy 
as  second  assistant  engineer  on  the  tug  "Sampson," 
from  which  he  was  transferred  a  year  and  a  half 
later  to  the  tug  "Thistle."  He  served  on  the  latter 
about  thirty  months,  his  connection  with  the  navy 
coraiirising  over  four  years.  June  5.  1863,  he  was 
promoted  to  be  second  assistant  in  charge,  and  as 
such  served  until  he  was  honorably  discharged, 
November  30,  1865.  His  position  was  one  of  great 
responsibilitj-  and  extreme  danger,  requiring  fully 
as  much  discretion  and  courage  as  that  needed  by 
the  soldiers  who  led  the  van  in  battle.  Mr.  Clug- 
sten particiiiated  in  tlie  naval  engagements  at  Ft. 
Henry,  Ft.  Pillow.  Arkansas  Post,  and  a  minibcr  of 
others  less  famous. 

After  receiving  his  discharge,  our  subject  re- 
turned to  his  native  State,  then  went  to  Albany, 
N.  v.,  and  securing  employment  as  a  fireman  on 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad,  remained  in  that 
State  five  months.  In  1868  he  came  to  Calhoun 
County,  III.,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  business  as  a  silversmith  and  jeweler — a 
luisiness  which  he  has  followed  more  or  less  during 
his  life,  having  begun  to  learn  the  trades  when  quite 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


259 


young.  In  connection  willi  that  business,  he  is  en- 
gaged in  fruit  raising,  having  over  ninety-one  acres 
of  land  on  section  2G,  Hamburg  Precinct,  upon 
wliich  stand  four  hundred  apple  trees  of  different 
varieties. 

•January  16,  1869,  JNIr.  C'lugston  was  married  to 
Elmira  Praul,  willi  wliom  he  lived  happily  until  her 
demise,  January  16,  1875.  The  union  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  two  children,  Charles  and  LaP'aj'- 
ettc,  the  former  of  whom  is  now  deceased.  On  In- 
dependence day.  1875,  Mr.  Clugsten  was  again 
married,  his  bride  on  tliis  occasion  being  Amanda 
Nimrick.  a  native  of  Calhoun  County,  who  has  be- 
come the  motlier  of  two  children,  Xellie  and  John. 
Mrs.  Clugsten  is,  like  her  husliand,  an  active  mem- 
ber of  society,  and  boasts  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
Mr.  Clugsten  has  served  his  fellow-citizens  in  the 
capacitj-  of  School  Director.  He  always  deposits  a 
Republican  ballot  on  election  daj'.  In  the  manage- 
ment of  his  business  affairs  he  exhibits  the  strictest 
integrit\',  and  his  word  is  considered  as  good  as  his 
bond. 

-   oco    - 


,  ATH  AN  W.  JONES.  This  gentleman,  who 
was  the  first  actual  settler  in  (iriggsville. 
Pike  County,  has  been  a  very  important 
factor  in  the  history  of  the  communitj'  and  closely 
identified  with  that  of-  the  entire  county.  He  has 
led  a  very  active  life,  and  even  yet,  although  eight3'- 
seven  j'ears  of  age.  is  mentally  and  phj'sically  equal 
to  many  men  twenty  years  his  junior.  Pike  County 
nia\-  well  be  proud  to  claim  him  as  a  citizen  and  to 
know  that  manj  of  his  descendants  are  filling 
important  positions  of  trust  in  various  cities  of  the 
I'nion,  adding  to  the  lustre  of  a  name  that  is  already 
highly  respected. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  "Worcester  County, 
Mass.,  April  27,  1803,  and  passed  his  boyhood  amid 
the  surroundings  of  farm  life.  His  father  having 
died,  the  lad  was  apprenticed  to  a  baker  in  Wil- 
mington when  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  remained 
with  that  gentleman  until  his  term  was  out.  He 
then  went  to  Boston,  first  working  as  a  journeyman 
and  then  beginning  business  for  himself,  ere  long 
transferring  his  establishment  lo  Arlington,  where 


he  resided  until  1830.  Physicians  having  told  him 
that  his  wife  must  leave  the  sea  coast,  he  came  West 
to  look  over  the  country.  His  journey  was  full  of 
adventure,  seventeen  days  being  consumed  in  going 
from  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  The 
travel  across  the  countrj-  being  so  tedious  and  try- 
ing, he  determined  to  return  to  Boston  bj'  boat  via 
New  Orleans.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River 
an  accident  occurred  to  the  vessel,  but  Mr,  Jones 
finally  reached  New  York,  whence  by  stage,  boat 
and  rail,  he  arrived  in  Boston  in  February,  1831. 

Mr,  Jones  embarked  with  his  family-  on  a  packet 
for  New  Orleans,  thence  coming  up  the  rivers  to 
Cairo  and  St.  Louis,  the  Indian  agent  for  Chicago 
being  a  fellow  passenger.  The  part3'  continued  by 
boat  to  Naples,  111.,  whence  a  team  conveyed  them 
to  Jacksonville.  There  Mr.  Jones  was  employed 
as  Steward  in  the  college  until,  in  companj'  with 
Joshua  R.  Stanford  and  David  R.  Griggs,  he  opened 
the  first  store  in  Pike  County  north  of  Atlas,  then 
the  count3'  seat.  When  a  town  was  founded  Mr. 
Griggs  was  determined  to  name  it  in  honor  of  O'lr 
subject,  but  Mr.  Jones  rebelled,  saying  there  would 
be  plenty  of  Jonesvilles  in  the  country  but  no  other 
Griggsville,  and  so  called  it  after  his  partner.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  such  place  as  Pittsfield  and 
many  of  the  other  thriving  towns  of  the  county 
were  as  yet  unknown. 

Mr.  Jones  was  the  first  man  to  buy  grain  in  this 
section  and  ship  to  St.  Louis.  He  had  a  warehouse 
on  the  Illinois  River  for  that  purpose.  The  firm 
soon  sold  out  their  mercantile  business  and  Mr. 
j  Jones  became  a  farmer,  following  that  avocation 
I  until  old  age  compelled  his  withdrawal  from  active 
!  life.  He  was  formerly  agent  for  the  McCormick 
Reapers  and  made  the  best  record  known  in  selling 
them.  Throughout  his  long  life  the  course  of  Mr. 
Jones  has  been  marked  with  sterling  integrity,  zeal 
in  whatever  he  undertook,  whether  for  himself  or 
the  public,  and  a  due  regard  for  the  feelings  and 
needs  of  those  about  him.  '-Tncle  Nathan  W.Jones" 
is  respected  and  venerated  by  all  who  know  him 
and  may  well  be  pointed  out  .as  a  model  to  the 
younger  generation. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemnized  in 
Boston,  August  17,  1823,  his  bride  being  Miss 
Hannah  P.  (Hazier.  This  lady  was  a  native  of  Ips- 


260 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


wicli,  Essex  County,  Mass.,  daughter  of  David 
Glazier,  a  seaman  and  officer  wiio  was  lost  at  sea. 
She  was  born  December  10,  1801,  and  died  Febru- 
ary 7,  1888.  She  possessed  the  qualities  of  true 
womanhood,  was  a  tender  and  devoted  mother,  a 
good  neighbor,  and  a  wife  whose  price  was  far 
above  rubies.  She  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church 
of  which  Mr.  Jones  is  still  a  member. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  reared  eight  children.  The 
second  born  was  George  W.,  now  Clerk  of  the 
Appellate  Court  at  SpringHeld,  and  formerly  Clerk 
of  the  Court  of  Pike  County  for  twelve  years.  He 
is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  flnan- 
ciall}'  strong,  and  well  known.  The  first  child  was 
Sarah  M.,  formerly  the  wife  of  Jas.  H.  Chase,  but 
now  deceased.  The  third  was  John  Watson,  a  line 
little  boy  who  died  in  Jacksonville  six  days  after 
tiie  arrival  of  the  family  from  the  East.  William 
Henry  died  in  California  in  his  twentieth  j'ear.  J. 
Howard  now  lives  in  Chicago.  The  others  were 
daughters  who  died  when  sixteen  and  fifteen  res- 
l)ectively,  and  Charles  W.,  the  youngest  child,  is 
married  and  lives  in  Griggsville. 


^/ILLIAM  T.  F.  PETTY.  A  prominent  place 
P^ijl  among  the  farmers  of  Pike  County  is  ac- 
corded to  this  gentleman,  who  is  located 
in  Martinsburg  Township  and  carries  on  agriculture 
and  stock  raising  quite  extensively.  In  the  latter 
branch  he  makes  a  specialty  of  trotting  horses  and 
now  has  eighteen  head  of  good  animals.  Mr.  Petty 
is  a  native-born  citizen  of  tlie  county,  descended 
from  one  of  the  settlers  who  came  hither  at  so  early 
a  period  that  in  raising  a  log  house  it  was  necessary' 
to  gatlicr  together  nearly  every  man  in  the  count}'. 
The  memory  of  our  subject  extends  back  to  some 
rather  primitive  scenes,  among  tliem  being  the  old 
log  schoolhouse  with  slab  benches  and  writing-desk 
under  the  window,  which  he  attended  in  early 
childhood. 

George  Petty,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  of  (iernian  descent,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  lived  in  Ohio.  In  Cincinnati,  Fisher  Petty, 
the  father  of  our  suliject,   was  born  in   1  799.     He 


grew  to  manhood  in  the  town  of  his  birth,  learning 
the  trade  of  a  tanner,  at  which  he  continued  to 
work  until  the  son  of  whom  we  write  was  sixteen 
years  old.  About  1818  he  changed  his  residence 
to  Frankford,  Pike  Count}-,  Mo.,  traveling  on  a 
flatboat  to  St.  Louis,  which  was  then  but  a  village. 
In  1825  he  came  to  this  State,  taking  up  Govern- 
ment laud  on  section  12,  Martinsburg  Township, 
and  later  securing  a  second  quarter  section.  He 
devoted  himself  principally  to  his  trade,  but  farmed 
to  some  extent  for  a  number  of  years,  but  before 
his  death  he  was  quite  extensively  engaged  in  agri- 
culture. He  first  erected  a  log  house,  which  was 
the  home  of  the  family  for  some  years,  having  an 
addition  built  after  a  time.  Indians  were  still  to  be 
seen  in  this  section  when  Mr.  Petty  came  hither, 
deer  and  panther  and  turkej's  were  ver}-  numerous 
and   bears  were  sometimes  met  with. 

While  living  in  Missouri.  Fisher  Pett}'  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Sarah  Jackson,  who  was 
born  in  Kentuckj^  in  1799,  and  lived  to  be  sixty-six 
years  old.  The  husband  survived  until  1866,  being 
sixt3--nine  years  old  when  called  hence.  Both  were 
identified  with  the  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  Petty  voted 
the  Democratic  ticket.  He  held  the  office  of  Com- 
missioner when  Pittsfield  was  laid  out. 

The  family  of  this  worthy  couple  consisted  of 
nine  sons  and  daughters,  named  respectively,  Polly 
A.,  Jerome  J.,  Alvin,  James,  Leroy,  Lucinda  E., 
Tabitha  J.,  Sarah  and  Thomas.  The  daughters  are 
now  known  as  the  Mesdames  Bagby,  Duffield, 
Young  and  Sealy.  The  maternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject  was  Leroy  Jackson,  who  was  born 
October  2,  1772. 

The  natal  day  of  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice  was  March  19,  1841,  and  his  birthplace  was 
on  the  farm  in  Martinsburg  Township  which  has 
been  mentioned  as  the  home  of  his  father.  He 
enjoyed  such  educational  i)rivileges  as  the  section 
afforded  and  in  the  intervals  of  study  worked  in 
the  tankard,  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  thoroughly 
learning  the  trade.  After  his  father  turned  his 
attention  to  farming,  3-oung  Petty  became  well 
acquainted  with  the  details  of  an  agricultural  life 
and  fitted  to  carry  on  the  vocation  which  has 
claimed  his  attention  during  his  mature  years. 
When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  began   his  per- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


261 


sonal  career  on  the  homestead,  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  which  was  willed  to  him  a  few  j'ears 
later,  when  his  parents  died.  He  is  now  farming 
two  hundred  acres  and  has  made  some  modern 
improvements  upon  the  old  |)laee.  The  residence 
which  he  occupies  was  i)nt  up  in  187."),  and  a  com- 
modious barn  in  1889. 

In  1864  Mr.  Petty  went  to  California,  making 
the  journey  by  the  water  route,  and  for  two  years 
was  occupied  in  farming  there.  During  this  time 
both  his  father  and  mother  died.  In  1866  he 
returned  hither,  again  using  the  water  route,  and 
took  possession  of  his  laud,  where  he  has  since 
remained.  In  politics  he  believes  in  and  supports 
the  principles  of  the  Union  Labor  party.  He  is  a 
man  of  more  tiian  average  intelligence,  progressive 
in  his  ideas  regarding  his  own  calling  and  matters 
which  will  advance  the  puWic  welfare,  and  is  in  all 
respects  a  worthj'  son  of  a  father  who  was  classed 
among  the  best  of  the  pioneers. 

At  the  bride's  home  in  this  township,  November 
22,  1860,  Mr.  Petty  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Marj'  J.  Britton,  with  whom  he  lived  happilj'  until 
.1865,  when  she  died  at  the  early  age  of  twenty- 
one  years.  She  left  one  son,  George  R.  In  1866 
Mr.  Petty  was  again  married,  his  bride  being  Caro- 
line Britton,  who  was  born  in  this  township,  July 
7,  1843.  She  is  a  woman  of  estimable  character,  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
valued  not  only  in  the  home  circle,  but  in  the  com- 
munity of  which  she  is  a  member.  This  union  has 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  three  children,  all  living 
and  named  respeclivel}',  Marj'  E..  Clara  H.  and 
Ellen  Blanche.  The  eldest  is  now 'the  wife  of  C. 
M.  Doss. 


--i— ^^^ 


isHOMAS  H.  COLEY  of  Pittsfield,  holds  the 
('/|^^^  important  oflice  of  Treasurer  of  Pike 
^^^^'  County.  He  has  for  along  time  been  iden- 
tified both  witli  the  agricultural  and  tlie  educational 
interests  of  this  section  of  country,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  its  social,  religious  and  public  life. 

Mr.  Coley  was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Ind., 
December  21.  1836.  His  father,  William  B.  Colcy, 
was  born  in  Virginia,  October  10,  1799,    a    son   of 


Isom  Coley  who  was  supposed  to  be  of^German 
descent.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth 
(McLain)  Coley,  was  a  daughter  of  John  McLain, 
a  native  of  Irel.and,  and  she  was  born  in  German- 
town,  Ky.,  in  1802,  and  there  grew  to  womanhood 
and  married.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  car- 
penter and  joiner.  He  moved  to  Indiana  and  lo- 
cated near  Greencastle,  whence  he' came  with  his 
family  to  Pike  County  in  IS.il.  He  settled  per- 
manently on  a  farm  in  Martinsburg  Township,  and 
there  followed  the  business  of  general  farming  quite 
profitably  until  his  death  Augusts,  187.).  His  wife 
and  eight  of  his  children  survived  him.  there  hav- 
ing been  originally  nine  children,  of  whom  eight 
giew  to  maturity  and  married,  and  six  of  them  are 
still  living.  Of  the  children  the  following  is  writ- 
ten: Robert  L,  lives  in  Coles  County,  111.;  Nancy 
J.  married  William  S.  Brown  and  died  in  Gra3'son 
County,  Tex.;  Albert  G.  is  a  blacksmith  in  Pitts- 
field;  Lewis  J.  died  in  Parke  County,  Ind.;  Eliza E. 
is  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Crow  of  Calhoun,  Henry 
County,  Mo. ;  Thomas  H.,  our  subject;  John  L.  is 
a  farmer  of  Pike  County;  Ann  Elizabeth  is  the  wife 
of  B.  T.  Duftield  of  Edge  wood,  .Mo;  Maiy  V.  mar- 
ried William  A.  Goodin  and  died  in  Pike  County. 

Thomas  H.  Coley  of  whom  we  write,  lived  in  his 
native  countj'  until  he  was  fourteen  years  old  and 
laid  the  basis  of  his  education  in  its  schools.  He 
attended  school  a  short  liine  in  Pittsfield  after 
coming  to  Pike  Couuty,  and  then  began  life  for 
himself  as  a  farmer,  and  also  engaged  in  teaching, 
following  those  vocations  alternately.  He  subse- 
quently bought  a  steam  flouring  mill  at  El  Dara. 
which  he  operated  twelve  years  with  good  pecuni- 
ary success,  and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  his 
farm  work  in  connection  with  milling.  He  still  re- 
tains possession  of  his  farm,  which  is  well  improved 
and  is  in  every  way  a  valuable  and  desirable  piece 
of  propert}-. 

In  the  fall  of  1886,  Mr.  Coley  was  elected  Treas- 
urer of  Pike  County,  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his 
office  in  December,  1886,  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
In  the  management  of  the  affairs  thus  entrusted  to 
him,  he  shows  good  financial  talent,  and  excellent 
business  ability,  and  is  conducting  the  moneyed  in- 
terests of  the  county  in  a  very  satisfactory-  manner. 
Mr.  Colej'   has  long    mingled  in   public  life,    and 


262 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


while  a  resident  of  Derry  Township,  was  one  of  its 
most  prominent  civic  officials.  He  represented  it 
on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  several  years, 
and  he  was  local  Sciiool  Treasurer  for  twelve  years. 
Politically,  he  is  identified  with  the  Democrats. 
Religiously,  lie  is  a.  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  his  whole  career  has  been  guided  by  its  lofty 
principles. 

Mr.  Coley  was  married  September  30,  1860,  to 
Martha  E.  Goodin  and  their  wedded  life  has  been 
productive  to  them  of  much  happiness.  Mrs- 
Coley  is  a  daughter  of  Hardin  Goodin,  who  came 
from  Missouri  to  Pike  Countj'.  The  union  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife  has  been  greatly  blessed  to 
them  b}'  the  birth  of  nine  children  as  follows: 
Mary  E.,  wife  of  Freil  V.  Chamberlain;  Lewis  H.,  a 
resident  of  Texas;  ^Yilliam  L  ,  Principal  of  the 
Milton  schools;  Carrie  M.,  a  teacher  in  San  Antonio, 
Tex.;  Lucius  A.,  a  clerk;  Henrj'  Virgil,  a  school- 
boy; Lillie  M.,  Goldie  R. ;  and  George  Everett. 
The  four  latter  are  at  home  with  their  parents. 


\Y70HN  a.  hoover,  who  is  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  fruit  culture  on  section  13, 
Montezuma  Township,  was  horn  on  his  fa- 
J  titer's  farm  on  section  8,  January  2G,  1834. 
His  parents,  John  and  Cynthia  A.  (P.ntton)  Hoover, 
were  for  many  years  residents  of  Pike  county. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  White  County, 
111.,  and  four  years  later  they  removed  to  Pike 
County,  where  thoj-  spent  the  remainder  of  their 
lives. 

Our  subject  was  reared  to  manhood  among  the 
wild  scenes  of  frontier  life  and  in  his  youth  was 
inured  to  hard  labor.  His  educational  advantages 
were  very  limited.  He  attended  the  first  school 
built  in  Montezuma  Township,  which  was  taught 
by  Walter  Tucker,  who  is  now  deceased.  The 
building  was  made  of  logs,  the  seats  were  of  slabs 
and  Ihe  windows  were  covered  with  greased  paper. 
Like  a  dutiful  son  Mr.  Hoover  remained  at  home 
assisting  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  farm  until 
he  had  attained  his  majority,  when  he  began  life 
for  himself.  In  company  with  his  youngest  brother, 


Eli,  he  rented  the  old  homestead  which  together 
Ihey  operated  for  five  years,  when  he  turned  his 
attention  to  mercantile  pursuits.  Going  to  Milton 
in  1859  he  entered  the  general  merchandise  store 
of  William  Crary,  who  afterward  sold  out  to  Will- 
iam McCrudden,  with  whom  he  remained  as  sales- 
man until  1869.  His  employer  then  sold  out  and 
removed  to  Nevada  City,  Mo.,  taking  with  him 
Mr.  Hoover  who  assisted  in  openinga  general  store 
and  continued  as  clerk  for  Mr.  McCrudden  for  two 
j^ears.  He  then  returned  to  his  home  in  Milton, 
where  for  some  time  he  was  again  engaged  as  a 
salesman,  but  during  later  years  he  h:ts  devoted 
his  time  and  attention  to  superintending  his  farms. 

On  the  11th  of  December,  1889,  Mr.  Hoover  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Augusta,  daughter  of 
Isaac  and  Linnie  (Siltoii)  Ammerman,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  Missouri,  in  which  State  they 
were  married  and  resided  until  1875  when  they 
came  to  Pike  County,  111.  The  mother  died  in 
1880,  but  Mr.  Ammerman  is  still  living  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three  jears.  He  served  in  the  State  Mil- 
tia  of  Missouri,  doing  duty  at  Rolla,  Phelps  County. 
He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  has  followed  that 
business  throughout  his  entire  life  as  a  means  of 
livelihood.  Mrs.  Hoover  was  one  of  nine  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living,  namely :  Henry,  Ver- 
lenia,  wife  of  Daniel  Burns,  of  Griggsville;  Re- 
becca, wife  of  Jasper  Jennison,  of  Detroit,  111.,  by 
whom  she  has  five  children;  Franz;  Eunice,  wife  of 
Fred  Stoner  of  Detroit  Township,  by  whom  she  has 
three  children;  Eliza  and  Augusta.  The  mother  of 
this  family  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

Mrs.  Hoover  was  born  October  30,  lSo8,  in 
Mary's  County,  Mo.,  and  in  her  maidenhood  she 
walked  two  and  one-fodrth  miles  to  and  from 
school.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Hoover  atliiates  with  the  I'nion 
Labor  party.  He  keeps  himself  well  informed  on 
all  questions  of  general  interest,  whether  political 
or  otherwise  and  is  a  well-known  citizen  of  this 
commnnity.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  land  which  is  divided  into  two  farms,  each 
being  su[)plied  with  all  the  necessary  buildings  and 
improvements.  One  of  these  he  rents,  while  the 
other,  situated  on  section  13.  lie  personally  oper- 
ates.    The   greater  part   of  his  land  is  devoted  to 


I 

* 


f^'^^^^^iiSii- 


J 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


265 


fruit  culture.  His  apple  orchard  comprises  twelve 
acres  containing  tive  hundred  trees;  Ijeside  these  he 
raises  plums,  cherries,  pears,  peaches  and  apricots 
and  a  great  deal  of  small  fruit,  such  as  blackberries, 
raspberries,  gooseberries  and  currants.  He  proposes 
to  engage  extensivel}'  in  fruit  culture  and  will  no 
doubt  be  quite  successful  in  his  undertakings  as  he 
is  a  man  of  good  business  principles. 


':^^ 


ON.  JOHN  McDonald,  whose  portrait  is 
y  presented  on  the  opposite  page,  was  l.)orn  in 
.=>^  Gilead  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  February 
"^^  10.  1832,  and  consequently  is  one  of  the 
oldest  native-born  citizens  of  this  section.  His 
father,  John  McDonald,  w-as  a  native  of  Chambers- 
burg.  Pa.,  his  birth  taking  place  in  April,  1797. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Edward  McDonald, 
was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  so  far  as  known  is  the 
only  member  of  his  family'  who  came  to  America 
and  made  a  permanent  settlement.  He  located  in 
Cliambersburg  and  there  lived  till  his  death.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  ^Mar}'  Campbell,  who 
was  also  born  in  the  Emei-ald  Isle  of  Scotch 
ancestry.  They  reared  a  family  of  seven  children, 
as  follows:  Patrick,  Perrin,  John,  James,  Edward, 
Mary  and  JIaria. 

John,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  educated  bj^ 
an  uncle,  into  whose  store  he  was  afterward  taken 
as  book-keeper,  retaining  the  position  till  1825, 
when  he  resolveil  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  far  West. 
His  first  location  was  made  in  Wayne  County,  this 
.State,  where  he  spent  some  time  in  teaching  and 
clerking.  He  then  removed  to  the  vicinity  of 
Galena  and  was  employed  in  tlie  lead  mines  for 
eighteen  months.  In  1829  he  came  to  Calhoun 
County,  settling  in  Point  Precinct,  where  he  taught 
one  term  of  school.  Removing  from  there  to 
Ciilead,  he  spent  his  time  in  teaching  and  clerking 
till  1837,  when  he  i)urchased  a  tract  of  timber 
land  on  section  23,  now  included  in  Hardin  Pre-. 
cinct.  There  was  a  log  cabin  on  the  place,  into 
which  the  family  removed,  and  there  the  father 
resided  till  his  death  in  July,  1846.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Democrat,  and  served   as  Sheriff  from  1836 


to  1840.  lie  was  elected  to  the  Slate  Legislature 
three  times  in  succession  and  was  a  member  of  that 
body  at  the  time  of  bis  death.  He  had  also 
creditably  filled  the  ofiices  of  County  Commis- 
sioner, Assessor  and  Treasurer  of  Calhoun  County, 
and  was  widely-known  and  highlj'  I'espected. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Ann  Red.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania;  her 
father,  Daniel  Red,  who  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
having  come  to  America  with  his  father  at  the  age 
of  seventeen  years.  Daniel  Red  settled  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  farmed  there  for  a  while,  removing 
to  Wayne  Count)'.  III.,  at  an  early  day,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  and  also  carried 
on  farming.  After  a  few  years  lie  went  to  Calhoun 
County,  settling  in  Point  Precinct,  where  he  pur- 
chased land  and  improved  a  farm,  and  on  this 
place  he  died.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Mary  Welch,  and  she  was  born  in  the  Keystone 
State,  and  spent  her  last  years  in  Point  Precinct. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  died  on  the  home  farm 
in  1884.  They  reared  a  family  of  six  children, 
named  respective!)':  Mary,  John.  .James,  Charles, 
Ann  and  Stephen. 

John  McDonald,  our  subject,  was  reared  and 
educated  in  his  native  county,  where  be  attended 
the  pioneer  schools  held  in  the  rude  log  school- 
houses,  so  often  described  in  the  history  of  those 
early  times.  His  home  surroundings  were  of  the 
same  primitive  nature,  his  mother,  like  all  the 
housewives  of  those  days,  carding  and  s|)inning 
the  flax  and  wool,  from  which  she  manufactured 
the  family  wardrobes,  and  doing  her  cooking  by 
the  open  fireplace.  Her  first  stove  was  purchased 
in  1845,  and  doubtless  its  arrival  was  an  event  of 
great  importance. 

At  the  death  of  his  father  our  subject  became  the 
head  of  the  famil\-,and  has  ever  since  managed  the 
estate.  He  now  owns  U|)vvard  of  fifteen  hundred 
acres,  all  in  Calhoun  County.  The  home  farm 
comprises  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  in  the  Illinois  River 
bottoms;  fiflj'  acres  of  this  property  is  in  orchard. 
A  view  of  his  pleasant  home  ai)pears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.  Mr.  McDonald  is  a  member  of  St. 
Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  and  in  politics  is  a 
Democrat.     His  popularity   in  this  section  of  the 


266 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


country  is  evinced  In'  the  fact  tliat  he  has  been 
twice  chosen  to  represent  it  in  the  State  Li-gislature, 
his  second  election  taking  place  in  the  fall  of  18S8. 
He  is  a  highly  respected  citizen,  with  whom  no 
fault  can  be  found,  except  that  he  prefers  a  life  of 
single  blessedness  to  that  of  the  married  state.    "_ 


.Jv 


-^^^:^^5^'k¥^^f^-^^ 


,^?^E0ROE  R.   SANDERSON   is   ably  serving 

(ff ,  the  public  as  Postmaster  of  Pittsfield.     He 

V\;J]([  is  a  line  representative  of  the  natives  of 
Pik-e  County,  wlio  fought  in  the  late  war  and  did  so 
much  to  preserve  the  Union  in  its  integrity.  He 
was  born  July  29,  1S40,  on  his  father's  homestead, 
near  Summer  Hill,  iu  Atlas  Township. 

JohnR.  Sanderson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  was  born  in  Troy, 
March  7,  1800.  He  was  a  millwright  in  his  early 
years,  carrying  on  his  trade  in  New  York  till  his 
removal  to  Pike  County  in  1836,  he  thus  becoming 
a  pioneer  of  this  county,  and  his  industry,  energy 
and  enterprise  aided  in  building  it  up.  He  settled 
near  Summer  Hill,  and  there  erected  the  Rockport 
Flouring  Mills,  and  for  the  rest  of  his  active  life 
was  engaged  at  his  trade,  being  a  millwright,  and 
placed  himself  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He 
is  still  living  at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety  years, 
and  makes  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  A.  G. 
Coley,  iu  Pittsfield.  He  married  when  a  young  man 
in  New  York,  taking  as  his  wife  Miss  Abigail 
Bennett,  a  native  of  New  York.  Their  union 
was  productive  of  four  boys  and  two  girls, 
of  whom  two'  boys  are  deceased.  The  sons  were 
named  as  follows:  Robert  B..  William,  George 
R.,  and  Charles  F.  The  latter  sacrificed  his 
life  on  the  altar  of  his  country.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Sixteenth  Illinois  Infantry  and  died  while 
engaged  in  battle. 

George  R.  Sanderson  passed  his  school  days  at 
Summer  Hill,  and  began  life  for  himself  as  a  clerk 
in  the  store  of  Abbott  &  Dickson  at  Pittsfield. 
The  breaking  out  of  the  war  roused  all  of  his 
patriotic  fervor  and  he  was  among  the  first  to  spring 
to  arms  to  defend  the  honor  of  our  country,  and  in 
April,  18G1,  his  name  was  enrolled  as  a  member  of 


Company  G,  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  commanded 
by  Col.  Richard  Oglesby.  Our  subject  served  five 
years  and  one  month  and  took  part  in  many  battles. 
He  assisted  in  capturing  Ft.  Donelson.  was  present 
at  Shiloh,  was  active  in  the  siege  »of  Corinth, 
and  in  the  siege  and  battles  of  Yicksburg,  fought 
nobly  at  Ft.  Henry,  in  the  siege  of  Mobile  and  at 
Ft.  Blakeslcy,  where  he  was  shot,  a  ball  entering 
his  chest  near  the  heart  and  coming  out  on  the  left 
side.  It  was  supposed  he  was  mortally  wounded, 
and  he  was  taken  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  lay  in 
a  hospital  suffering  greatly  some  nine  months.  He 
then  rejoined  his  regiment  at  Marshall,  Tex.  His 
services  were  recognized  by  his  superiors,  who 
found  in  him  a  very  able  soldier  who  was  prompt 
in  obeying  orders,  was  decisive  in  action,  cool  and 
courageous  in  the  heat  of  battle,  and  he  whs  com- 
missioned First  Lieutenant.  He  was  ordered  to 
Springfield,  111.,  and  w.as  finally  mustered  out  of  the 
service  in  the  month  of  May,  1866. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  our  subject  began  clerk- 
ing in  Pittsfield  for  Furry,  Adams  &  Thompson, 
with  whom  he  remained  two  years,  and  his  experi- 
ence there,  with  what  he  had  gained  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  prior  to  the  war,  gave  him  a  fine 
insight  into  business.  He  subsequently  went  to 
River  Falls,  Wis.,  where  he  acted  in  the  same 
capacity  for  his  brother,  William  Sanderson.  He 
was  engaged  with  him  two  years,  and  then  return- 
ing to  Pittsfield  embarked  in  business  on  his  own 
account,  opening  a  store  for  the  sale  of  boots  and 
shoes.  He  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Pittsfield 
in  1882.  He  served  the  remainder  of  President 
Arthur's  administration,  and  retained  the  position 
some  two  years  after  President  Cleveland  took  the 
chair.  His  whole  course  while  in  office  was  such  as 
to  secure  the  confidence  of  the  people,  with  whom 
he  is  popular  as  he  is  always  obliging,  pleasant  and 
courteous,  and  he  performed  his  duties  in  a 
systematic  business-like  way.  Hence  it  was  that 
in  November,  1889,  hj  received  the  compliment  of 
a  re-appointment  to  the  Postraastership  by  President 
Harrison,  and  is  carrying  on  the  affairs  of  the  office 
with  his  former  promptness  and  ability,  and  to  the 
satisf  iclion  of  all  whom  he  serves. 

In  Mr.  Sanderson  the  citizenship  of  his  native 
county  finds  one  who  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  it, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


267 


as  has  been  proved  by  his  noble  course  in  time  of 
war  and  by-  his  conduct  in  times  of  peace.  Mr. 
Sanderson  was  happily  married  in  the  month  of 
May.  1869,  to  Miss  Matilda  E.  Matthews,  a  daughter 
of  John  Matthews,  and  tlieir  pleasant  home  is 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  their  daughter,  AnnaG., 
wlio  is  now  in  her  sixteenth  year. 

/<^EORGE  H.  WIIITTAKER.  a  resident  of 
[|j  (— p  Pittsfield,  is  County  Surve^yor  of  Pilve 
■V^J  County,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  our  most 
eflicient  civic  officials.  He  is  a  native  of  Rhode 
Island,  born  in  the  town  of  Lonsdale,  in  the  month 
of  October,  1852.  His  faliier,  George  Whittaker, 
was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  in  1814,  and  was 
the  son  of  Roland  Whittaker. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  (Cunniff) 
Whittaker,  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  a  daughter  of 
Hugh  and  Bridget  (Moran)  Cunniff,  and  was  born 
in  1813.  She  was  the  second  vvife  of  the  father  of 
our  subject,  to  whom  she  was  united  in  marriage  in 
1819,  in  tlie  citv  of  Providence.  R.  I.  Tliree  chil- 
dren were  born  of  their  union,  as  follows:  Mary- 
Ann,  deceased;  George  H.,  our  subject;  and  Eliza- 
betli,  wife  of  P.atrick  Morris,  of  Pittsfiejd. 

The  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Pike  County 
in  1857,  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  its  pioneiMS.  He 
took  up  his  residence  in  Pittsfield,  and  here  died  in 
1874,  in  his  fifty-ninth  year.  George  H.  Whit- 
taker, of  whom  this  sketch  is  written,  is  the  grand- 
son of  Hugh  Cunniff,  who  was  a  man  of  fine  parts 
and  of  unich  learning,  having  received  bis  educa- 
tion at  the  noted  Dublin  College  in  Ireland.  He 
was  a  surveyor,  and  it  would  seem  that  from  him 
our  subject  inherited  qualifications  for  the  profes- 
sion and  a  taste  for  tlic  work  to  which  he  has  de- 
voted himself  so  many  years.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  a  block  printer  of  calicoes,  and  was  em- 
ployed Rt  his  business  in  the  factories  at  Providence 
until  he  removed  to  Pittsfield. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  a  mere  lad  when  he 
came  to  this  city,  and  his  education  was  received 
mainly  in  the  excellent  public  schools  of  Pitts- 
field, where  he  obtained  high  rank  for  scholarshii>. 


In  due  time  he  entered  the  profession  of  a  teacher 
i'.aving  been  well  prepared  for  the  calling,  and  for 
four  years,  he  was  successfully  engaged  at  it.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  Mr.  Whittaker  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  County  Surveyor  under  Isaac  A. 
Clark  for  a  term  of  four  years.  So  ably  did  he  dis- 
charge the  duties  tlius  devolving  upon  him,  tiiat  it 
seemed  to  follow  that  he  should  be  promoted  to  tiie 
position  of  County  Surveyor,  to  wliich  office  he 
was  elected  when  his  term  expired  as  Deputy.  He 
acted  in  that  capacity  four  years,  and  so  well  did  he 
transact  its  business  that  he  was  re-elected  and  is 
still  County  Surveyor.  Mr.  Whittaker  was  united 
in  marriage  on  the  29th  of  October,  1890.  wiili 
Miss  Rose  B.  McGary,  a  daughter  of  Bernard 
and  Mary  McGarj-,  of  Pittsfield.  She  was  born  in 
that  place  on  the  10th  of  March,  1857.  He  is  a  man 
of  bright,  well  trained  mind,  possesses  a  firm  and 
resolute  character,  and  stands  high  in  his  commu- 
nity both  in  public  and  private  life.  In  political 
sentiment  he  is  with  the  Democrats,  and  they  have 
always  enthusiastically  supported  him  wiien  he  has 
been  nominated  for  office. 

Mr.  Whittaker  is  the  proprietor  of  a  fine  little 
farm  of  sixt}'  .acres,  and  lias  built  a  neat  and  sub- 
stantial residence  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  citv  of 
Pittsfield,  for  himself,  wife  and  aged  mother  for 
whom  he  cares  in  her  declining  years. 

'LBERr  G.  CRAWFORD,  of  the  law  firm 
of  Orr  ct  Crawford,  Pittsfield,  although 
still  on  the  sunny  side  of  life  has  attained 
a  iiigh  rank  among  the  lawyers  of  Pike 
County.  His  native  ability  and  energy  ensured 
his  success  when  he  determined  to  devote  himself 
to  legal  studies,  and  the  record  which  he  is  making 
has  not  disappointed  his  friends.  He  is  a  native  of 
this  county,  liaving  been  born  near  Perry,  March 
17,  1854.  His  parents,  John  G.  and  Rhoda  (  Mc- 
Lear)  Crawford,  are  living  in  Pittsfield,  passing 
their  declining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  com- 
forts of  life,  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  their  fel- 
low-men. and  the  devoted  love  of  their  children. 
Samuel  Crawford,  grandfather   of  our  subject, 


268 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction,  being  a  member  of 
a  familj'  which  emigrated  to  America  prior  to  the 
Revolution.  He  was  living  in  Tennessee,  wlien 
October  8,  1816,  the  son  was  born  who  became  the 
father  of  our  subject.  In  the  same  State  Rhoda 
MeLear  was  born  September  3,  1825.  In  1836 
John  G.  Crawford  came  to  the  Prairie  State,  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Scott  County  until  1847,  tlien  re- 
moving to  Pike  County,  and  locating  on  a  farm  in 
Fairmount  Townsiiip.  There  he  remained  until 
his  removal  to  the  county  seat.  He  and  his  good 
wife  had  thirteen  children,  of  whom  six  are  now 
living,  our  subject  being  the  second  son. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  received  his  earl}' 
education  in  tlie  scliools  of  Perry,  after  which  he 
entered  Blackburn  University  at  C'arlin\ille,  III. 
After  completing  the  course  of  study  there,  Le  read 
law  with  Jefferson  Orr,  at  that  time  State's  Attor- 
ney, and  then  going  to  Chicago,  entered  the  Union 
College  of  Law,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
June,  1876.  On  July  4  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Craw- 
ford was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  Pittsfleld,  carrying  on  his 
labors  alone  until  1881,  when  he  formed  a  copart- 
nership  with  his  former  preceptor.  He  practices  in 
all  the  courts,  Federal,  State  and  local,  is  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  lucrative  business,  and  is  adding  year 
by  year  to  his  reputation  as  one  who  understands 
the  principles  underlying,  and  the  precedents  estab- 
lished in  the  profession. 

Mr.  Crawford  has  been  twice  married,  first  in 
1876  to  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Doan,  of  Fair- 
mount,  and  herself  a  native  of  Pike  County.  She 
survived  onl}'  until  October  7,  1877,  when  she 
closed  her  eyes  in  death,  leaving  an  infant  daugh- 
ter ten  days  old,  who  bears  her  mother's  name, 
Mary  Doan  Crawford.  A  second  matrimonial  alli- 
ance was  contracted  by  Mr.  Crawford  September 
.s,  1880,  when  he  was  united  with  Miss  Charlotte, 
daughter  of  Capt.  B.  F.  Westlake,  who  was  a  Pro- 
vost Blarshal  during  the  war.  The  present  Sirs. 
Crawfoifl  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  one  son 
and  two  daughters,  named  respectivel}-:  Albert  Jr., 
Florence  and  Edith.  The  neatness  which  charac- 
terizes the  substantial  dwelling  occupied  by  our 
subject,  affords  abundant  evidence  of  the  house- 
wifclv  skill  of    his  wife,  and    the  mention   of  her 


name  is  sufficient  to  indicate  that  she  has  many 
friends  among  the  intelligent  and  worthy  members 
of  the  community. 

The  principles  laid  down  by  the  Republican  party 
find  a  stanch  supporter  in  Mr.  Crawford.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  An- 
cient Order  of  United  Workmen  in  which,  as  in 
the  social  circles  of  the  town,  his  intelligence  and 
courtesy  give  him  prominence.  Financially  he  is 
well  situated,  owning  three  good  farms  in  Pike 
Count}'  and  one  of  eighty  .acres  in  .Shelby  County. 


-^-^^- 


<*  l^/ILLIAM  H.  CROW,  attorney  at  law  and 
\rJ//  Master  iu  Chancery  at  Pittsfleld,  stands  at 
\^/^  the  head  of  his  profession  in  Pike  County. 
Aside  from  his  legal  abilitj'  he  possesses  financial 
t-,lent  of  a  high  order  and  is  one  of  the  well  to  do 
men  of  this  part  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Crow  was  born  in  the  city  of  Wheeling, 
West  Virginia,  March  12th.  1848.  Charles  F. 
Crow,  his  father,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  He  was  a  son  of 
William  Crow,  a  native  of  Germany.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  was  Margaret  (Hughes)  Crow.  She 
was  born  in  Virginia  in  1834,  and  was  a  daughlir 
of  George  Hughes  who  was  of  Scotch  descent.  Si;e 
died  in  the  spring  of  1878.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject is  still  living,  m'lking  his  home  in  Carter 
County,  Mo.,  and  is  in  his  seventy-first  year, 
he  having  been  born  in  1820. 

William  H.  Crow  is  the  second  son  of  a  family 
of  five  children,  of  whom  four  survive,  the  oldest 
brother  being  now  deail.  The  others  are  George, 
a  resident  of  Kansas;  Wa3'ne,  who  lives  in  Texas; 
Mary  C.  Bales,  a  widow  living  witli  her  father. 
and  our  subject.  The  latter  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  was 
thus  well  prepared  for  college  when  he  entered 
Butler  University,  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.  He  pur- 
sued a  course  of  study  there  ami  afterward  attended 
Eureka  College,  at  Eureka,  111.,  and  was  thus  finely 
equipped  for  the  profession  of  a  teacher,  which  he 
pursued  the  ensuing  five  years.  He  then  aban- 
doned that  vocation  to  take  up  the  study  of  law 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


269 


witli  .1.  \V.  .lolinson.  iind  was  admitted  to  llie  bar 
in  1883  at  Pittsfield,  wlieie  lie  established  himself 
ill  practiee. 

Ill  1877,  Mr.  Crow  was  elected  Cdunly  Superin- 
tendent of  Sehools,  and  served  in  that  ciipaeit}'  for 
live  years,  having  been  ap|)iiinted  for  tlie  .addi- 
tional year  on  account  of  the  change  in  the  school 
law.  He  was  subsequently  appointed  Master  in 
Ciianeery  for  a  period  of  two  yeais,  was  twice 
re-appointed  and  is  now  serving  his  third  term. 
He  is  am  lily  fitted  for  this  oltice,  as  he  lias  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  law,  possesses  keen  and 
read}-  judgment  and  is  never  influenced  by  per- 
sonal or  money  considerations.  He  is  very  promi- 
nent in  the  politicrd  life  of  this  county,  being  a 
leader  among  the  Democrats  and  one  of  tiie  finest 
campaign  orators  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Crow  has  a  decided  talent  for  business  and 
has  become  rich  by  dealing  in  real  estate  in  Kansas 
City  and  Chicago.  He  has  a  handsome  and  sub- 
stantial residence  in  the  west  part  of  PiltsBeld  and 
he  owns  two  valuable  farms  and  has  a  half  interest 
in  another.  He  is  also  interested  in  breeding  draft 
horses  and  trotters  and  li.as  his  farms  well  stocked 
with  animals  of  a  high  grade. 

Mr.  Crow  was  married  September  "2,  1869,  to 
Miss  Emma  Clark  of  Eureka.  III.  Mrs.  Crow  is  a 
daughter  of  Robert  M.  and  Cynthia  Clark.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crow  are  people  of  high  social  standing,  and 
are  valued  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 


-5-+ 


-t>4-i- 


RS.  PARTIIEXA  A.  FOILES,  who  re- 
sides on  section  26,  Belleview  Precinct,  is 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Cal- 
houn Count\-,  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  and 
a  daughter  of  Daviil  and  Elizabeth  (Knight)  Trow- 
bridge. Her  father  is  now  deceased  and  her  mother 
is  a  resident  of  Calhoun  Count3^  The  daughter 
was  born  .lanuary  29,  1834,  and  received  a  fair 
education  in  the  schools  of  her  native  State.  After 
arriving  at  years  of  womanhood,  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Henry  V.  Foiles,  their  union 
being  celebrated  July  17,  18.53.  .Mr.  Ecjiles  was 
also  a  native  of  Viriiiuia  and  was  a  Ijrolher  of  John 


Foiles,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  with  a  large 
family  of  chililren  of  whom  the  following  yet 
abide:  Roselia,  wife  of  William  H.Tliarp  of  Cal- 
houn County;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Alexander  Libbel, 
of  Calhoun  County;  John  AV.  residing  in  Callioun 
County;  Mary  C.  wife  of  John  .Skirven  of  Pike 
County;  Eliza  at  home;  Alice,  wife  of  .Sloeum 
Glowers,  of  Missouri;  Lewis  L.  of  Caliioiin  County; 
Luella,  wife  of  Peter  Miller  of  Wisconsin;  and 
Thomas  J.  who  makes  his  home  in  Calhoun  County. 
Three  of  the  famii}-  are  now  deceased.  Sabantha 
L.,  Harriet  and  Laura. 

About  1854,  Mr.  Foiles  and  his  father  visited 
Calhoun  Count}-,  III.,  witli  the  intention  of  making 
a  permanent  location  should  the}'  find  the  country 
to  be  all  that  it  had  been  represented  to  them.  Tliej- 
were  not  disappointed  in  their  hopes  and  after  a 
year  Mr.  Foiles  returned  to  Virginia  and  brought 
his  famil}'  to  the  new  home  whicli  he  had  prepared 
for  them  in  the  West.  In  his  youth  he  had  learned 
the  trades  of  wasonmakiiig  and  blacksmithiiig  and 
he  now  built  a  shop  on  the  farm  of  Uncle  John 
Foiles  where  he  worked  at  the  two  trades  for  some 
time.  He  afterward  built  a  shop  on  the  farm 
now  owned  by  George  Luraley.  where  he  carried 
on  business  for  a  number  of  years.  Being  an  ex- 
pert workman  he  soon  won  a  liberal  patronage  and 
the  excellent  trade  which  he  received  was  fast  gain- 
ing for  him  a  comfortable  competence,  but  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  war  he  was  drafted  into  the 
service  anil  compelled  to  leave  his  home.  He  par- 
ticipated in  several  skirmishes  and  at  the  close  of 
the  war  was  honorably  discharged.  Returning  to 
his  home  he  once  more  resumed  his  former  occu- 
pations which  he  continued  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death  January  12,  1884. 

Mr.  Foiles  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a 
public-spirited  and  i)rogressive  citizen  whose  death 
proved  a  great  loss  to  the  community  in  which  he 
made  his  home.  He  enjoyed  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  fellow-townsmen  in  a  marked  degree 
and  the  sympathy  of  the  entire  community  was  ex- 
tended to  his  bereaved  family.  He  left  to  his 
widow  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  .acres 
of  land  which  releases  her  from  the  cire  which 
would  devolve  upon  her  had  she  to  labor  for  her 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


own  support.  Mrs.  Foiles  is  a  lady  of  many  ex- 
cellencies of  character  and  like  her  husband  has 
many  warm  friends. 

Their  son  Lewis  L.  was  born  in  Callioun  County, 
March  26,  1868,  and  was  educated  in  its  public 
schools.  Under  the  parental  roof  he  spent  the  days 
of  his  childhood  and  at  length,  having  attained  to 
mature  years,  on  August  10,  1890,  he  was  joined 
in  wedlock  with  Miss  Mary  Nevius,  daughter  of 
D.  S.  H.  Nevius,  whose  sketcli  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  Lewis  Foiles  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  is  classed  among  the  representative 
young  farmers  of  the  neighborhood.  Upright  and 
honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  his  word  is  as  good  as 
bis  bond  and  he  deserves  special  mention  in  this 
history.  We  lake  great  pleasure  in  presenting  this 
brief  sketch  of  the  Foiles  family,  knowing  that  it 
will  be  received  with  interest  by  many  of  our 
readers. 

— -i^m — 


ORRIS  FISHER.  It  requires  but  a  cur- 
sory view  throughout  the  business  streets 
of  any  municipality-  to  give  an  observer  a 
fair  idea  of  the  most  prominent  and  pro- 
gressive dealers.  In  walking  about  Hardin  one 
will  find  several  flciurishing  establishments,  but  will 
soon  he  led  to  conclude  that  that  uf  our  subject 
occupies  the  front  rank.  A  handsonie  frsme  build- 
ing, o2xG9  feet  and  two  stories  in  height,  is  the 
seat  of  the  mercantile  operations  of  Mr.  Fisher, 
whose  business  tact  and  enterprise  are  meeting  with 
their  due  reward  in  securing  for  him  a  competency. 
The  upper  floor  of  the  building  is  occupied  by  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  lower  is  filled  with  a  full  line 
of  groceries,  dry-goods  and  other  articles  of  house- 
hold use.  The  goods  are  nicely  arranged,  are  well- 
selected  and  are  willingly  displayed  by  the  courteous 
employes. 

Mr.  Fisher  was  born  in  the  Dukedom  of  Coburg, 
now  a  province  of  Prussia,  Feliruary  25,  1834.  His 
father,  .Idhn  Fisher,  was  born  in  the  same  province 
and  there  grew  to  maturity  and  married  Mary  Reih- 
ienier.  a  native  of  the  same  place.  John  Fisher 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  and  followed  it  in 
his  own  land  until  1836,  when  he  came  to  .Vraerica. 


He  had  lost  his  wife,  and  their  only  child,  our  sub- 
ject, was  left  in  charge  of  an  uncle.  Mr.  Fisher 
settled  in  York  County,  Pa.,  buying  a  home  and 
continuing  to  work  at  his  trade  there  until  about 
1854.  He  then  came  to  the  Prairie  State  and  set- 
tled upon  a  farm  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Milton, 
Pike  County.  From  that  time  until  his  decease  he 
devoted  himself  principally  to  agriculture. 

Our  subject  w.as  two  years  old  when  his  mother 
died  and  he  remained  with  his  uncle  attending 
school  until  fifteen  3ears  old.  He  then  came  to 
America  to  join  his  father  and  a  few  months  after 
his  arrival  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
He  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  in  York 
County,  Pa.,  did  journey-work  there  a  year  and 
then  spent  a  year  in  Memphis,  Tenn.  Returning 
to  Pennsylvania  he  carried  on  the  business  of  a 
contractor  and  builder  until  1860,  when  he  went 
again  to  Memphis  and  sojourned  until  1861.  He 
then  came  to  Pike  County,  this  State,  and  lived  in 
his  father's  neighborhood  a  year,  after  which  he 
followed  his  trade  in  the  rural  districts  of  Calhoun 
County  five  years. 

At  the  expir.ation  of  that  time  Mr.  Fisher  located 
in  Hardin,  working  at  his  trade  until  1883,  and 
during  the  last  ten  years  of  the  time  being  also  en- 
gaged in  tlie  sale  of  furniture  and  hardware.  He 
finally  gave  up  his  work  at  the  bench  and  turned 
his  attention  entirely  to  mercantile  pursuits.  He 
kept  a  full  line  of  furniture,  groceries,  hardware 
and  undertaking  goods  and  was  prospering  in  busi- 
ness, wiien  on  March  7,  1885,  his  store,  shop,  dwell- 
ing and  stable  were  destroyed  b}'  fire  and  the 
savings  of  twenty-five  years  nearly  swept  away. 
Undismayed  by  tlie  catastrophe,  Mr.  Fisher  at  once 
began  his  preparations  for  rebuilding  and  soon  his 
present  handsome  store  reared  its  walls  aloft.  Gro- 
ceries and  dry-goods,  queens  ware,  h.ardware,  boots 
and  shoes,  hats  and  caiis.  and  harness  arc  kept  in 
stock,  and  almost  everything  in  ever3'day  use  in 
the  home  may  be  found  in  jMr.  Fisher's  store. 

The  family  of  Mr.  Fisher  now  occupies  a  pleas- 
ant and  commodious  dwelling,  erected  by  him  in 
1885  not  far  from  the  store.  At  the  head  of  the 
household  is  the  lady  who  became  his  wife  in  Sep- 
tember, 1855,  prior  to  which  date  she  had  borne  the 
name  of  Sarah   Weller.      She    was    born    in    York 


PORTRAIT  AND  UIOCRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


271 


Countj'.'Pa.,  to  Jacob  Weller,  her  father  being  a 
native  of  Gerinaiiy  and  her  raotliev  of  the  same 
phic'O.  Mr.  ami  Mrs.  Fisher  have  six  chil<Irpn 
living  nr.uied  respectively:  Henry,  I.oiiisa,  Jans, 
Annie,  Morris  and  Clara.  The  entire  family  belong 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Fislier  votes  the 
Democratic  ticket. 

■ILLIAM  G.  HUBBARD,  a  brave  veteran 
of  the  late  war  is  now  connected  witli  the 
W^  agricultural  interests  of  Pike  County, 
having  a  good,  well  improved  farm  in  Barry  Town- 
shii).  He  is  well-known  in  Pike  County  of  whicli 
he  has  been  a  resi<lent  for  many  years  and  is  re- 
garded witli  feelings  of  confidence  and  esteem. 
Troy,  Lincoln  Count}',  Mo.,  is  the  place  of  his 
birth,  and  December  1,  1829,  the  date  thereof.  His 
father,  Eli  Hubbard  was,  it  is  thought,  born  in  one 
of  llie  Carolinas.  The  gramlfather  of  oui  suliject 
was  a  [lioneer  of  Pike  County,  and  finally  died  on 
his  farm  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township. 

The  father  of  our  subject  went  to  ^Hssouri  when 
a  youn^  man  and  was  there  married  to  Margaret 
Myers.  .She  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a 
daughter  of  Elijah  Myers,  who  is  thought  to  have 
been  born  in  \'irginia.  He  moved  from  Kentucky 
to  Missouri  in  an  early  d.ay  of  its  settlement  and 
was  a  pioneer  of  Lincoln  Count}'.  He  was  a  mill- 
wright and  worked  at  his  trade  a  part  of  the  time 
while  superintending  his  farm.  In  184.j  he  returned 
to  Kentucky  and  after  residing  there  for  a  time 
went  to  Texas  where  his  Last  years  were  spent.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  maternal  grandmother  of  our 
subject  was  Hannah  Barnett  and  she  died  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

The  father  of  our  subject  spent  his  early  married 
life  in  Missouri,  and  subsequently  came  to  Hlinois 
in  pioneer  times  and  settled  in  Pleasant  Hill  Town- 
ship, of  which  he  was  a  pioneer.  He  bought  land 
and  improved  the  farm  on.  whicli  he  resided  until 
185:^.  He  then  went  witli  a  team  across  the  plains 
to  Oregon,  where  he  bougiit  land  and  engaged  in 
farming.  He  later  became  a  preacher  in  the  Bap- 
tist Church  and  did  much  good  work  in  his  profes- 


sion until  death  closed  his  useful  career  on  a  farm 
in  .Salem,  that  State. 

Our  subject  was  an  infant  when  his  mother  died 
and  he  then  went  to  live  with  his  maternal  grand- 
parents in  Lincoln  County.  Mo.  Shortly  after  that 
his  father  came  to  Hlinois  and  servi-d  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War  When  William  was  a  boy  he  used  to 
make  frequent  visits  to  his  father  in  this  State  and 
spend  a  short  time.  AVhen  he  returned  he  made  his 
home  with  his  grandparents  in  Lincoln  County, 
Mo.,  untd  1845  and  then  came  to  Pike  County, 
and  made  his  home;  with  his  father  the  ensuing 
eighteen  months.  At  the  exi)iration  of  that  time 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  and  found  w^ork 
by  the  month  on  a  farm,  at  wliich  he  engaged  one 
year.  He  then  commenced  work  in  the  woolen 
mills  at  Barry  and  was  there  engageil  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war. 

As  soon  as  convenient  Mr.  Hubbard  threw  in  his 
lot  with  the  brave  citizen-soldiers  of  our  i  ountry 
who  had  gone  to  the  South  to  fight  for  the  honor  of 
the  old  flag.  He  enlisted  August  5.  186-2,  in  Com- 
pany D,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry  and  served 
untd  July.  1865.  He  had  a  chance  to  show  of  what 
stuff  he  was  made  in  many  hotly  contested  battles 
and  stood  the  test  well.  He  took  part  in  the  en- 
gagement with  the  enemy  at  Hartsville.  Mo.,  and 
in  the  siege  and  capt  ire  of  Vicksburg,  Ft.  Blakes- 
ley,  and  Spanish  Fort.  While  he  was  in  the  ser- 
vice, he  was  in  the  following  Stales:  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  Louisana,  Texas,  Mississippi,  Alabama 
and  Tennessee,  and  with  his  regiment  walked  thou- 
sands of  miles.  He  was  discharged  with  his  com- 
rades in  July,  1865,  and  returned  to  Barry  to 
recuperate.  In  1868,  Mr.  Hubbard  was  elected  to  the 
im|)ortant  office  of  Sheriff  of  the  county.  He  made 
a  popular  and  efficient  official  and  was  well  liked 
and  respected  by  all  about  him,  his  civic  position 
bridging  liim  in  contact  with  many  people.  After 
the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office.  Mr.  Hubbard 
bought  an  interest  in  a  woolen  mill,  which  proved 
to  be  a  bad  investment,  and  in  due  lime  his  money 
was  lost  by  the  failure  of  the  enterprise.  Mr.  Hub- 
bard turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  in  1875 
bought  his  present  fine  farm,  and  h.as  since  been 
actively  engaged  in  its  management.  It  contains 
eighty  acres  of  highly  improved   hind,  pleasantly 


272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


located  on  the  southwestern  quarter  of  section  15; 
the  buildings  are  of  a  substantial  order  and  here  he 
has  a  comfortable  residence.  He  is  an  intelligent, 
industrious  man,  and  has  won  his  way  to  a 
position  of  comfort  by  his  untiring  efforts,  and  b}' 
the  assistance  of  that  richest  of  treasures,  a  good 
wife. 

His  marriage  in  the  month  of  April,  1867  was  to 
Miss  Sarali  (AVikes)  Selby.  She  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Hannah 
(Hagy)  Wike,  and  widow  of  Nathan  Selby.  Our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  four  children  living — 
Hattie,  William,  Mary  and  Lettie.  He  has  given 
them  good  educations  and  two  of  his  daugkters  are 
teachers.  Our  subject  is  a  Democrat  in  politics 
and  sturdily  upholds  the  principles  of  his  party. 
He  is  a  man  naturally  observant  and  of  quick  mind, 
and  though  his  educational  advantages  were  lim- 
ited, he  made  the  best  of  his  opportunities  and  by 
extensive  reading  keeps  himself  well  posted  on  all 
matters  of  general  interest. 


V^sSJ^^U 


/'-7-w 


-Er 


^OHN  GHEEN,  Esq.,  who  follows  farming  on 
section  33,  Hardin  Township,  Pike  County. 
was  born  in  Davie  County,  N.  C,  April  14, 
1847,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Gheen  who 
was  born  in  the  same  State.  He  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade  and  also  followed  farming  and  in  the  Mex- 
ican War  he  served  his  country  as  a  faithful  sol- 
dier. In  North  Carolina  he  marrie<l  Temperance 
Keller,  a  native  of  that  State.  The^'  were  parents 
of  but  two  children — William  and  John;  the  for- 
mer was  in  the  Confederate  service  an.l  after  the 
war  came  to  this  county.  The  father  died  in  his 
native  State,  anil  in  the  autumn  of  1867  Mrs. 
Gheen  came  with  her  sons  to  Illinois,  where  she 
spent  her  remaining  days,  dying  at  the  home  of  her 
son  William  on  the  2nd  of  July,  1884. 

John  Gheen  was  reared  to  manhood  upon  his 
father's  farm  and  his  boyhood  days  were  spent 
amidst  what  was  afterward  the  scenes  of  the  Civil 
War.  Coming  to  this  county,  when  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  he  then  began  life  for  himself  and  has 
since  followed  farming  in  pursuit  of  fortune.     For 


two  years  he  made  his  home  in  Detroit  Township, 
then  removed  to  Newburg  Township,  but  in  a  short 
time  we  again  find  him  in  Detroit  Township.  Once 
more  he  settled  in  Newburg,  where  he  resided  for 
four  3'ears,  when  selling  out  he  purchased  his  pres- 
ent farm  which  has  been  his  home  since  1878.  He 
is  the  owner  of  a  quarter  section  of  arable  land,  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  which  having  been 
Ijlaced  under  the  plow,  yields  a  golden  tribute  to 
his  care  and  cultivation.  He  erected  a  comfortable 
residence  in  1880,  where  he  is  surrounded  by  all 
the  comforts  of  life. 

In  1870  Mr.  Gheen  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Young,  daughter  of  Bedford  and 
Elizabeth  (Frame)  Griflin,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  They  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early 
day  and  settled  in  Montezuma  Township,  but  both 
are  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Gheen  was  their  only  child 
and  a  daughter  onl^- graced  her  marrl.age — Minnie, 
wlio  was  born  November  28,  1870,  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  K.  K.  Robinson,  son  of  William  Robinson, 
a  representative  citizen  of  the  county,  whose  sketch 
may  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work.  They 
make  their  home  with  Mr.  Gheen,  and  the  old  farm 
is  brightened  by  the  presence  of  their  little  daugh- 
ter,Inu,  May,  who  was  born  August  4,  1889. 

In  1887  Mr.  Gheen  was  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  wife  who  died  on  the  16Lh  of  Janu- 
ary, and  was  buried  in  Blue  River  Cemetery.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  was  al- 
ways found  in  her  place  in  the  house  of  worship. 
She  took  an  active  part  in  the  Sunday-school  work 
and  fur  many  years  was  a  teacher  in  the  school. 
She  lived  an  exemplary  Cliristian  life  and  her  loss 
was  mourned  not  only  by  her  immediate  famil}'  but 
by  a  large  circle  of  friends  as  well.  'Squire  Gheen 
has  also  long  been  identified  with  the  Christian 
Church  as  one  of  its  active  and  faithful  members. 
He  served  as  Deacon,  was  Superintendent  and 
teacher  in  the  Sund.ay-school  and  was  Elder  of  tlie 
church  at  Clover.  He  is  ever  ready  to  extend  a 
helping  hand  to  the  poor  and  needy  and  out  of  the 
kindness  of  his  heart  he  has  performed  many  acts 
of  charity  and  benevolence.  Quiet  and  unassum- 
ing in  his  manner  he  works  not  for  praise,  content 
to  know  that  he  is  following  the  teachings  of  his 
Master,  If  any   his  enemies  are  few,  but  his  friends 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


275 


are  many.  He  is  now  liolding  the  offlee  of  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  is  Scliool  Director  of  District  No. 
8,  in  which  position  he  lias  served  since  coming  to 
this  county.  lie  was  also  Road  Commissioner. 
Until  quite  recontl}',  he  was  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics but  is  now  independent. 


•EREMIAH  FOWLER  is  the  resident  direc- 
tor and  superintendent  of  the  Thomas  Pressed 
Brick  Co.'s  works  at  Thomas  Landing,  Cal- 
houn Count}',  one  of  the  most  valuable 
plants  for  the  manufacture  of  pressed  brick  in  the 
United  States.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
manufacturing  industries  in  this  part  of  the  State, 
and  much  credit  is  due  to  Mr.  Fowler,  who  is  a  man 
of  marked  executive  ability  and  peculiarly  adapted 
for  the  successful  management  of  such  an  enter- 
prise. As  a  prominent  business  man  and  influential 
citizen,  we  are  pleased  to  present  his  portrait  to 
the  readers  of  the  Aluuji. 

Mr.  Fowler  is  a  native  of  Columbia  County,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  was  born  March  11,  184L  in  the  town 
of  Kinderhook.  His  father,  Samuel  A.  Fowler, 
was  born  in  the  same  county  and  was  a  son  of 
Lawrence  Fowler,  who  is  thought  to  have  been  a 
native  of  that  county  also.  The  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  Samuel  Fowler,  was  a  native  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  removing  from  there  to  Colum- 
bia County,  N.  Y.,  became  one  of  lis  early  pioneers. 
He  bought  land  in  both  Ghent  and  Kinderhook, 
and  engaged  in  farming,  continuing  his  residence 
there  till  death  called  him  hence.  Grandfather 
Lawrence  Fowler  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  followed 
farming  in  his  native  county,  of  which  he  was  a 
life-long  resident.  He  married  IMaria  Lewis,  who 
survived  him  and  died  at  the  home  of  a  daughter 
in  Columbia  County. 

Samuel  A.  Fowler,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
bred  on  a  farm,  but  after  attaining  manhood  gave 
his  attention  to  mercantile  business  for  a  time  in 
Kinderhook  and  later  at  Stuyvesant  Landing.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  a  resident  of  Gloverville, 
whore  he  is  occupied  as  a  book-keeper  in  a  whole- 
>ali'  hduse.     He  took  for  his  wife  Rebecca  Shufelt, 


who  was  also  born  in  Columbia  County.  Her 
father,  -Jeremiah  Shufelt,  was  a  wealthy  farmer  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Columbia  County.  He  mar- 
ried Lucy  liortlc,  who  also  lived  and  died  in  that 
county.  Tlie  mother  of  our  subject  reared  four 
children,  namely  :  Jeremiah;  William  II.,  who  met 
his  death  in  a  railway  accident  on  the  Hudson  River 
Railroad  in  the  month  of  June,  1889;  Herbert,  who  is 
the  manager  of  the  company  store  at  Thomas  Land- 
ing; and  Lydia,  the  only  daughter,  who  married 
Charles  T.  Rosenkrans,  and  died  in  the  Stale  of 
New  Y'ork  in  January,  1890. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  educated  at  the  Kinderhook 
Academy,  which  he  left  in  his  eighteenth  year  with 
a  mind  well  trained  for  any  position  he  might  occupy 
in  after  life.  He  first  engaged  in  the  profession  of 
a  teacher,  and  taught. one  term  of  school.  He  tlien 
went  to  Albany  to  seek  a  situation.  He  was  not 
looking  for  a  mere  sinecure  but  was  prepand  to 
take  any  emploj'ment  whereby  he  could  earn  an 
honest  living,  and  he  first  found  work  in  a  .-^aw  anrl 
planing  mill  as  a  teamster.  He  was  thus  employed 
fifteen  months,  and  then  engaged  in  freighting 
lumber  on  the  Hudson  River  from  Albany-  to  New 
York  City  the  ensuing  three  years.  He  subse- 
quently entered  the  employ  of  the  firm  of  Beecher 
&  Silliman,  lumber  dealers,  as  inspector  of  lumber, 
and  remained  with  them  two  years.  Wishing  to 
prepare  himself  to  a  greater  extent  for  a  business 
life,  he  then  took  a  course  in  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
Commercial  College  at  Albany.  After  leiiving 
college  he  resumed  his  former  position  as  lumber 
inspector,  and  was  thus  engaged  with  the  firm  of 
Thomas  &  Hyatt,  W.  G.  Thomas  being  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm.  Soon  after  Mr.  Hyatt  with- 
drew, and  Mr.  Ilubbell  became  a  partner  and  the 
firm  conducted  business  under  the  name  of  Thoin.as 
&  Co.  Five  3'ears  later  Mr.  Thomas  withdrew  and 
Mr.  Hill  became  Mr.  Ilubbell's  partner.  Our  sub- 
ject continued  with  the  firm  as  inspector  two  years 
and  then  as  salesman  and  book-keeper  until  April, 
1881. 

In  that  month  j\Ir.  Fowler  made  a  new  departure 
in  life  and  came  to  Thomas  l^anding  to  take  charge 
of  the  Coke  and  Coal  works,  then  owned  bj'  W.  G. 
Thomas,  Jr.,  bringing  with  him  a  colony  of  emi- 
grants as  employes  in  the  works.     In   1880  a  stock 


276 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


company  was  formert,  kriown  as  the  Thomas  Pressed 
Brick  Company,  and  Mr.  Fowler  became  a  stock- 
liolder,  and  local  director  and  manager  of  tiic 
business. 

The  plant  of  wliicli  our  subject  has  charge  is  one 
of  tlie  largcs't  and  most  valuable  in  tlie  country.  The 
•  company  does  a  very  extensive  business,  having 
every  facilitj*  for  conducting  it  after  the  most  ap- 
proved methods  and  emi)loying  none  but  the  best 
modern  machinery  for  their  purposes.  They  have  a 
large  building  for  their  stores,  and  fifty-seven  tene- 
ments occupied  by  the  operatives  and  also  own  three 
hundred  acres  of  land,  besides  the  coal  underlying 
sixteen  hundred  acres  of  land.  Six  distinct  vari- 
eties of  clay  are  used  in  tlie  manufacture  of  the 
bricks,  which  are  made  in  innumerable  colors  with- 
out the  use  of  chemicals.  The  company  mines  its 
own  coal  and  generates  the  gas  to  burn  the  brick, 
being  the  only  firm  in  the  United  States  to  do  this. 

]\Ir.  Fowler  was  married  August  9,  1882,  to  Miss 
Catherine  A.  Russell,  and  they  have  a  well- 
appointed,  tastefully  furnished  home,  that  is  the 
scat  of  a  charming  hospitality.  ]\lrs.  Fowler  is  a 
native  of  this  county.  Point  Precinct  being  her 
birthplace,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  William  Russell, 
a  pioneer  of  the  count}'.  Three  children  have 
been  born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  named  as 
follows:  Maud  Russell,  Lydia  Russell  and  Alice 
Russell.  Mr.  Fowler  is  a  prominent  man  socially 
and  is  a  member  of  Greenbusli  Lodge  No.  337,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.  He  is  a  man  of  genial  presence,  whose  bus- 
iness talent  and  force  of  character  have  placed  him 
in  his  present  responsible  position;  he  is  popidar  with 
nil  who  serve  under  him,  and  the  company  whose 
interests  he  is  so  faithfully  guarding  have  implicit 
confidence  in  him. 


ALMEDUS  D.  ROBERTS.  A  high  rank 
)j,  among  the  agriculturists  of  Pike  County 
^'  is  held  1)3'  tlie  gentleman  above  named. 
(  I  who  is  one  of  the  extensive  operators  of 
Martinsburg  Township  and  h.as  been  successfully 
wooing  Dame  Fortune.  His  estate  consists  of  one 
hundred    and   fiftv-five  fertile   acres  which,  under 


his  careful  and  intelligent  management,  produce 
abundanti}' of  first-class  crops.  Mr.  Roberts  pays 
some  attention  to  stock,  as  do  all  good  farmers,  but 
devotes  his  chief  time  and  care  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  cereals.  The  most  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  place  have  been  made  by  himself  and  include 
his  fine  residence  wliich  was  erected  in  1885  at  a 
cost  of  i!I500. 

The  occupation  of  farming  is  one  in  which  the 
ancestors  of  our  subject  have  been  engaged  for 
some  ganerations.  His  grandfather,  David  Roberts, 
was  thusengjiged  in  Ohio  until  1841,  when  he  came 
to  this  State,  spending  the  remnant  of  his  days  with 
the  father  of  our  subject  and  dying  at  a  ripe  old 
age.  David  Roberts,  .Jr.,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  at  Deerfield.  Ohio,  in  1799.  There  he  married 
Levina  Pool,  who  was  born  in  New  York  in  1805, 
and  lived  until  1871.  Their  family  consists  of 
eleven  children, — Sally,  Mary,  George.  Lewis, 
Lafayette,  Lavina,  David,  Ira.  Emily,  Palmedus 
D.  and  James. 

When  David  Roberts  determined  to  remove  to 
Pike  County,  III,  in  1841,  he  journeyed  hither  with 
teams  and  wagons,  bringing  liis  family  and  house- 
hold goods.  He  bought  land  and  at  one  time 
owned  several  hundred  acres.  He  exercised  the 
right  of  suffrage  in  liehalf  of  Democratic  principles 
and  candidates.  He  held  some  of  the  township 
offices.  Both  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Christian  Church  for  many  ^'e.irs  and  he  preached 
at  various  points  in  the  county.  Mr.  Roberts  died 
at  his  home,  in   1855. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  life 
history,  was  born  in  the  county  in  wliich  lie  is  now 
influential  a  citizen,  October  1,  1841.  He  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  in  the  work  of  which  he  assisted 
as  his  increasing  strength  would  i)ermit.  His  first 
schooling  was  obtained  in  the  old  log  schoolhouse, 
whose  teacher  was  engaged  under  the  subscriiition 
plan,  but  be  afterward  enjo3'cd  the  free  schools. 
When  eighteen  years  old  be  began  working  for  him- 
self, first  on  rented  land,  but  after  a  time  on  tliat 
which  he  had  pui'chased.  The  first  real  estate  which 
he  owned  was  ninety- two  acres  un  section  34,  to 
which  he  added  until  his  estate  reached  its  present 
size.  As  a  citizen  he  is  relialile,  and  interested  in 
the  ofeneral  good,    as  a    neighbor  he  is   cordial  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


277 


kindlj',  while  in  the  home  he  is  affectionate  and 
considerate.  He  is  therefore  entitled  to  that  which 
he  receives, — the  respect  of  tliose  who  know  him. 
He  is  now  a  member  of  the  Union  Labor  I'arty, 
although  formerly  lie  was  a  Democrat. 

Realizing  that  it  is  not  good  for  man  to  live 
alone,  Mr.  Roberts  won  for  his  wife  an  amiable 
and  attractive  woman,  who  was  born  in  Pike 
County  in  1845,  and  bore  the  name  of  Lucy  Berry. 
Il(>r  father.  Willis  Berry,  now  deceased,  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  in  this  vicinity.  The  marriage 
rites  between  Mr.  Roberts  and  JMiss  Berry  were  cel- 
ebrated April  il,  1868,  and  neither  have  had  cause 
to  regret  the  event.  Their  union  has  been  blest 
liy  the  birth  of  three  children — Laura,  Myrtle  and 
Mamie — who  are  being  reared  in  useful  habits 
and  firm  principles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  united 
witli  the  Christian  Church  some  four  years  since 


^^EORGK  P.  GRAFF,  M.D.  Tliis  gentle- 
flj  man    is   one  of  the  most  successful  practi- 

'^yj  tioners  in  Calhoun  County,  his  office  being 
locateil  in  Brussels,  and  his  professional  duties  tak- 
ing him  some  distance  from  that  town.  Although 
a  native-born  American,  he  is  of  foreign  extr.action 
and  has  himself  spent  considerable  time  abroad, 
attending  one  of  the  famous  universities.  His  mind 
has  been  cultured  to  a  more  than  ordinary  degree, 
and  his  years  from  boyhood  have  been  spent  in 
well-directed  and  persistent  efforts  to  accumulate  a 
good  estate  and  make  a  mark  in  the  world  in  the 
business  which  he  had  in  hand. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Michael  Graff, 
who  was  born  in  Alsace,  Germany,  in  which  prov- 
ince the  ancestors,  so  far  back  as  their  history  is 
known,  resided.  He  and  four  other  members  of 
liis  parents'  household  eventually  came  to  Amer- 
ica, the  names  of  those  who  emigrated  being  Henry, 
Sarah,  Barbara,  Michael  and  Dora.  Michael  Graff 
had  learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver  and  operated  a 
hand  loom.  After  his  marriage  he  crossed  the 
(iccan,  locating  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  where  he  and 
hi-,  good  wife,  formerly  Barbara  Miller,  spent  their 


last  years.  In  that  city  our  subject  was  born  April 
23,  183G.  He  was  but  twelve  years  old  when  he 
left  home,  going  to  Chicago,  where  he  enteicil  a 
drug-store.  He  was  employed  therein  until  18.'J2, 
when  he  went  to  Strasburg,  France,  now  in  Ger- 
many, and  entered  the  university. 

After  spending  some  time  in  assiduous  pursuit 
of  knowledge,  young  Graff  returned  to  America 
and  resumed  the  labor  of  a  clerk  in  Chicago,  con- 
tinuing it  until  1S57,  when  he  engageil  in  business 
for  himself  on  Clark  .Street.  He  carried  on  his 
drug-store  until  1861,  when  he  sold  out  and  went 
to  Nashville,  Tonn.,  but  soon  returned  to  the 
Garden  City.  He  did  not  eng.age  in  an^-  particular 
business,  but  speculated  somewhat  in  grain  and 
produce  until  1863.  In  1865  he  went  to  St.  Louis 
and  engaged  as  a  drug  clerk  in  the  house  of  J.  H. 
Merrill.  In  1866  he  came  to  Brussels  and  began 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has  now  been 
living  a  professional  life  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  His  reputation  extends  over  a  consider- 
able area  of  country,  and  it  is  easy  indeed  to  find 
scores  of  people  to  speak  well  of  Dr.  Graff,  both  as 
a  physician  and  as  a  man. 

After  having  lived  a  bachelor  for  a  number  of 
years  Dr.  Graff  decided  that  it  was  not  good  for 
man  to  live  alone  and  therefore  won  an  estimable 
woman  for  his  companion.  In  1887  the  marriage 
rites  were  celebrated  between  himself  and  .^Irs. 
Cassie  E.  Messer,  nee  Bush.  This  lady  wab  I)orn 
in  Calhoun  Countj-,  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  L. 
Bush  and  a  devout  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
Church.  Dr.  Graff  is  a  member  of  Grafton  Lodge, 
No.  341,  A.  ¥.  &  A.  M. 


-i-^IH^ 


)LIJAH  PETTY  comes  of  an  oM  pioneer 
family  of  Pike  County,  and  was  born  Au- 
gust 16,  1832,  in  the  earl\'  years  of  the  set- 
tlement of  the  county.  He  grew  with  its  growth, 
in  time  became  identified  with  its  agricultural  in- 
terests, and  as  the  years  passed  on  became  one  of 
its  most  extensive  farmers  and  stock-raisers,  and 
to-dav  owns  a  large  and  valuable  faun  of  mure 
than  twelve  huixlred  acres  of  choice,  will-improved 


278 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


land.  lie  is  now  living  in  comparative  retirement 
in  tlie  enjoj-ment  of  a  liandsomo  income  on  section 
20,  Atlas  Townslii|),  vvliere  he  lias  a  substantial  two 
story  lirick  residence  situated  at  the  foot  of  the 
1)1  u Its  one-half  mile  southeast  of  the  village  of 
Rockport. 

Elisha  Petty,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  was  born  in  the  Scioto  River 
Valley,  near  Cliillicothe.  llis  father.  Joseph  Petty, 
was  a  native  of  New  England.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois from  Ohio  in  1818,  and  was  one  of  the  fiist 
settlers  of  l*ike  County.  There  were  many  Indians 
here  then  and  |)lenty  of  deer  and  wild  game  in  the 
forests.  Mr.  Potty  located  on  the  Sny  Bottoms 
first  and  soon  after  entered  the  place  on  which  our 
snbjiict  lives  on  section  20.  He  did  an  important 
work  in  assisting  in  the  development  of  the  agri- 
cultural interests  in  this  section  of  the  country  and 
made  many  improvements  on  his  farm  ere  he 
passed  away  to  his  final  rest  in  1843,  when  more 
than  seventy  3ears  of  age.  He  reared  three  bo^-s 
— Icthro,  Joseph  and  Elisha.  He  was  a  very  strong 
Churchman  and  one  of  deep,  religious  convictions. 
Ill  his  political  views  he  was  a  stanch  advocate  of 
the  Democratic  party. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  young  man  when 
he  accompanied  his  fatlier  to  this  county  in  1818. 
Here  he  met  and  married  Elizabeth  McLaughlin, 
who  is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
iShe  died  in  1846,  when  only  about  forty  years  of 
age.  The  seven  children  horn  of  that  marriage 
are  named  as  follows:  Elijah,  William,  Benjamin, 
Milton,  Josephus,  George  and  Elizabeth,  of  whom 
three  grew  to  maturity.  The  father  farmed  here 
a  part  of  the  time  in  early  years  and  kept  a  store  at 
Rockport  and  Atlas,  lie  was  doing  much  to  ad- 
v.ance  the  prosperity  of  his  .adopted  county  when 
his  career  was  closed  by  bis  untimely  death  in 
1843,  at  the  age  of  forty  years. 

Elijah  Petty,  Ihesubjectof  this  brief  life  record, 
is  the  only  chihl  of  his  parents'  family  now  liv- 
ing. His  maternal  grandfather,  Benjamin  Mc- 
Laughlin, was  an  early  settler  of  Pike  County, 
coming  here  in  the  early  '20s.  He  subsequently 
located  in  Scott  County,  and  died  there  at  the  age 
of  eighty  years.  His  wife  died  about  the  same 
time  and  also  at  the  same   age.     He  was  a  farmer 


by  occupation.  Elijah  attended  the  old-fashioned 
log  schoolhouses  with  slab  benches  and  heated  by 
the  opeu  fire-place,  and  there  he  gained  his  educa- 
tion. He  worked  on  the  farm  in  the  summer,  and 
after  the  death  of  his  father  the  stalwart  lirave 
little  lad  of  thirteen  years  became  self-supporting. 
He  lived  out  at  different  places,  receiving  as  pay- 
ment for  his  work  §.5  a  month.  He  was  employed 
b}'  Cap^.  Horton  one  jear  and  then  worked  for 
various  other  parlies  for  eight  years.  At  the  e.x- 
[liration  of  that  time  he  received  his  share  of  the 
old  homestead  and  bought  out  the  interest  of  the 
other  heirs.  He  was  then  unmarried  and  tue  first 
j'ear  after  the  farm  came  into  his  possession  kept 
house  for  himself.  He  was  alwaj's  bus^',  man- 
aged his  work  with  sagacity  and  good  judgment, 
invested  his  money  judiciously'  from  time  to  time, 
and  is  now  the  proprietor  of  over  twelve  hundred 
acres  of  land,  of  which  seven  hundred  acres  are 
rich  bottom  land  and  the  remaining  live  hundred 
acres  are  high  lands.  He  has  farmed  quite  exten- 
sively in  his  lime  and  has  raised  many  horses, 
cattle  and  mules.  He  now  reuts  most  of  his  land 
and  has  wisely  retired  to  enjoy  his  wealth  ere  3'et 
old  age  shall  enfeeble  him  and  deprivi;  him  of  the 
power  of  using  it  at  his  pleasure. 

Mr.  Petty  and  Miss  Louisa  Miller  were  married 
February  22,  1855.  She  was  born  in  this  county 
and  died  in  1871,  in  the  pleasant  home  that  she 
had  assisted  her  husband  in  making.  She  was  then 
in  the  prime  of  life  and  was  but  forty-three  years 
of  age.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  of 
whom  five  grew  to  maturity — Margaret,  Tabitlia, 
Sarah,  Elizabeth  and  James.  Mr.  Petty  was  mar- 
ried a  second  time,  on  the  I2lh  of  Septemlier  1872, 
to  JMartha  Townsend.  They  have  six  children,  viz: 
Louisa,  Maria,  Austin,  Leroy,  Warren  and  John. 
Mrs.  Pettj'  is  a  woman  whose  many  virtues  entitle 
her  to  the  esteem  in  which  she  is  held.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  jMethodist  Episcopal  Church  and  is 
one  of  its  most  zealous  workers. 

Mr.  Petty  has  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  of 
this  county.  He  can  well  remember  when  deer, 
turkeys  and  other  game  were  plentiful  here,  and  he 
used  to  shoot  them  to  obtain  meat  for  the  family 
larder.  He  has  seen  a  great  change  wrought  by 
cultivation  and  has  seen  the  bottom  land  redeemed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


279 


from  its  original  swamoy  nature  till  its  well-tilled 
fields  now  form  some  of  tiie  best  farming  lands  in 
the' country.  He  lias  always  been  loj\al  and  faitli- 
fid  to  the  county  of  his  nativity  and  has  sought  to 
benefit  it  in  various  ways.  He  is  a  .strong  Democrat 
and  i..  deeply  interested  in  polities. 


'^7\  ARON  H.  DEAX.  Among  the  men  who 
(@y-^l     are  tilling  a  portion  of    the  soil  of  Pike 

|(  1)  County  and  reaping  a  satisfactory  result 
1^  from  their  labors,  may  be  mentioned  Aaron 

II.  Dean,  whose  home  is  in  Griggsville  Township. 
He  owns  and  occupies  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres,  which,  with  its  substantial  and  adequate 
buildings  and  various  other  improvements,  forms 
a  comfortable  home.  A  passer-b3'  will  observe  that 
order  prevails  upon  the  estate,  and  that  the  sur- 
roundings of  the  dwelling  are  indicative  of  good 
taste  and  judgment,  and  will  wiseh'  conclude  that 
the  occupants  arc  hospitable,  intelligent  and  well 
respected. 

The  life  of  our  subject  has  been  marked  by  no 
unusual  events,  but  has  been  lived  quietly  and  con- 
scientiously. He  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn,, 
March  17,  1831,  and  was  still  a  child  when  his 
father  came  to  this  .State.  He  has  since  resided  on 
land  secured  by  his  father,  and  since  the  death  of 
his  parent  has  owned  that  which  is  now  bis  home. 
In  the  town  of  Detroit  he  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar 
Miss  Delilah  Senniff,  a  true-hearted,  worthy  woman, 
who  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows  but  a  few  j'ears, 
dying  in  the  jirime  of  life  in  1860.  She  was  born 
in  Ross  Count3%  Ohio,  and  accompanied  her  parents, 
.lesse  and  Martha  Senniff,  to  this  county  during  her 
early  years.  .'>he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church  and  her  constant  aim  was  to  live  in 
accordance  with  her  profession.  She  bore  her  hus- 
band two  children — Martha  and  Emma.  The  elder 
married  Marshall  Wisdom  and  both  are  now  do- 
ceased,  Mrs.  Wisdom  having  died  in  1888,  when 
twenty-six  j'ears  old.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Hiram 
Rush  and  their  home  is  on  a  farm  in  Detroit 
Township. 

Mr.  Dean  wun   for  his  second  wife  Miss  Xancy 


DniuiiHay.  .'ho  was  born  in  Detroit  Township,  this 
county,  in  1842.  being  the  youngest  child  of  David 
and  Anna  (Crow)  Dunniwa}'.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunniw.iy  were  pioneers  in  this  county  and  good 
citizens,  the  wife  being  a  memljcr  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Mr.  Dunniwtiy  was  both  farmer  and  shoe- 
maker, and  during  his  residence  in  this  count}'  oc- 
cupied and  operated  an  estate.  He  and  his  wife 
were  born  in  Kentucky,  whence  the}-  removed  to 
this  State. 

Mrs.  Nancy  C.  Dean  had  the  advantage  of  care- 
ful home  training,  and  grew  to  womanhood  in 
possession  of  man}-  virtues  and  much  useful 
knowledge.  She  is  one  of  the  most  kind-hearted, 
benevolent  women,  obliging  to  all  with  whom  she 
comes  in  contact,  and  her  geniality  and  goodness 
give  her  popularity  and  influence  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. She  has  borne  her  husband  one  child,  David, 
who  was  removed  from  them  by  death  when  seven 
months  and  twenty-two  d.iys  old.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dean  are  active  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Dean  being  an  ofticer  there- 
in and  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Sunday-school, 
which  he  helped  to  organize  in  Griggsville  Town- 
ship. Politically,  Mr.  Dean  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
His  thorough  reliability  in  private  and  social  life, 
his  manly  character  and  steady  habits,  win  for  him 
the  respect  of  his  fellow-men. 

Amos  Dean,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Connecticut,  coming  of  the  old  New 
England  stock  of  the  better  class.  He  married 
Anna  Doubledee,  who  was  of  similar  birth  and 
ancestry,  and  with  her  established  a  home  among 
the  rocks  and  hills  of  Litchfield  County.  To  them 
were  born  four  sons  and  three  daughters — Hiram 
L.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  being  the  first-born. 
Some  years  after  his  marriage,  his  parents,  with 
three  sons  and  three  daughters,  started  westward, 
coming  via  the  water  route  to  this  State.  They 
brought  with  them  their  worldly  effects  and  located 
on  section  36,  Griggsville  Township,  on  a  tract  of 
land  which  was  but  slightly  improved.  Subsequently 
Grandfather  Dean,  his  wife  and  their  live  unmarried 
children,  found  a  home  on  section  34,  w'here  they 
built  up  a  good  estate  from  the  raw  prairie.  They 
lived  to  see  the  country  about  them  imiiroved  and 
built  up,    d\ing    when    about  four-score  years  of 


I 


280 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


age.  Criand father  and  (4iandmother  Dean  belonged 
to  llie  Congregational  Cliiirt'li  and  were  honest,  up- 
rijiht  people. 

The  laUier  of  our  subject  learned  liie  trade  of  a 
blacksuiitli  in  iiis  native  State,  and  after  removing 
hither  coiilinned  to  do  jonrney-vvork.  For  two 
years  he  walked  to  Griggsville  in  the  morning  and 
home  at  night,  but  he  then  built  a  shop  on  his  farm 
and  carricil  on  the  two  occupations  of  blacksmithing 
and  farming  there  during  the  rest  of  his  active  life. 
He  lived  to  be  upwards  of  three-score  and  ten  years 
of  age,  dying  September  7,  1876.  He  was  a  man 
of  good  principles,  an  active  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  was  a  strong 
Republican.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Wealthy  Sanders,  survived  him  some  years,  dying 
March  13,  1890,  when  within  a  few  days  of  being 
seventy-nine  years  old.  Slie  was  of  New  England 
parentage,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  exemplified 
the  stei'ling  characteristics  of  the  Yankee  race. 
From  earl}'  girlhood  she  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcoi)al  Church.  She  was  the 
mother  of  two  children — our  subject  and  a  sister, 
Maria,  who  is  the  wife  of  David  W.  Stoner,  a 
retired  farmer  living  in  Detroit  Township,  Pike 
County. 


|EV.  JORDAN  F.  WOHLFARTH.  The  pub- 
lishers of  the  Album  would  fail  in  their 
■lAi  \Vi  object  of  presenting  to  their  readers  the 
^^  life-history  of  the  jiroininent  residents  of 
Pike  County,  were  they  to  omit  that  of  the  Rev. 
J.  F.  "Wohlfartli,  now  pastor  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Griggsville.  All  will  admit 
that  none  are  more  deserving  of  representation  in 
such  a  volume  than  the  men  who  devote  their  time 
and  talents  to  the  promulgation  of  the  Gospel,  and 
who  earnestly  endeavor  in  their  daily  walk  and  con- 
versation to  adorn  the  profession  which  the}-  have 
chosen. 

In  tracing  the  history  of  this  gentleman  we  find 
that  several  of  his  ancestors  have  been  connected 
with  the  learned  professions  and  that  mental  ability 
is    a    characteristic    of   the    family.     Grandfather 


Wohlfarth  was  a  Lutheran  minister  in  Germany 
and  his  son,  Frederick  R.,  studied  for  the  ministry 
but  was  not  ordained.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Wurtemburg,  Germany,  1800,  and  not  only  studied 
theolog}'  but  medicine  in  his  native  land.  When 
twentj'-nine  years  of  age,  after  he  was  graduated, 
he  emigrated  to  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  where  he  prac- 
ticed the  latter  profession  twenty  j^ears.  He  re- 
mov(^d  thence  to  Columbia  Count}',  finall}'  settling 
in  Northumberland  County,  where  he  bought  a 
farm,  retiring  thereto  in  old  age.  There  he  i)assed 
away  in  1882,  honored  by  those  among  whom  his 
lot  had  been  cast  and  devotedly  loved  by  his  chil- 
dren. He  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  principles 
of  Democracy  and  in  whatever,  he  undertook  was 
energetic  and  enthusiastic.  He  was  a  liberal  con- 
tributor to  newspapers,  particularly  to  the  German 
press.  He  held  various  county  offices,  having 
served  as  Treasurer  many  terms.  One  of  his  broth- 
ers, Henry  AVohlfarth,  settled  in  Iowa  and  a  sister 
also  came  to  America,  becoming  the  wife  of  Henry 
Robinson  of  the  Hawkeye  State. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Wohl- 
farth in  Columbia  Count}',  Pa.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Catherine  Ebner,  vi'as  a  daughter 
of  Jonathan  Ebner,  her  ancestors  having  lived 
in  America  for  several  generations.  She  breathed 
her  last  in  1885  when  sixty-eight  years  old.  She 
was  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  seven  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity:  Abram  is  a  farmer  in  Columbia 
County,  Pa.;  Angeline  is  the  wife  of  Valentine 
Bock,  a  shipbuilder  of  Boston;  Melindais  the  wife 
of  Conrad  Iloffsommer,  a  shoe  dealer  in  Mt.  Car- 
mel.  Pa.;  William  is  a  farmer  and  contractor,  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Seattle,  Wash.;  Sarah  is  the  wife 
of  Hiram  Conrad,  a  minister  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  and  they  occupy  the  AVohlfarth  home- 
stead;  Rebecca,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Clark.  The  fourth  of  the  children  living  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biographical  sketch. 

'J'he  Rev.  Mr.  Wohlfarth  was  born  near  Blooms- 
burg,  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  February  24,  1853,  and 
reared  at  Locust  Dale,  near  Ashland,  where  he  ob 
tained  a  common-school  education.  His  first  per- 
sonal enterprise  was  that  of  a  (jhotograiiher,  in 
which  he  was  engaged  somewhat  more  than  a  year 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


281 


ami  a  luilf.  lie  then  obtained  a  position  as  freight 
agent  at  Aslilanrl.  in  tlie  einploj-  of  tlie  Philadel- 
phia &  Reading  Railroad  Company,  witii  whieli  he 
remained  until  he  enterefl  the  ministry  in  1871. 
He  had  employed  all  his  leisure  moments  in  fitting 
Limself  for  ministerial  work,  and  while  acting  as 
freight  ageiit  had  preached  on  Sundays.  In  1871 
he  was  received  on  trial,  and  filled  the  pulpit  at 
Mverstown  the  first  year  and  at  L'niontown  the  sec- 
ond year. 

At  the  end  of  that  time  our  snbioct  was  regularly 
ordained  and  sent  to  Annville,  Lebanon  County, 
to  preach  to  the  students  of  the  Lebanon  Valley 
College.  After  laboring  there  a  year  he  was  lo- 
cated in  Williamstown,  where  his  pastorate  con- 
tinued three  years.  His  next  charge  was  at 
Treverton,  whence  he  was  transferred  to  tlie  Kansas 
Conference  and  located  in  Virgil  City,  Mo.,  on 
the  line  of  Vernon  and  Cedar  Counties  of  that 
State.  There  he  remained  two  years,  during  which 
time  he  purchased  a  piece  of  land  and  built  up  a 
home.  AVhile  there  he  withdrew  from  the  Evan- 
gelical Church  and  united  with  the  denomination 
for  which  he  is  now  laboring.  His  first  charge  as 
a  Methodist  minister  was  in  De  Soto,  Mo.,  where 
he  remained  three  years,  belonging  to  the  St.  Louis 
Conference.  Being  transferred  to  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference, he  was  sent  to  Augusta,  Hancock  County, 
where  he  ofliciated  two  years,  this  being  followed 
by  pastoral  labor  at  Paloma,  Adams  County,  three 
years. 

The  Rev.  .1.  F.  Wohlfarth  next  assumed  charge 
of  the  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
CJuincy,  but  n  twelvemonth  later,  in  accordance  with 
the  custom  of  the  church,  was  removed  to  another 
field  of  labor  and  assumed  the  pastorate  in  C4riggs- 
ville.  Here  he  will  be  located  another- year  and  as 
the  rules  regai'ding  the  itineracy  of  ministers  have 
been  somewhat  modified,  he  ma)'  remain  longer. 

The  graces  of  mind  and  heart  possessed  by  Miss 
Louisa  Rotliermel  won  the  deep  esteem  of  Mr. 
Wohlfarth.  and  his  feelings  being  reciprocated,  they 
were  united  in  marriage  at  Treverton,  Pa.,  in  1873. 
Mrs.  Wolilfarth  was  a  native  of  the  above-men- 
tioned town,  where  her  father  was  extensively  en- 
gaged as  a  merchant  and  near  which  he  also 
superintended  a  farm.      Her  parents  were   AVilliam 


and  .Judith  (Herb)  Rotliermel  and  she  is  related  to 
many  wealthy  and  noted  people.  Among  them  is 
Abrani  Kothermel.  painter  of  the  celebrated  pic- 
ture, the  Battle  of  Gettysburg.  Mr.  and  [Mrs. 
Wohlfarth  have  three  children— Howard.  Minnie 
and  .Jenny. 

INIr.  Wohlfarth  became  a  member  of  Swatara 
Lodge.  No.  267.  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  at  Tremont.  Pa., 
and  is  demilted  from  the  same.  He  was  formerly 
a  member.of  the[|Odd-Fellows  fraternity  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  .ilso  the  Good  Templars  and 
the  Sons  of  America.  He  has  been  an  active  mem- 
ber of  temperance  societies. 


USTIN    BARBER.     Among   the    honored 
@/uil    citizens    of    Pike  County    who   h.ive  been 
well  rewarded  b^'  Dame  Fortune  for  their 
<,^^  yeais  of  toil   and  assiduity  is  the  gentle- 

man above  named.  This  venerable  man  now  occu- 
pies a  cozy  home  in  Pittsfield,  where  he  is 
surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  that  money  can 
purchase  and  enjoys  the  pleasures  and  friendships 
that  make  life  worth  living.  His  landed  estate 
consists  of  seven  hundred  acres,  most  of  which  is 
near  the  county  seat,  and  so  has  an  additional 
value  beyond  that  depending  upon  its  fcrtilit}'^  and 
improvement. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  October  31, 
1809,  and  his  birthplace  Marietta,  Washington 
Countj-,  Ohio.  He  is  of  English  descent  in  both 
lines,  and  his  parents,  Levi  and  filizabeth  (Rouse) 
Barber,  were  natives  of  New  England.  The  for- 
mer was  born  in  Vermont  October  16,  1777,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Marietta,  Ohio, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  His  busi- 
ness was  that  of  a  merchant,  and  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  Postmaster  many  yrars,  also  serving  for  a 
considerable  period  as  Member  of  Congress,  and 
did  a  great  deal  of  surveying  in  Ohio  and  Ken- 
tucky. Politically  he  was  a  Whig,  and  w.as  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  Henr)'  Cl.iy.  Mrs.  Barber  went  to 
Ohio  with  her  parents  during  her  girlhood  and 
spent  long  \'ears  in  Marietta,  dying  there  in  her 
fifty-ninth  year.     The    family    includeil    four  sons 


282 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  one  daughter,  all  being  now  deceased  except 
our  subject.  David  died  in  1877;  Elizabeth  was 
the  wife  of  Dr.  Felix  Regnier,  both  being  now 
dead;  Levi  died  in  infancy,  and  another  son,  who 
was  given  the  same  name,  breathed  his  last  in 
1888. 

Austin  Barber  passed  his  early  scliool  days  in 
his  native  place,  and  then  pursued  his  studies  two 
years  in  the  Athens  (Ohio)  College.  His  first  con- 
nection with  business  life  was  as  a  clerk  in  his 
father's  store  and  Assistant  Postmaster.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  he  had  grown  to 
manhood,  and  in  September,  1833,  first  set  his 
foul  on  the  site  of  the  town  which  is  now  his  home. 
That  was  the  year  in  which  Pittsfleld  was  platted, 
tl)e  first  lots  having  been  sold  in  IMay  preceding 
the  arrivrd  of  Mr.  B.arber.  This  gentleman  and 
Robert  R.  Greene  established  a  store  under  the 
style  of  Greene  &  Barber,  carrying  a  stock  of  gen- 
eral merchandise,  in  which  they  continued  to  deal 
until  1811.  The  business  was  then  closed  out  and 
the  [lartners  removed  to  Florence,  on  the  river, 
where  thej-  carried  on  a  general  store,  ran  a  steam 
flouring  mill  and  handled  large  quantities  of  prod- 
uce and   pork. 

In  1847  the  gentlemen  returned  to  Pittsfleld  and 
Mr.  Barber  engaged  in  farming,  an  occupation  in 
which  he  continued  until  1870.  The  land  which 
he  operated  was  a  fine  tract  one  mile  from  Pitts- 
field,  in  what  is  now  Newburg  Townshiji,  and  is 
still  in  his  possession.  He  remained  on  it  until 
1853,  when  he  was  elected  Count}-  Clerk  on  the 
old  Whig  ticket,  and  in  order  to  fully  discharge 
the  duties  of  his  otlice  he  gave  over  his  agricul- 
tural pursuits  for  a  time.  When  his  term  of  two 
years  had  expired  he  retired  to  private  life  and 
devoted  himself  with  renewed  ardor  to  his  former 
occupation.  In  1839  he  had  erected  a  dwelling 
which  still  stands  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 
The  weather-boarding  was  of  black  walnut,  and 
having  been  kept  well  painted,  is  as  good  as  the 
day  it  was  put  on. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Barber  was  solemnized 
in  1838,  in  this  county,  his  bride  being  Miss  Caro- 
line Johnson,  a  native  of  Missouri.  She  shared  his 
joys  and  sorrows  until  ISoO,  when  she  passed  away, 
leaving   three  sons — Levi,  a  merchant   in  Kansas; 


George,  si  resident  of  Pittsfleld;  and  Austin  D., 
a  farmer  in  Hancock  County.  Three  daughters 
who  were  born  of  this  union  died  in  infancy.  The 
second  wife  of  Mr.  Barber  was  Emily  W.  Raynard, 
with  whom  he  lived  happily  twenty-seven  years. 
Mrs.  Emily  Barber  was  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  and  our  subject  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  same  body  thirty  j'ears. 

Mr.  Barber  represented  Pittsfleld  two  terms  on 
the  Board  of  Supervisors.  His  political  adherence 
was  first  given  to  the  Whig  party,  his  initial  vote 
having  been  cast  in  1832,  and  for  many  years  past 
he  has  been  a  stanch  Repulilican,  his  last  ballot 
having  been  given  to  Benjamin  Harrison.  Mr. 
Barber  is  an  enthusiastic  sportsman,  and  although 
now  in  his  eighth-first  year  he  has  by  no  means 
given  up  hunting.  He  is  hale  and  hearty  and  can 
see  to  shoot  as  well  as  ever,  and  it  is  no  unusual 
thing  for  him  to  kill  nineteen  prairie  chickens  out 
of  twenty  shots.  He  makes  an  annual  hunting 
trip  to  the  West,  and  no  member  of  the  party  en- 
ters more  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  outdoor  life 
than  Mr.  Barber.  Few  men  possess  a  more  genial, 
kindly  nature  than  he,  or  can  call  a  greater  num- 
ber of  their  acquaintances  by  the  royal  name  of 
"friend." 

-''' -#-#^ "^- 


P'  ^RED  SHAW.     Many    of    the    sons    of    the 

\  early  pioneers  of  Pike  County  figure  ijrom- 
inently  in  the  various  interests  that  con- 
tribute to  its  prosperity.  Among  these  is  our 
subject,  who  is  one  of  the  most  keen,  progressive 
and  business-like  farmers  and  stock-raisers  in  this 
section.  He  is  busily  prosecuting  his  calling  in 
Marlinsburg  Township,  where  he  has  a  well- 
appointed  and  well-e(iui|)ped  farm,  which  under 
his  able  management  yields  him  large  returns  in 
paj'ment  for  the  care  and  monej'  he  bestows  on  its 
cultivation  and  imijrovement. 

Mr.  Shaw  comes  of  fine  old  Revolutionary  stock 
and  is  the  son  of  Henry  B.  Shaw,  an  early  settler 
of  this  county,  and  at  one  time  one  of  its  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizens  and  a  leatling  farmer 
of  Martinsburg  Township.     He  was  born  in  South 


SAMUEL    CURFFMAN. 


f 


l> 


i\ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


285 


Wilbraham,  Mass.,  August  24,  181?^,  and  was  a  son 
of  Walter  Sliaw,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  was  born  in  1780.  He  in  turn  was  a  son 
of  Lieut.  Jolni  .Shaw,  an  officer  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, who  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1750.  His 
father,  Capt.  Joshua  .Shaw,  who  was  born  in 
1727  and  died  in  1793,  was  also  a  Revolutionary 
officer.  For  further  ancestral  and  parental  iiistory, 
see  sketcli  of  Henry  T.  Shaw  on  another  page  of 
this  Biographical  Album. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  April 
10,  1858.  and  was  reared  on  his  father's  homestead. 
He  obtained  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
and  a  practical  knowledge  of  farming  under  his 
father's  instruction  on  the  home  farm.  When  the 
time  arrived  for  him  to  select  his  life  calling,  he 
naturally  chose  that  of  a  farmer,  as  his  tastes  led 
him  that  way.  He  was  an  inmate  of  the  parental 
household  till  he  was  twenty-four  3ears  of  age,  and 
since  then  he  has  been  carrying  on  farming  inde- 
pendently. He  now  owns  the  old  homestead, 
which  comprises  four  hundred  acres  of  choice, 
fertile  farnjing  land.  He  carries  on  a  general  farm- 
ing business  and  I'aises  considerable  stock  of 
standard  grades.  His  place  is  finely  improved  and 
he  has  here  one  of  the  substantial,  comfortable 
homes  that  adorn  this  township,  and  here  he  and 
his  wife  practice  a  generous  hospitality  which  ren- 
ders them  two  of  the  most  popular  people  in  their 
communit3-. 

March  18,  1880,  was  an  eventful  date  in  the  life 
of  Mr.  Shaw,  as  he  then  took  unto  himself  a  wife 
ill  the  person  of  Jli.ss  Clara  B.  Sanderson,  who  was 
born  in  this  countj'  in  18G1,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Rol)ert . 'Sanderson.  The  fruit  of  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  ilrs.  Shaw  is  three  children  whom  they  have 
named  Guy  L.,  Lloyd  B.  and  Hally  B.  Mrs.  Shaw 
Is  a  woman  of  exceptionally  refined  character  and 
is  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  Mr.  Shaw  is  the  present  Assessor  of 
Martinsburg  Township,  and  is  ever  ready  to  per- 
form his  share  in  forwarding  anj-  enterprise  that 
that  will  in  anj'  way  conduce  to  the  advancement 
of  his  township  or  county.  He  is  a  stalwart  Kepub- 
licau  in  politics  and  uses  his  influence  among  his 
associates  to  forward  the  policj'  of  the  party. 
Though   he  is  yet   comparatively  young  and  it  is 


scarcely  more  than  a  decade  since  be  started  out  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  he  has  acquired 
considerable  property  and  by  strict  attention  to  his 
business  is  constantly  adding  to  it.  He  already 
stands  among  the  successfid  stock-raisers  of  his 
community  and  has  on  his  home  place  on  section 
19,  twenty-five  horses  of  good  standard  grades  and 
a  flock  of  two  hundred  and  fift}-  sheep  which  come 
of  the  best  breeds. 


-M- 


t  AMUEL  CURF.MAN.  The  present  home' 
of  this  gentleman  is  situated  on  section  32, 
Perr}-  Township,  Pike  County,  the  prop- 
erty consisting  of  two  hundred  and  seventy 
acres  of  good  land.  The  most  of  the  acreage  is 
under  cultivation,  well  improved,  an  excellent  set 
of  farm  buildings  occupying  convenient  positions 
upon  it.  Mr.  Curfman  pays  some  attention  to 
farming,  but  his  chief  occupation  is  tliat  of  a  me- 
chanic. His  time  is  principally  given  to  house  and 
barn  carpentering  and  being  a  master  of  his  trade 
his  services  have  lieen  in  demand  and  lie  has  made 
money.  With  good  judgment  he  has  invested  his 
earnings  in  improved  propert}'  which  has  brought 
him  good  results. 

Mr.  Curfman  has  lived  in  the  township  and 
county  above  named  since  1805,  and  in  the  State 
since  1860.  He  came  hither  from  Pennsylvania, 
of  wliicli  State  he  is  a  native,  having  been  born  in 
Huntingdon  County,  May  21,  1827.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  county, 
which  were  not  only  well-taught  but  held  during  a 
considerable  part  of  tiie  j'ear.  He  learned  his  trade 
under  .Jackson  Ingard  at  Mar-kleysburg,  where  he 
worked  for  some  time  on  his  own  account  before 
his  removal.  He  has  ever  been  hardworking  and 
industrious,  prudent  in  the  man.agement  of  his 
affairs  and  in  the  investments  which  he  has  made. 
By  dint  of  his  personal  efforts  he  has  become  well- 
to-do  and  while  gaining  his  property  he  has  also 
won  respect. 

Mr.  Curfman  is  a  Democrat,  although  his  father 
voted  the  Republican  ticket,  lie  is  identifierl  with 
the  Methodist  Church.     As  a  citizen  he  is   reliable 


286 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  steady-going,  as  a  private  individual  intelli- 
gent and  honorable  and,  unless  we  except  llie  fact 
that  he  has  never  mariied,  he  may  be  said  to  have 
borne  well  his  part  in  life. 

Mr.  Curfmari  is  a  son  of  Peter  Ciirfnian  who  was 
a  native  of  the  same  county  as  himself  and  de- 
scended from  German  parents.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  in  his  native  county,  where  he  spent  many 
years  in  industrious  and  honorable  life,  dying  when 
seventy  years  ohl.  He  married  Mary  Taylor,  who 
was  also  born  and  reared  in  Huntingdon  County 
and  was  of  German  ancestry.  The  [jreceding  gen- 
eration of  the  Taylor  family  were  farmers  of  ex- 
cellent reputation,  who  died  in  that  county.  Mrs. 
Curfman  died  a  few  j'ears  before  her  husband, 
when  about  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  Both  belonged 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  the  work  of 
which  they  were  generous  donors.  Their  family 
consisted  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of 
whom  but  one  daughter  lived  to  maturity.  Eight 
married  and  reared  families,  and  five  are  still  liv- 
ing; three  in  Illinois,  one  in  Missouri  and  one  in 
Pennsylvania. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  we  present  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  Mr.  Curfman. 


••^=^:=s^ 


EDWIN  HITCH.  Among  the  respected  cit- 
izens of  Pike  County  who  have  entered  into 
7  rest,  is  he  whose  name  introduces  these  par- 
agraphs. He  breathed  his  last  at  his  home  in 
(iriggsville,  Januarj'  29,  1877,  leaving  behind  him 
the  record  of  an  honorable  and  enterprising  man,  a 
successful  financier,  and  one  whose  association  with 
his  neighbors  was  kindly  and  pleasant.  Practical 
in  his  judgments,  careful  in  his  investigations,  and 
assiduous  in  the  pursuit  of  that  to  which  he  turned 
his  attention,  he  made  money  by  what  were  con- 
sidered his  lucky  deals,  but  which  were  really  the 
result  of  clear  foresight  and  due  consideration. 

Our  subject  was  the  son  of  Lewis  Hitch,  a  native- 
of  Delaware,  who  lost  his  father  when  quite  young 
and,  his  mother  marr^'ing  again,  set   out   for  him- 
self while  still  but  a  bo3'.  He  came  to  Pike  County 
HI.,  and  for  some  time   made   his   home   with  Mr. 


Rush  of  Fairmount  Township,  from  whom  he 
learned  the  art  of  good  farming.  After  he  had  at- 
tained to  yeais  of  discretion  Lewis  Hitch  began 
farming  on  his  own  account,  also  p.aying  consider- 
able .-itlention  to  stock-raising  in  Hadley  and  Barry 
Townships.  He  secured  a  fine  home  near  Barry, 
where  he  died  in  iniddle  life  after  a  successful  ca- 
reer, during  which  he  gained  the  good  will  of  many 
true  friends. 

Lewis  Hitch  won  for  his  vvife  Miss  Mary  Mc- 
Lean to  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  this 
county,  wherein  she  had  been  reared  to  woman- 
hood. She  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  died  at  her 
home  in  Hadley  Township  when  but  thirty  3-ears  of 
age.  Some  time  after  Mr.  Hitch  married  again 
and  his  second  wife  is  now  deceased.  The  first 
marriage  was  blessed  by  tiie  birth  of  four  children, 
the  only  one  now  living  being  Cyrus,  whose  home 
is  near  Ashland  and  his  occupation  farming. 

Edwin  Hitch  was  born  in  Barry  Townsiiip  in 
1843,  being  the  third  meml)er  of  the  familj'.  His 
mother  died  when  he  was  quite  young  and  he  was 
reared  under  the  care  of  his  father  with  wiiom  he 
remained  until  the  death  of  the  parent.  He  tiien 
took  up  the  battle  of  life  on  his  own  account,  en- 
gaging in  the  live  stock  trade  with  his  headquar- 
ters in  Griggsville  Township.  Some  time  after  his 
marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  belonging  to  his  vvife 
but  three  }-ears  later  removed  to  Griggsville,  still 
carrying  on  the  estate,  however.  It  consisted  of 
seven  hundred  and  twentj'  acres,  chiefly  on  sections 
33  and  34,  supplied  with  all  needful  and  convenieot 
buildings  and  appliances,  and  capable  of  produO] 
ing  an  abundant  income. 

This  fine,  large    property  is  now  skillfully  man-^ 
aged  by  Mrs.  Hitch  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Marj'  Simpkin.  She  was  born  on  her  father's  home- 
stead in  the  township    that  is  still   her  home,  De- 
cember  22,   184.5,  was  carefully   reared,   receiving! 
excellent  advantages  for  mental  am?  moral  develop-] 
ment.     After  studying  in  Griggsville  she  attendedj 
the  Female  Seminary  in  Jacksonville,  thus  securing  ] 
a  fine  education.     Her  naturally   bright   mind  has 
been  strengthened,  her  practical  qualities  developed,  I 
and    she    is    well   fitted   to   bear    her  part  in  the  | 
scenes  amid  which  her  lot  is  cast.     She  belongs  to  I 
the  Congregational   Church.     Her   family   consists] 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


287 


of  four  briyiht  Lhildioii — Lewis  E.,  Thomas S.,  Riifus 
C.  and  Roy  M.,  wlio  are  being  thoroughly  equipped 
for  tlic  battle  of  life. 

Mrs.  Hitch  is  a  d.TUghter  of  Thomas  nnd  Ann 
(Wharton)  Simpkiii,  natives  of  Yorkshire,  England, 
who  came  to  America  in  early  life  auvl  were  inai- 
ried  in  this  county.  They  began  life  poor  but  ac- 
quired a  fortune,  their  landed  estate  consisting  of 
upwards  of  two  thousand  acres  of  land  in  (iriggs- 
ville  Township.  Their  latter  years  were  spent  in  a 
beautiful  home  and  the  enjoyment  of  the  comforts 
and  even  luxuries  to  which  their  labors  fairly  en- 
titled them.  Mr.  Simpkin  died  while  on  a  visit 
to  his  native  land  in  search  of  hcaltli,  when  fifty- 
three  years  old.  Mis  wife  survived  liim  someyears, 
breathing  her  last  at  the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Lasbury,  in  tliis  township,  when  seventy-five  years 
old.     Both  were  well  known  and  respected. 


OHN  KENNEDY  was  a  pioneer  of  Pike 
Count}',  and  was  for  many  years  actively 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising,  having 
I  a  large  and  well-improved  farm,  on  section 
18,  Griggsville  Township,  and  he  contributed  his 
quota  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  county.  He  was 
born  in  Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  October  1.5,  1802, 
and  was  a  son  of  Gilbert  and  Jane  (Appleby)  Ken- 
nedy, natives  respectively  of  Ireland  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  former  came  to  America  with  his 
parents  when  be  was  seven  j'ears  old,  the  family 
locating  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  grew  to  man's 
estate  on  a  farm.  He  married  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  Huntingdon  County,  as  did 
his  wife  also,  they  both  dying  at  a  very  old  age, 
being  upwards  of  ninety-five  years  old  when  they 
passed  from  the  scenes  of  earth.  The}'  were  close 
adherents  of  the  Presbyterian  faith,  having  come 
of  Scotch- Irish  ancestry,  and  could  trace  their 
forefathers  back  many  j-ears. 

John  Kennedy  was  the  first  son  and  third  or 
fourth  child  of  his  parents  who  had  a  large  family, 
and  he  grew  up  on  a  farm.  Besides  gaiiiing  a 
thorough  |)ractical  knowledge  of  agriculture  he 
followed    teaming,   and  was  engaged   in  running  a 


m 


stage  line  some  years  in  Illinois,  after  he  came  here 
in  1836.  He  was  also  a  famous  stage  driver  in  the 
early  days  here  in  different  parts  of  the  Slate,  his 
most  notable  route  being  between  Quincy  and 
Naples.  He  finally  settled  down  on  his  farm  in 
Griggsville  Township,  and  here  spent  the  rest  of 
his  days.  When  he  lirst  located  on  his  land  it  was 
only  slightlv  improved,  and  his  was  the  pioneer 
task  of  further  developing  it  and  making  it  into  a 
fine  farm,  which  is  now  one  of  the  best  in  the  lo- 
cality, comprising  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  well-tilled  and  substantially  improved  land. 
October  3,  1883,  the  honorable  life  of  our  subject 
was  brought  to  a  close  and  one  of  Griggsville 
Township's  practical,  useful  pioneers  passed  to  bis 
rest.  He  was  a  man  of  unblemished  character,  of 
good  habits,  was  a  sincere  Christian,  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cliurch,  and  always  stood 
well  in  the  community  with  whose  interests  his  own 
bad  been  identified  for  so  many  years.  In  his  pol- 
itics'he  was  an  unswerving  advocate  of  the  princi- 
ples promulgated  by  the  Kcpulilican  party. 

Our  subject  undoubtedly  owed  much  of  his  suc- 
cess in  life  to  the  f.act  that  he  bad  the  active  co- 
operation of  a  wife  who  was  a  capalilc  wc)rker  and 
ever  faithfully  assisted  him  wherever  she  could. 
She  survives  him  and  is  living  on  the  old  home- 
stead, where  she  helped  him  to  build  up  a  com- 
fortable home.  Mrs.  Kennedy's  maiden  name  was 
Sarah  J.  Morrow,  and  she  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Pa.,  February  16,  1822.  Her  parents, 
Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Stark)  Morrow,  were  na- 
tives of  Nevv  Jersey,  the  Morrows  coming  of  Irish 
ancestry.  Mr.  Morrow  and  his  wife  had  gone  from 
their  native  home  to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  with 
their  parents  when  they  were  young  people,  and 
were  there  married.  They  began  their  wedded 
life  on  a  farm,  and  were  actively  engaged  in  its 
cultivation  some  years.  The  wife,  who  was  a  good 
and  true  woman.  de|)arled  this  life  in  1850,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years.  She  was  a  Piesbylerian 
in  her  religious  belief. 

After  his  wife's  death,  Mr.  Morrow  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  lived  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Kennedy, 
and  died  in  1852  at  the  age  of  sixty- four  years. 
He  had  been  an  energetic,  hard-working  man  all 
his   life.      He  was  a  Demociat  in  politics,  and  relig- 


288 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


iousl}'  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Mrs.  Kennedy  was  the  first  daughter  and  second 
child  of  her  motiier's  four  children,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  and  she  and  her  sister,  Miss  Nanc3' 
Morrow,  who  is  living  with  her,  are  now  the  only 
survivors  of  the  family.  Mrs.  Kennedy  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  her 
everyday  life  ^hows  her  to  be  a  true  Christian. 
She  was  carefully  reared  and  received  a  very  good 
education  so  tiiat  she  was  enabled  to  teach.  She 
was  thus  engaged  in  Pennsylvania  for  some  time 
and  when  twenty-tliree  j'ears  old  came  westward, 
and  was  a  teacher  for  some  lime  in  Pike  County, 
before  her  marriage.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are:  Calvin  A.,  a  farmer  near  Hale,  Mo.,  who  mar- 
ried Ida  Ingbly ;  James  M.,  also  a  farmer  near  Hale, 
who  married  Cenia  Martin;  Nancy,  who  lives  at 
home  with  her  mother;  Harden  J.,  a  farmer  near 
Griggsville  Township,  who  marriefl.  Mary  B.  S3'- 
{)hers;  Albert  J.,  who  lives  with  his  mother  and 
assists  in  carrjnng  on  the  houie  farm;  David  O., 
also  at  iiome  with  his  mother;  Stanton,  a  farmer  in 
this  township,  who  married  Ortha  J.  Dunham; 
Idelbert  S.,  who  lives  at  home  with  his  mother. 


■^OHN  S.  LANE,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  a  representative  citizen  and  honored 
pioneer  of  the  county,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Carlin  Precinct.  He  was  born  in 
New  Hampshire,  May  5,  1822,  and  is  a  son  of 
Robert  and  Betsy  (Currier)  Lane,  I)oth  of  whom 
are  natives  of  New  England.  When  a  babe  of 
three  j'cars,  John  S.  Lane  was  taken  b^-  his  parents 
to  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the  Empire  State 
was  reared  to  manhood.  The  educational  advan- 
tages of  that  period  were  not  such  as  are  afforded 
to  the  j'ouths  of  the  pi'esent  day  and  age,  but  he 
mastered  the  common  English  branches  and  by  ex- 
perience and  observation  has  gained  a  knowledge 
of  men  and  the  ways  of  the  world  vvhich  has  prob- 
ably been  of  more  practical  bench t  than  much  he 
could   have  learned  from  text  books.     He  resided 


in  niinois  for  nine  years  before  coming  to  Calhoun 
County,  his  home  during  that  period  being  in  Greene 
County'.  In  18fi0,  he  entered  upon  a  business  ca- 
reer in  this  county  where  he  has  since  resided,  de- 
voting his  energies  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
immediately  settled  upon  a  farm  which  is  still  his 
home  and  began  the  cultivation  of  the  land  which 
was  hitherto  xuiimproved.  It  was  his  hand  that 
turned  the  first  furrows  and  jilanted  the  first  crops 
and  it  is  but  meet  that  prosperity  should  crown  his 
efforts. 

Ere  leaving  New  York,  Mr.  Lane  was  joined  in 
wedlock  with  Miss  JMary  P.  Miner  and  of  their 
union  were  born  four  children,  three  of  whom  are 
yet  living:  Emma,  wife  of  Jefferson  Thursten,  of 
this  county;  Eunice,  wife  of  Aaron  Miner;  and 
Mary  P.,  wife  of  Samuel  Gourley.  Mr.  Lane  mar- 
ried for  his  second  wife  Mary  A.  Simmons,  widow 
of  Jesse  D.  Simmons,  of  Calhoun  County,  who  still 
survives  and  enjo3'S  with  our  subject  the  pleasures 
of  married  life.  Their  weilding  was  celebrated 
April  19,  1860.  In  1839,  when  a  small  child,  Mrs. 
Lane  removed  with  her  parents  from  Ohio  to 
Greene  County,  III.,  where  her  second  raarrl.age  was 
celebrated,  after  wliich  Mr.  Lane  and  his  wife  came 
to  Calhoun  County.  Their  landed  possessions  now 
aggregate  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  He  is  a 
self-made  man  and  to  his  own  efforts  may  be  at- 
tributed his  success  In  life.  In  religious  belief  he 
is  a  Baptist  and  one  of  the  active  workers  in  the 
church,  being  familiarly  known  throughout  the 
county  as  Deacon  Lane,  having  held  that  odice  in 
the  congregation  to  which  he  belongs  for  many 
years.  In  polities  he  is  independent  and  votes  for 
the  man  rather  than  the  party.  His  integrity,  fair 
dealing  and  upright  life  have  won  him  friends 
without  number  and  secured  him  the  contidcnce 
and  goodwill  of  the  entire  community. 

Mrs.  Lane,  who  like  her  husband,  is  a  worthy 
member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  was  born  on  the 
31st  of  August,  1819,  in  Gallia,  Ohio,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Rebecca  (Slonebcrger) 
McGrain,  the  former  a  native  of  Dublin,  Ireland, 
and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  Her  father  died  when  she 
was  a  j'oung  child  and  with  her  mother  and  step- 
father she  came  to  Illinois  in  1831,  the  famll3'  lo- 
cating in  Bluff  Dale,  Greene  County.     Later  her 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


289 


rnotlier  came  to  Calhoun  County  where  she  spent 
her  last  days.  Mrs.  Lane  was  reared  in  Greene 
County,  where  on  the  3d  of  March,  1836,  she  gave 
her  Land  in  marriage  to  Jesse  D.  Siuimons,  by  whom 
slie  had  two  children,  John  and  Nannie,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased.  She  came  with  her  first  hus- 
band lo  this  county  in  1838,  they  settling  on  Silver 
Creek,  where  they  remained  until  1855,  when  they 
removed  to  the  farm  which  is  still  the  !i<imo  of  Mrs. 
Lane. 


5asH 


OHN  W.  CALVIN  is  one  of  the  substantial 
farmers  of  Pike  County,  and  is  prosperously 
carrying   on     his    agricultural    interests    in 
Pearl  Tow-nship.     A  native  of  Pike  County, 
Mo.,   the  date  of   his   birth   was  October  20,  1841. 
lie  is    a   son  of   John    and    Rosanna    (Sherwood) 
Calvin.       The    grandfather   of    our    sul)ject    was 
William  Calvin,  a   native  of   Vermont,   who  in  an 
early  day  removed  to  Pittsburg,  Ky.,  with  a  wagon, 
and  after  reaching  the  head  waters  of  the  Alleghany 
River,  made   the  trip  down   that  stream   and   the 
(Jhio  with  some  traders.     Later,  with  a  four-horse 
team,    he    again   took  up   his    westward    way    and 
finally   arrived  in  Pike  Countj',  Mo.,  of   which    he 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers.     A  few  j-ears  later  he 
made    the  trip   from  that  State   back  to  A'erinout, 
going  both  w,ays   on    foot,  and  usually  camping  at 
night.     The  way   was   often  verj'  lonely,  and  led 
through  dense  forests  or  sparsely  inhabited  districts, 
and  he  would  sometimes  travel  two  or  three  days 
without  seeing  a   while   man.     He  finally  died  in 
Lincoln  Count}-,  I\Io.,  a  few  years  before  the  war. 
He   was  twice    married.     His  first  wife   bore  him 
seven  sous  and  two  daughters,  and  his  second  wife 
five  sons  and  two  danghters,  making  him  the  father 
of   sixteen    children.     He   was  a  pioneer  of    both 
White  and  Lincoln  Counties,   Mo.,  where   he   had 
entered  land. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
March  5,  1813,  and  was  reared  and  lived  on  a  farm 
all  his  life.  He  resided  in  Pike  County,  Mo.,  till 
1864,  when  he  came  lo  Pearl  in  this  county,  where 
he  lived  till  1887.  In  that  year  he  rented  his  farm 
of  two   hundred  and    twenty   acres  and  moved  to 


Clarkesville,  where  he  is  living  retired  in  the  en- 
joyment of  a  comfortable  competence.  He  is  still 
hale  and  hearty,  and  a  great  lover  of  hnnling  and 
fishing;  enjoying  those  sports  in  his  old  age  with  the 
same  zeal  with  which  he  (lartook  of  them  in  his 
youth. 

Mr.  Calvin  has  been  twice  marric'i.  He  had  one 
son  and  four  danghters,  born  to  iiim  by  his  first 
wife,  as  follows:  Sarah  J.  (deceased).  Mar}'  A., 
Nancy  Ellen,  John  W.,  and  Eliz.'ibeth  K.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  before  the  war.  Mr. 
Calvin  took  as  his  second  wife  Mary  Newcomb,  and 
they  have  had  the  following  four  children:  Amanda 
v.;  Rachael  V.,  who  died  at  the  .age  of  two  years; 
James,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and 
Francis  N.  He  and  his  wife  were  formerly  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but  now 
belong  to  the  Christian  Church.  He  is  a  sound 
Democrat  in  regard  to  political  matters. 

He  of  whom  this  notice  is  written  passed  the 
early  years  of  his  life  on  a  farm,  and  received  his 
education  in  the  primitive  rude  log  schoolhouses 
of  the  time.  The  first  schoolhouse  that  he  attended 
was  heated  b}'  a  fire  in  a  rude  fire-place,  and  planks 
on  the  side  of  the  walls  uniler  greased  paper 
windows  served  as  writing  desks.  He  was  twentj'- 
six  years  old  when  he  started  in  life  for  himself, 
having  assisted  his  father  in  the  management  of 
his  farm  after  he  came  to  this  State.  The  most 
important  event  in  his  career  in  early  manhood 
was  his  marriage,  which  w.as  celebrated  in  the 
month  of  July,  1867,  with  iMatilda,  daughter  of 
William  and  Matilda  (Battershell)  Wheeler.  Of  the 
nine  children  born  to  our  subject  and  his  amiable 
wife,  one  son  and  a  daughter  died  in  infancy,  while 
seven  were  reared  to  years  of  maturity.  His  chil- 
dren were  named  as  follow:  EfHe.  wife  of  P^dward 
Smith;  Edna:  Elmer,  who  is  deceased;  Thomas, 
Elbiiia,  William,  Lucinda,  Olive,  and  Carna.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Calvin  are  true  and  upright  people,  and 
follow  the  principles  of  the  Christian  Church,  of 
which  they  are  members. 

Mr.  Calvin  has  been  a  fainier  all  his  life  and  is 
an  intelligent  member  of  the  Farmers'  Alli.ance. 
He  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  and  to-day 
stands  among  the  solul  citizens  of  Pearl  Township. 
After  marriage  he  rented  land  of  his  father-in-law. 


290 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


some  seven  years,  and  then  purchased  a  quarter  of 
seetion  21,  on  which  he  no^v  resides,  he  having 
purchased  only  a  part  interest  in  it  at  first.  It  is 
well  developed  and  under  good  cultivation,  and 
here  be  and  his  family'  have  a  most  comfoitalile 
home.  Our  subject  proved  his  patriotism  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  fall  of  1861  in  the  five  months  in- 
fantry, and  served  creditably  for  six  months  in  John 
B.  Henderson's  regiment. 


<«\  IVILLIAM  A.  EVANS.  Pike  County  is  the 
\/\//  ^ovac  of  a  large  number  of  energetic  and 
V*/VV  prosperous  farmers,  whose  careful  and  in- 
telligent management  of  that  portion  of  the  soil 
which  they  cultivate  has  made  of  the  county  a 
garden  spot  in  appearance  and  secured  to  them- 
selves a  fair  share  of  the  comforts  of  life.  One  of 
this  number  is  William  A.  Evans,  whose  farm  con- 
sists of  two  hun<lred  acres  on  sections  11  and  13, 
Martinsburg  Towiislii[).  His  years  have  been 
spent  in  industrious  labor,  and  all  who  know  him 
rejoice  in  the  knowledge  that  he  has  a  fine  and  re- 
munerative estate. 

The  Evans  familj'  trace  their  origin  to  Germany, 
although  several  generations  have  lived  in  this 
countrj'.  Joseph  Evans,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  the  ]>lue  Giass  .State  and  lived  there 
until  eighteen  years  old,  when  he  ran  away  from 
home.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  finishing 
his  apjirenticeship  in  the  first  brick  house  built  in 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  settled  near  Waleiloo,  Monroe 
County,  III.,  making  that  his  home  many  years,  hut 
finally  removed  to  Washington  County,  Mo.,  where 
he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five.  He  followed  his 
trade  more  or  less  during  his  life,  but  also  farmed 
a  little  until  his  children  were  grown,  when  they 
carried  on  the  farm.  Mr.  Evans  was  an  expert 
carpenter,  having  so  good  an  eye  and  such  skill  in 
the  use  of  tools  that  in  framing  timbers  for  a  house 
they  would  m.atch  to  a  "T"  when  brought  together. 
His  political  adherence  was  given  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Martha  Davis,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  and 


came  to  this  State  when  three  years  old.  Her  par- 
ents settled  in  Monroe  County,  where  she  grew  to 
maturiti"  and  married  Joseph  Evans.  She  lived  to 
be  sixty-two  years  of  age,  rearing  eight  children  to 
useful  manhood  and  womanhood.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church  and  possessed  a  fine 
character.  Her  father,  Elijah  Davis,  was  born,  in 
North  Carolina  and  was  one  of  the  very  first  set- 
tlers in  Monroe  Count}',  111.,  where  Indians  were 
still  numerous  when  he  arrived.  He  was  one  of  the 
largest  farmers  of  the  time.  He  was  an  old-lino 
Whig  in  politics  and  a  Methodist  in  religion.  He 
lived  to  the  age  of  sovent3--five  years. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Monroe  County  near 
Waterloo,  August  31,  1827.  Duiing  his  boyhood 
he  attended  school  in  the  primitive  log  schoolhouse 
with  its  home-made  furniture  and  open  fireplace, 
and  when  but  ten  years  old  began  working  on  the 
farm.  When  he  ha'l  attained  his  m.ajoiity  he  began 
bis  personal  career,  first  operating  a  rented  farm  in 
his  native  county.  In  Jaiuiary,  1845,  he  removed 
to  St.  Louis  County,  Mo.,  rented  land  there  for 
twelve  years  and  then  went  to  Montgomer}! 
County.  He  entered  forty  acres  and  bought  forty, 
which  he  farmed  twelve  years,  then  selling  out  he 
crossed  over  to  Pike  County,  111.,  October  24, 
18(54. 

Mr.  Evans  purchased  eighty  acres  of  slightly 
improved  land  in  Martinsburg  Township,  and 
went  to  work  with  a  will  to  grub  out  stumps  and 
otherwise  fit  the  land  for  tillage.  He  made  the 
place  his  home  for  ten  3ears,  bringing  the  estate  to 
a  good  condition,  then  sold  out.  and  bought  the 
land  he  now  occupies.  This  also  he  improved,  and 
changed  its  appearance  iii  man^'  respects.  The 
soil  is  well  adapted  for  the  cultivation  of  wheat, 
and  Mr.  Evans  therefore  devotes  a  greater  |)art  of 
the  aci'eage  to  t\iat  grain. 

In  1844  Mr.  Evans  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Huston,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  died 
when  but  twenty-five  years  old.  She  had  borne 
her  husband  three  children,  all  of  whom  died  when 
quite  young.  In  June,  1852,  Jlr.  Evans  contracted 
a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  his  bride  being 
Elizabeth  J.  Carter,  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
This  lady  and  her  mother,  together  with  three  other 
members  of  the  family,  traveled  across  the  moun- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


■I'M 


tains  on  foot  and  settled  in  Tennessee.  She  subse- 
(luently  accompanied  a  family  by  the  name  of 
Myers  to  St.  Louis  CouiUv.  Mo.,  where  she  and 
our  subject  became  acquainted  and  were  iinaily 
inarricii.  'Wliile  journeying  down  tlie  Tennessee 
River  on  her  w.iy  to  ^lissou.-i  the  tlalboat  sr.iik  on 
the  Mussel  Shoals  and  tiio  yjart^'  were  carrie(1  in  a 
wa^on  to  St.  Charles  County.  Mo. 

Mr.  and  3Irs.  Evans  have  had  twelve  chiUlron, 
eleven  of  whom  reached  mature  years.  These  are 
named  respectively:  William  F.,  Theodore  .1., 
Commodore  W..  Ruth  L,  Thomas  J..  Robert  E., 
Silissia  E.,  Charles,  Enoch,  Leonard  D.  and  Eliza- 
beth C.  Mr.  Evans  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 
He  and  his  wife  have  been  iilentiBed  witli  the 
Christian  Church  for  twelve  years  past,  and  are 
numbered  among  the  most  respectable  members  of 
the  community. 


>^',OYN  S.  PENNINGTON,  a  native  of  this 
.Slate  and  a  member  of  a  well-known  familyof 
(1  Pittsfiehl.  Pike  County,  is  station  agent  of  the 
AVabash  Railroad  Company  in  the  city  mentioned. 
He  is  the  oldest  man  in  his  deparlment  in  the  em- 
ploj'  of  the  company,  by  whom  he  is  justly  held  in 
high  regai'd  for  his  fidelity  to  the  interests  of  his 
employers  and  the  able  manner  in  which  he  dis- 
charges his  duties. 

Mr.  Pennington  was  born  in  Whitehall,  Greene 
County,  111.,  March  15,  1841,  the  eldest  son  of 
Joel  and  Abigail  (Goltra)  Pennington,  natives  of 
New  .Tersey.  They  first  came  to  Pike  County'  in 
a  wagon  in  1849,  having  become  residents  of  this 
State,  locating  in  Greene  County  in  1841,  a  short 
time  before  the  birth  of  our  suliject.  His  father 
was  a  hatter  .md  proprietor  of  a  livery  barn.  He 
subsequently  became  the  proprietor  of  the  Mansion 
House,  in  Pittsfleld,  of  which  he  was  the  landlord 
for  thirty  years,  from  18,58  to  1890,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  tW'O  years  absence.  He  died  here  July 
27.  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  having 
been  born  in  1818.  At  his  death  one  of  tlie  old 
landmarks  of  the  cit}'  was  removed  and  an  iionored 
citizen  was  lost   to   the   community.     The   mother 


of  our  subject  is  still  living.  8he  is  a  woman  of 
more  than  ordinary  force  of  character  and  capabil- 
ity, and  is  managing  the  Mansion  House  with 
marked  success,  it  being  one  of  the  best  kept  hotels 
in  this  vicinity,  and  well  known  throughout  south- 
ern Illinois.  Mrs.  Pennington  is  the  mother  of 
nine  children,  of  whom  seven  arc  living. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  principally 
educated  in  the  city  schools  of  Piltsfield,  and  at 
the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he 
l)ursued  a  fine  course  of  study  for  two  years.  After 
leaving  college  he  entered  the  employ'  of  the  Gov- 
ernment as  Clerk  in  the  United  St.ates  mustering 
and  disbursing  oflice  at  .Springfield,  111.,  and  filled 
that  position  with  ability  and  to  the  satisfaction  of 
all  concerned  from  186'2  until  1865,  and  at  the 
time  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at  Camp 
Butler  he  was  serving  as  Chief  Clerk,  having  been 
promoted  on  account  of  his  proficiency. 

After  retiring  from  his  Government  position, 
Mr.  Pennington  became  a  clerk  for  C.  M.  Smith  & 
Co.,  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  their  general  store  which 
was  then  the  largest  in  the  city.  A  year  later  he 
threw  up  that  place  and  returned  to  Pittsfleld.  He 
subsequently  became  station  agent  for  the  Wabash 
Railroad  Company,  entering  upon  his  duties  in 
the  month  of  Februarj',  18G9.  and  he  h.as  ever  since 
retained  that  position.  His  services  are  appreciated 
bj'  the  compaii}',  who  reganl  iiim  as  one  of  their 
best  employes,  and  he  is  well  liked  and  popular 
with  the  patrons  of  the  road,  as  be  is  always  oblig- 
ing, genial  and  courteous. 

Mr.  Pennington  has  been  twice  married.  The  mai- 
den nama  of  his  first  wife  was  Annette  Stout  and  she 
was  from  Rockport,  III.  She  died  in  1878,  leaving 
one  son,  Frank,  vvlio  is  a  telegraph  operator  and  an 
assistant  of  his  father.  Mr.  Pennington's  present 
wife  was  formerly  Miss  Maggie  Sutton,  of  Spiing- 
field.  111.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  Sutton,  a 
prominent  business  man  and  Director  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  that  cit}'.  hy  this  marriage  our 
subject  and  his  vvife  have  three  children — James, 
Charles  and  .Susan  C. 

Mr.  Pennington  has  borne  an  honorable  part  in 
the  management  of  local  affairs.  He  has  served 
one  term  as  a  member  of  the  Town  Board  of  Trus- 
tees, and  was  apiiointed  one  of  the  members  of  the 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Local  Board  of  the  Bloomington  Loan  Association. 
Politically,  he  is  a  sound  Democrat.  Religiously, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Churcli.  He 
and  his  family  have  a  comfortable,  commodious 
residence,  pleasantl3'  located  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town  on  Fajette  Street,  and  their  numerous  friends 
often  share  with  them  its  bounteous  hospitality. 

'  UGUSTUS  ROTH.  The  enterprising  Ger- 
man citizen  is  to  be  found  all  over  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
United  Stales,  pushing  his  way  ahead  and 
uniformly  proving  industrious  and  frugal  and  be- 
coming well-to-do.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a 
true  child  of  the  Fatherland,  has  built  up  a  good 
farm  in  Crater  Precinct,  Calhoun  Count3',  and  well 
merits  representation  in  this  Bio(;RAriiiCAL  Album. 
The  native  place  of  our  subject  was  Wurtemburg, 
Germany,  and  his  natal  day,  August  1 1,  1826.  His 
parents  were  .John  and  Theresa  Roth,  who  came  of 
old  German  stock.  Augustus  received  a  good  edu- 
cation in  tlie  German  language  and  since  he  emi- 
grated to  America  has  acquired  a  fair  knowledge 
of  Englisli,  so  that  he  is  enabled  to  transact  busi- 
ness with  English-speaking  citizens  as  accurately  as 
vfitii  those  of  his  own  nationalitj'.  He  was  reared 
to  farm  life  and  has  pjade  it  his  occupation  when- 
ever circumstances  would  admit. 

In  October,  1852,  Mr.  Roth  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Frances  Kramer,  who  was  born  in  Wur- 
temburg, May  IG,  1826,  to  Anton  and  Julia  A. 
Kramer.  Accompanied  by  his  j'oung  bride  Mr. 
Roth  left  the  Fallierland  and  reaching  Havre  took 
passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  after  a  voyage  of 
nearly  three  weeks  disembarked  at  New  York  City. 
For  several  years  the  young  couple  made  their 
home  in  lister  County,  N.  Y.,  where  the  husband 
busied  himself  in  different  occupations  as  opportu- 
nities presented  themselves.  In  the  spring  of  1858, 
they  turned  tiieir  footsteps  westward  and  reachino- 
Calhoun  County  made  it  tlieir  permanent  home. 

The  fiist  land  purchased  by  Mr.  Roth  was  an 
eighty-acre  tract  for  which  he  paid  the  sum  of  880 
and  whicii  he  still  owns.     A  rude  log  caliin  stood 


in  a  three-acre  clearing  and  the  rest  of  the  land 
was  almost  in  the  condition  in  which  the  Indians 
left  it,  the  most  of  the  acreage  being  covered  with 
timber.  Assiduous  toil  and  well-directed  efforts 
reclaimed  the  land,  and  cleared  tiie  subsequent  pur- 
chase«  from  timber,  making  of  the  entire  estate, 
which  consists  of  two  hundred  acres,  a  fine  and 
fruitful  farm.  A  view  of  this  pleasant  homestead 
appears  on  another  page. 

The  old  log  cabin  still  stands  as  one  of  the  pio- 
neer landmarks  of  the  neighborhood,  but  was  long 
since  abandoned  as  a  family-  residence,  being  sup- 
planted by  a  substantial  and  commodious  structure, 
whose  neatness  and  order  attest  to  the  housewifely 
skill  of  JMrs.  Roth.  This  lady  has  ably  seconded 
her  husband  in  his  efforts  to  acquire  a  good  home 
and  to  rear  their  children  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
fit  them  for  honorable  and  useful  positions  in  life. 
Her  prudent  management  of  liousehold  affairs  and 
the  good  counsel  which  she  has  given  are  recog- 
nized by  our  subject  as  important  factors  in  his 
success. 

Mr.  an<l  Mrs.  Roth  liave  two  living  children: 
Lawrence  and  Joseph,  and  they  have  been  called 
upon  to  part  with  tliree  daughters  wlio  bore  the 
names  of  IMary,  Rosiua  and  Frances.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rotli  are  active  members  of  societ}'  and  enjoy 
tlie  confidence  of  their  neighbors  and  acquaint.inces, 
being  especially  well  regarded  by  their  associate 
members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Rotli  al- 
ways deposits  a  Democratic  vote  upon  election 
day. 


AMES  C.  THARP,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Calhoun  county  and  a  representative  of  one 
of  its  pioneer  families,  resides  on  section  3(), 
Carlin  Precinct.  His  fatlier,  Charles  Tliarp^ 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  of  Scotch  descent, 
and  emigrating  westward  located  in  this  county  in 
1829.  He  here  became  acquainted  with  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Louisa  Newell  who  vvas  bc>rn  in  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  and  when  a  maiden  of  some  thirteen  sum- 
mers accomprmied  her  family  to  Caliiotin  County. 
III.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  a  number  of 
children,  of  whom    the   following  are  now    livinff: 


Residenceof Augustus  RoTH,5Ec.ir.  CraterTp. Calhoun  Co. Ill, 


A^^^^ 


3^ 


^ 


U4 


1 


Residence  of  M.  A.  Kam  p,  Kampsville.I  ll. 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


295 


James  C;  Emma,  wife  of  Edmund  Likes,  of  this 
county;  Esther,  wife  of  F.  H.  Dierking,  of  Calhoun 
County;  William  II.,  of  the  stime  of)unty;  Clara, 
wife  of  S.  H.  Plummer,  of  Columbus  County,  Kan. ; 
Thomas  N.,  of  Calhoun  County.  111.;  and  Mrs. 
Martha  Lumle\',  a  widow  living  in  this  county. 
The  iiarents  of  the  family  after  many  years'  resi- 
dence in  Calhoun  County  were  called  to  their  final 
rest. 

James  C.  Tharp,  whose  name  lieads  this  sketch, 
was  born  on  iiis  fatlier's  farm  July  15,  1838,  and 
in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  of  that  day  his 
childhood  and  youth  were  spent.  Me  was  sur- 
rounded by  the  wild  scenes  of  pioneer  life  and  with 
the  family  shared  in  its  hardshi|)s  and  adversities. 
At  that  day  one  had  ample  opportunity  to  gratify 
a  taste  for  hunting  and  Mr.  Tharp  became  quite  ar 
expert  with  the  rifle.  On  one  occasion  he  killed 
tliree  deer  in  a  single  day  and  many  wild  fowls, 
brought  down  by  his  trustj-  gun,  furnished  a  meal 
for  the  family.  The  educational  advantages  of 
that  time  do  not  compare  favorably  with  tliose  of 
to-day,  but  he  improved  every  opportunity  and 
mastered  the  common  brandies. 

On  arriving  at  years  of  maturity  Mr.  Tharp  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Sampler,  the 
union  being  celebrated  on  the  4th  of  September, 
18C5.  The  lad}- is  a  native  of  Hardin  (^ount^',  111., 
and  a  daughter  of  Felix  and  Nancy  (Barley)  Sam- 
pier.  The  children  born  of  their  marriage  are, 
Aemilius  A.,  a  school  teacher  of  this  county;  Etta, 
wife  of  John  Penz,  of  Calhoun  County;  William 
E.,  Anna  A.,  John  C. ;  Alta,  deceased;  Francis  M., 
and  Cora  E.  The  children  have  all  been  provided 
with  good  educational  advantages,  such  as  would 
fit  them  for  the  practical  duties  of  life  and  do  honor 
to  the  teachings  of  their  parents. 

In  1869  Mr.  Tharp  purchased  a  farm  on  section 
30,  Carlin  Precinct,  where  he  }'et  makes  his  home. 
It  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good 
farming  land  which  he  transformed  from  a  wild 
and  unimproved  state  into  rich  and  fertile  fields. 
He  is  an  enterprising  and  industrious  man  who  is 
not  afraid  of  work,  but  with  thrift  and  industry 
pushes  his  wa}'  forward,  using  every  opportunity 
to  secure  a  propert}-  which  will  provide  for  the 
wants  and  comfort  of  his  familj'.     Both  he  and  his 


wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Churchriand  in 
political  sentiment  lie  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
He  is  now  serving  as  School  Director  but  has  never 
sought  or  desired  public  olRce.  preferring  to  give 
his  time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests 
which  have  profited  thereby  and  made  him  a  sub- 
stantial citizen  of  the  comraunitj-.  Few  h.-\ve  longer 
been  residents  of  Calhoun  County  than  Mr.  Tharii. 
It  was  his  birth-place,  the  scene  of  his  boyhood  and 
the  years  of  his  manhood  have  here  been  passed. 
It  is  endeared  to  him  by  every  association  of  life 
and  he  feels  a  just  pride  in  its  progress  and  ad- 
vancement. 


AVID  KURFMAN  has  lived  in  Pike 
County  since  1850.  and  is  therefore  classed 
among  its  pioneers.  Since  1858  he  has  been 
the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  many  fine  farms 
for  which  this  region  is  noted.  It  is  pleasantly 
located  on  section  7,  Fairmount  Township,  and  is 
exceedingly  well-cultivated  and  well-improved. 

Philip  Kurfman,  the  grandfather  of  our  sul)ject, 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  it  is  thought  by  Mr. 
Kurfman  of  this  notice  that  he  was  unmarried  when 
he  crossed  the  ocean  and  settled  in  iSIaiyland, 
where  it  is  supposed  he  secured  his  wife.  They 
subsequently  settled  in  Huntingdon  Count}-,  Pa., 
and  there  they  passed  the  rest  of  their  dajs  on  a 
farm,  dj'ing  when  nearly  eighty  years  of  age.  In 
their  last  years  they  were  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  now- 
deceased. 

Daniel  Kurffman,  the  father  of  our  subject,  w.as 
the  third  child  of  the  family,  and  he  was  born  in 
Bedford,  Huntingdon  Count}',  Pa.,  during  the  last 
years  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  was  bred  to 
the  life  of  a  farmer  in  his  native  county,  and  after 
attaining  manhood  went  to  Bradford  County,  Pa., 
where  he  was  married  to  Susannah  Barnett,  a  native 
of  that  county  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Barnett, 
who  was  a  native  of  German}-.  When  her  father 
was  a  child  he  was  decoyed  on  board  an  .Vmerican- 
bound  vessel,  and  after  arriving  on  these  shores  was 


296 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


sold,  the  terms  of  the  sale  being  that  he  was  to  work 
seven  years  to  pa}'  for  his  passage  before  he  could 
obtain  his  libert}'.  He  was  then  seven  years  old 
and  was  reared  in  the  State  of  Maryland.  He  mar- 
ried and  settled  in  Bedford  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
was  engaged  as  a  farmer  and  there  both  he  and  his 
wife,  vvho  were  known  aS  good  Cliristian  people, 
rounded  out  their  lives  at  a  ripe  age.  It  is  thought 
that  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Knrfman,  was  born  and 
reared  in  Bedford  County,  she  having  been  the 
youngest  of  her  father's  children. 

After  marriage  Daniel  Kurfman  and  wife  made 
their  home  in  Huntingdon  County,  near  Cassviiie, 
and  there  reared  their  family.  Mr.  Kurfman  died 
there  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age.  He  was 
greatly  esteemed  and  was  known  as  an  honest,  hard- 
working man,  and  he  was  a  sincere  Christian  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  His  widow  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  son,  our  subject,  and  died  in  lliis  town- 
ship at  tlie  age  of  nearly  seventy-two  years.  She 
was  a  noble  woman  and  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

David  Kurfman.  of  whom  this  sketch  is  written, 
was  tlie second  child  and  lirst  son  in  a  farail}'  of  ten 
children,  five  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom 
three  sons  and  two  daughters  are  yet  living.  Mr. 
Kurfman  was  born  in  Huntingdon  County,  Pa., 
January  29,  1815.  He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm 
in  liis  native  county,  and  was  there  first  married  to 
Miss  Hannah  Deeter,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
the  western  part  of  Bedford  Countj*.  She  died  in 
Huntingdon  County,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight 
years,  after  the  biith  of  two  children,  Ellen  (now 
deceased)  and  Susan.  The  second  marriage  of  our 
subject  took  place  in  Pike  County,  at  which  time  he 
was  united  to  Miss  Nancy  Bagbj-,  a  native  of  this 
county,  born  in  Highland  Township,  February  5, 
1835.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Larkin  D.and  Rachael 
(Kinman)  Bagby,  natives  of  Montgomery  County, 
Ky.,  and  Pike  County.  Ind.  Her  parents  were 
young  people  when  they  migrated  to  this  count}' 
in  a  very  early  day  of  its  settlement  and  were  here 
married  and  began  their  wedded  life  in  Highland 
Township.  Some  years  later  they  settltd  in  Pitts- 
fielii  Township,  and  there  Mrs.  Bagliy  died  during 
the  war  at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.  She  left  a 
family  of  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  Mrs.  Kurf- 


man being  the  eldest  of  the  family.  Mr.  Bagby 
later  was  married  three  times  and  died  in  Pittsfield 
Township  when  an  old  man. 

Mrs.  Knrfman  was  reared  to  womanhood  by  lier 
parents  and  was  carefully  trained  in  all  that  goes 
to  make  a  good  housewife.  Her  marriage  with  our 
subject  has  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased,  Rachael 
A.  and  Larkin  D.,  both  of  whom  died  at  tiie  age  of 
twenty-two  3'ears.  Those  living  are  Lavina,  wife 
of  Henry  Bowen,  a  farmer  in  Brown  County,  HI.; 
George  W.,  a  farmer  in  this  township,  who  married 
IMaiy  Woodard  ;  Thomas  O..  a  farmer  m  Brown 
County,  who  married  Almira  Bowen;  Fannie  11., 
wife  of  John  Jarvis,  a  farmer  of  Brown  Count}-,  i 
and  William  R.  who  lives  at  home.  ^ 

Mr.  Kurfman  is  a  tlioroughly  practical  fainier 
and  in  the  prosecution  of  his  calling  has  met  with 
assured  success,  and  besides  his  homestead  has 
another  small  farm  and  is  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. He  and  his  wife  have  long  been  identified 
with  the  Baptist  Chuicli  as  two  of  its  most  valued 
members  and  he  is  a  Deacon  thereof.  In  his  |iolit- 
icaj  sentiments  he  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  the 
Republican  party. 


y/.i:  NDREAS    WINTJEN,   who   is   the  owner 
u\\    and  operator  of  a  good   farm  of  two  hun- 


dred and  eighty  a(;res  on  section  35,  Belle- 
view  Precinct,  Calhoun   County,  has  lieen 
a    resident  of    the  county    for   a    third  of   a   ecu-     • 
tury.    He  is  of  German  birth  and  his  parents,  John     | 
H.  and  Elizabeth   AVintjen,  were    also  natives    of 
Germany.     Andreas  was  born  in    Hanover  on  the 
6th  of  June,  1837,   and   under   the    parental    roof 
was  reared  to  manhood,  acquiring  a  good  education     i 
in  the  mother  tongue.    AV'hen  sixteen  years  of  age,    I 
bidding    good-by    to   his    native    land   and    many    J 
friends,  he  started  for  America,  taking  passage  on     1 
a  sailing-vessel   which  left  the  port  of   Bremen   in    1 
1853,  and  arrived  at  the   harbor  of   New  Orleans 
after  a  voyage  of  seven   weeks.     Mr.  Wintjen    re- 
mained in   the    Crescent    City    but  a   short    time, 
when   he  resumed    his    journey,    traveling    as   far 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


297 


northward  as'  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  remained 

for  fdur  years.  With  the  exception  of  about  six 
inontlis,  lie  was  employed  during  that  time  in  the 
large  pork  packing  establishment  of  Ames  &  Co., 
serving  in  the  important  capacity  of  foreman.  About 
1858  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  locating  in  Calhoun 
County,  has  since  resided  here.  He  lias  made 
farming  his  principal  occupation  since  ills  arrival, 
and  is  numbered  among  the  leading  agriculturists 
of  tlie  communitj'. 

Prior  to  leaving  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Witjen  was  united 
in  maniage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Schlichting,  and 
unto  them  was  born  a  family  of  ten  chililren, 
eight  of  whom  are  living  at  this  writing  in  the 
autumn  of  ISilO,  namely:  John.  Andreas,  John 
H.,  Ludwig  J.,  Gevert;  Catlierine,  wife  of  Michael 
Seiiuman;  Louisa  and  Christina.  Mary  and  Peter 
C.  are  now  deceased. 

On  coming  to  this  county  Mr.  Wintjen  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  all  in 
an  unimproved  state,  the  Indians  having  just  va- 
cated it  and  gone  to  their  reservation  be3-on<l  the 
Mississippi.  Tliat  farm  is  yet  his  home,  but  its 
boundaries  have  been  extended  until  it  now  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  the  greater 
part  of  which  is  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
Man}'  improvements  which  he  has  made  greatly 
enhance  its  value  and  add  to  the  beauty  of  its  ap- 
pearance. i\Ir.  Winljen  is  an  enterprising  and 
progressive  citizen,  and  the  support  and  aid  he  has 
given  to  public  interests  have  not  done  a  little 
toward  its  growth  and  progress.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  for  over  a  quar- 
ter of  a  centur}'  lias  officiated  as  Treasurer  of  the 
congregation  in  which  he  holds  membership.  His 
wife  was  also  connected  with  that  church.  She. 
who  had  been  his  devoted  helpmate  and  counselor 
for  many  years,  was  called  to  her  reward  in  1875, 
departing  this  life  on  the  7th  of  October.  Her 
many  excellencies  of  character  had  endeared  her 
to  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  the  community,  who 
shared  with  the  family  their  great  loss.  In  poli- 
tics iMr.  Wintjen  is  a  Republican  and  a  stalwart 
advocate  of  the  party  principles.  lie  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  local  political  affairs  and  has  served 
as  School  Director  and  Road  Commissioner,  dis- 
cliar'nng  the  duties  of  both  positions  with  prompt- 


ness and  fidelit}^  An  upright  life  has  won  him 
many  friends  and  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  community.  Although  of  German 
birth.  Calhoun  County  has  no  better  citizen  than 
Mr.  Wintjen,  and  we  arc  pleased  to  present  this 
sketch  to  the  readers  of  the  Alium. 


^S^"' 


^  lilLLIAM  HOYT.  The  farming  interests  of 
\/2s///  Barr}'  Township  are  no  better  represented 
'\^yS  than  by  this  gentleman,  who  owns  and  is 
ably  managing  one  of  its  finest  farms,  comprising 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28,  and  pleasantly 
located  two  miles  west  of  the  village.  Mr.  Hoyt 
has  placed  upon  it  many  substantial  improvements, 
thus  greatly  adding  to  its  value  since  it  came  into 
his  possession.  He  has  erected  a  fine  and  well- 
appointed  set  of  frame  buildings,  has  planted  fruit, 
shade  and  ornamental  trees,  and  has  otherwise 
beautified  the  pl.ace.  In  addition  to  this  farm  he 
owns  another  of  eighty  acres,  with  good  frame 
buildings,  and  under  excellent  cultivation,  situated 
on  the  south  one-half  of  the  southe.ast  quartei'  of 
section  28. 

Mr.  Hoyt  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
October  29,  1838.  His  father.  Elder  William  Hoyt, 
was  born  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  a 
son  of  Ebenezer  Hoyt,  who  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut and  was  derived  from  earl}'  English 
ancestrj'.  He  removed  from  that  New  England 
State  to  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.,  of  which  he  wjis 
a  pioneer.  He  lioughta  tract  of  land,  cleared  a  farm 
and  there  made  his  home  till  death  called  him 
hence.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Hayes, 
and  she  was  also  a  native  of  Connecticut.  She 
came  to  Pike  County  with  her  son  William,  and 
died  at  his  home  in  Barry  Township.  She  reared 
five  children  as  follows:  Lydia,  Ebenezer,  Hannah, 
Abigad  and  William. 

Our  subject's  father  learned  the  trade  of  a  car- 
penter, and  followed  it  a  greater  part  of  the  time 
while  he  lived  in  the  State  of  New  York.  In  1845 
he  came  to  Pike  County  by  the  w.ay  of  the  E>'ie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  and  thence  b}'  Lake  to  Erie,  Pa., 
from  there  by  canal   to  Pittsburg,  and  so  on   down 


298 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tlie  Oliio  and  up  the  Mississippi  Rivers  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  The  night  tiiey  arrived  in  the  latter 
city  the  river  froze,  and  as  the  little  company 
could  proceed  no  farther  by  boat,  they  crossed  the 
river  with  teams  on  the  ice.  and  came  overland  to 
Pike  ("ouQty.  Mr.  Hoyt  had  visited  this  section  of 
the  country  in  1839,  and  had  then  bouglit  the  east 
one-half  of  section  "28,  in  Barry  Township,  and  at 
that  time  built  on  the  place.  The  family  located 
on  his  land  and  were  obliged  to  live  in  the  most 
primitive  manner,  as  the  surrounding  country  was 
wild  and  sparsely  settled,  and  was  but  very  little 
improved.  The  most  of  the  settlers  were  living  in 
log  houses  then,  and  deer  and  other  kinds  f)f  wild 
game  still  abounded.  Mr.  Iloyt  was  very  industri- 
ous, and  improved  a  good  farm  which  he  occupied 
some  years.  He  sjient  his  last  days  in  the  village 
of  Bany,  where  he  died  in  the  month  of  May,  1890, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-five  years;  and  thus 
passed  away  one  of  the  most  respected  pioneers  of 
Barry  Township.  In  earlj'  life  he  had  m.arried 
Nancy  Bain,  a  native  of  the  Empire  State,  and  she 
died  in  1880.  They  reared  eight  children,  namely  : 
E'.euezer,  Katie,  Hannah,  William,  James,  Lydia. 
Mary  and  Maria. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  seven  years  old  when 
his  parents  came  to  this  county,  so  lie  has  grown  up 
with  tlie  country.  He  commenced  when  very  young 
to  assist  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  remained  with 
his  parents  till  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  then 
rented  land  for  a  time,  and  subsequently  purchased 
the  place  he  now  occupies. 

December  29,  1859,  Mr.  Hoyt  and  Miss  Millie 
McDaniel  were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Iloj't  is  a 
native  of  this  township  and  a  daughter  of  Levi 
McDaniel,  who  was  born  in  Edgefield  District,  S.  C. 
His  father,  John  McDaniel.  was  born  in  the  same 
State,  and  his  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  of 
Scotch  ancestry,  who  came  to  America  in  Colonial 
times.  He  settled  in  South  Carolina,  and  there 
passed  his  remaining  years.  Mrs.  Hoyt's  grand- 
father served  five  years  in  the  regular  army,  and 
with  that  exception  spent  his  entire  life  in  bis 
native  State. 

Levi  McDaniel  was  reared  and  married  in  South 
Carolina,  taking  as  his  wife  Elizabeth  Jennings. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  William  Jennings  who  was 


a  native  of  Edgefield  District,  S.  C,  where  he  spent 
his  entire  life.  Mrs.  McDaniel  died  on  the  home 
farm   in  this  township  in  1879. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  McDaniel  continued  to 
reside  in  his  native  Slate  till  183(),  when  he  started 
for  what  was  then  the  far  West,  and  made  an  over- 
land journey  to  Illinois.  His  wife  drove  a  pair  of 
horses  attached  to  a  carriage  the  entire  distance. 
He  located  in  what  is  now  Barry  Township,  bought 
a  tract  of  land  and  built  thereon  the  log  house  in 
which  Mrs.  Hoyt  was  born.  It  was  a  double-hewed 
dwelling,  and  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  country  at 
that  time.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDaniel  were  de- 
voted members  of  the  Baptist  Church  and  religious 
meetings  were   (requentl3-   held  in  their  house. 

Mr.  McDaniel  cleared  a  good  farm,  of  which  he 
remained  a  resident  till  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  April,  1876.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoyt  have  six  children 
— Nancy  Ella,  Elvira  Elizabeth,  AVilliam  Henry, 
Levi  W.,  Roscoe  Dwight,  and  Floyd  Elben.  Our 
subject  and  wife  are  sincere  Christian  people,  as 
is  betokened  by  their  everyday  life,  which  is  guided 
l)y  high  principles,  and  they  are  zealous  members  of 
the  Methodist  I^piscopal  Church. 


n  SAAC  BARTON.  Perhaps  there  is  no  resident 
'    in  Pike    County  who  is   better   deserving   of 

'is  representation  in  this  volume  than  the  gentle- 
man above  named,  who  has  aided  much  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  material  resources  of  the  county 
and  borne  his  part  in  worthy  public  enterprises. 
In  1880  he  removed  into  Summer  Hill  where  he 
has  since  been  living  retired  from  active  life,  en- 
joying merited  comfort  and  repose.  By  dint  of 
persistent  industrj-,  wise  economy  and  good  habits 
he  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  comfortable  fortune, 
although  he  began  his  personal  career  with  no  cap- 
ital other  than  his  sturdy  qualities  of  mind,  his 
physical  strength  and  a  common-school  education. 
The  natal  d.ay  of  our  subject  was  June  7,  182.5, 
and  his  birthplace  Knox  County,  K^-.  He  is  of 
English  ancestry  in  the  paternal  line  and  of  Eng- 
lish and  Irish  in  the  maternal.  He  made  his  home 
in  his  native  State  until  twelve  years  of  age,   at- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


299 


tending  the  old-fashioned  log  schoolhouse  with  its 
open  fireplace,  its  writing  desk  beneath  the  win- 
dows and  the  other  primitive  arrangements  which 
were  common  at  tiiat  |)eriod.  Just  before  entering 
his  teens  he  went  witi)  a  brother  to  Parke  Countj', 
Ind.,  which  was  tlien  an  undeveloped,  sparsely- 
settled  region.  He  worked  out  by  the  month  on  a 
farm,  receiving  $7  per  month  for  his  first  year's 
work.  He  continued  to  occupy  himself  as  a  farm 
laborer  about  eight  years,  then  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade  and  followed  it  four  or  five  years. 

Mr.  Barton  next  ran  a  carding  machine  two 
j'ears  and  worked  in  sawmills  some.  In  December, 
184(),  he  came  on  horseback  to  this  State,  liis  only 
possessions  being  his  horse  and  saddle  and  about 
*15  in  money.  He  worked  in  the  sawmills  of 
Rockport,  Pike  County,  two  years  and  then  bought 
eighty  acres  on  section  8,  Warlinsburg  Township, 
ten  acres  of  which  were  cleared.  A  log  house  had 
been  built  into  which  he  moved,  but  after  making 
some  improvements  he  sold  the  place  and  bought 
seventy-nine  acres  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township.  For 
that  propcrt\-  lie  paid  $600  and  after  occupying  it 
a  year  sold  it  for  -isTiOO.  He  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  farther  north  and  soon  dis- 
posed of  it  at  a  profit  of  $300.  He  finalh'  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber  land  north 
of  Rockport  and  taking  up  his  residence  there  lan 
a  sawmill  ten  years. 

From  time  to  time  Mr.  Barton  bought  more 
land  and  at  one  time  owned  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  He  farmed  quite  extensively  and  also 
raised  large  numbers  of  domestic  animals.  He 
made  the  best  of  improvements  u|)on  his  estate, 
among  them  being  a  very  fine  dwelling,  which  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  over  $.3,000.  The  work  which 
was  carried  on  there  was  conducted  according  to 
tlie  most  approved  methods,  order  was  everywhere 
manifested,  and  no  part  of  the  estate  was  allowed 
to  assume  a  neglected  or  ill-cared  for  appearance. 
While  in  no  wise  penurious.  Mr.  Barton  understood 
that  a  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned  and  built  up 
his  fortunes  where  those  less  prudent  and  industri- 
ous would  have  failed. 

Grandfather  Barton  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  enteied 
the   Colonial   army  when   the  Declaration  uf  Imle- 


pendenee  was  made  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill.  His  wife  live;l  to  be  eighty  years  of 
age  and  reared  a  family  of  five  children,  taking  as 
far  as  possible  their  father's  place  after  his  decease. 
Grandmother  Barton  belonged  to  the  Baptist 
Church  during  most  of  her  life. 

William  Barton,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  reared  on  a  farm  there 
and  in  his  early  manhood  went  to  Tennessee.  There 
he  married  Mary  Brewer,  a  native  of  that  State  and 
a  woman  of  Christian  character,  belonging  to  the 
Baptist  Church.  Mr.  Barton  subsequently  removed 
to  Knox  County,  Ky.,  on  the  Cumberland  River, 
being  one  of  the  earl>-  settlers.  He  acquired  a 
considerable  tract  of  land  and  prospered  in  his 
worldlv  affairs.  He  was  killed  in  a  runaway  ac- 
cident when  about  sixty  years  of  age.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  Deacon  in  the  Baptist  Church 
and  was  well  known  in  the  neighborhood  as  a  man 
of  deep  religious  convictions.  Politically,  he  was 
an  old  line  Whig.  His  wife  lived  to  be  fifty  odd 
years  old,  she  also  being  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

The  family  of  this  good  couple  consisted  of  the 
following  children,  only  four  of  whom  arc  now 
living:  Susan,  Henry,  .lames  and  John  deceased; 
Solomon;  William,  Lewis,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah 
deceased;  Mary  J.,  Isaac,  Daniel;  Nancy,  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  was  mar- 
ried February  15,  1847,  to  Rachel  M.  Owslej-,  who 
was  born  in  Tennessee,  December  27,  1830.  She  is 
a  capable,  efficient,  intelligent  woman,  possessing 
the  Christian  graces  and  endearing  herself  to  the 
hearts  of  family  and  fricnils  by  her  virtues.  She 
has  borne  her  husband  eleven  children,  eight  of 
wlioin  grew  to  maturity.  These  are  Mrs.  M.  AVells, 
William  T.,  John  A.,  Fred,  Dellie  R,  Perry  F.,  Anna 
and  Clyde  E.  Anna  is  now  teaching  music  in  the 
Western  College  at  La  Belle,  Mo.  All  were  care- 
fully reared  and  fitted,  in  so  far  as  parental  love 
and  watchfulness  could  accomplish  that  purpose, 
for  usefulness  and  honor. 

From  the  time  he  deposited  his  first  ballot  until 
1888  Mr.  Barton  was  a  Democrat,  but  he  has  now 
determined  to  throw  his  influence  into  the  Prohi- 
bition party.  He  has  hold  all  the  offices  in  Atlas 
Townshii),  discharging  his  duties  in  a  manner  crcd- 


300 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


itable  alike  to  himself  and  those  who  elected  him. 
He  is  well  informed  on  all  the  topics  of  general 
interest,  honest  and  straightforward  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, and  both  lie  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  in  which  the}'  have  held 
membership  for  thirty-five  years. 

/ESSE  WILSON.  This  gentleman  is  very 
well  known  throughout  Northern  Calhoun 
County,  being  identified  with  the  farming 
((^J/  and  stock-raising  interests  of  Hamburg  Pre- 
cinct. His  comfortable  and  pleasant  home  is  favor- 
ably located  on  section  .5,  wlierc  he  owns  nearly 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  acquired 
by  dint  of  industry,  perseverance  and  good  man- 
agement. The  land  is  intelligently  handled  and 
so  produces  crops  equal  in  quality  and  quantity  to 
any  in  the  vicinitj',  and  has  furthermore  been  sup- 
plied with  all  needed  improvements. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this  county,  in  vvhich 
his  parents,  Silas  and  Nancy  (Crader)  Wilson, 
were  pioneers.  On  coming  hither  they  made  a  set- 
tlement in  the  woods  in  Hamburg  Precinct,  and 
in  clearing  and  developing  their  farm  endured 
many  hardships  usual  in  pioneer  times  and  dis- 
played the  sturdy  virtues  so  characteristic  of  the 
class  to  which  they  belonged.  They  reared  a  large 
farail\',  of  wiiom  the  survivors  are:  P^lizabeth, 
Samuel,  Jesse,  Caroline,  Mary  .].,  Silas  and  Will- 
iam. The  father,  altliough  in  his  youth  denied 
educational  advantages,  was  possessed  of  natural 
intelligence  and  his  character  was  such  that  his 
death  was  regretted  as  a  loss  to  the  entire  commu- 
nity. The  widowed  mother  is  still  living  at  an 
advanced  age,  respected  as  her  virtues  merit. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  May  27,  1844. 
He  grew  to  maturity  amid  the  primitive  scenes  of 
a  country  which  was  still  far  from  being  well  set- 
lied,  and  as  he  grew  toward  manhood  did  consider- 
able of  the  pioneer  work  by  means  of  which  the 
county  has  reached  its  present  condition.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  early  subscri|)tioi)  and 
public  schools  and  although  his  advantages  were  not 
equal  to  those  affoi'ded  to  the  ho^'s  and  girls  of  to- 


day, he  acquired  a  fair  share  of  practical  knowledge. 
He  has  made  farming  his  life  work  and  has  en- 
deavored to  carry  on  his  estate  according  to  the 
best  methods,  making  use  of  advanced  ideas  and 
modern  appliances  as  fast  as  they  were  proven 
feasible  or  wise. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  been  twice  married,  his  first 
companion  having  been  Mary  A.  Lawson,  a  na- 
tive of  Missouri,  who  became  the  mother  of  three 
children — William,  Charles  and  Lilly  M.  The  first 
named  only  is  living.  The  lady  whom  Mr.  Wilson 
won  for  his  second  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  E.  Gordon,  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  R. 
and  Mary  (McDonald)  Gordon,  of  Calhoun  County, 
and  is  not  only  an  industrious  and  kindly  woman, 
but  is  much  esteemed  for  her  Christian  character. 
This  marriage  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  eight 
children,  the  survivors  being  Sarah,  John,  Dona 
J.,  Stella  and  Martha. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  belong  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church  and  earnestly  endeavor  to  mold  their 
lives  according  to  the  piecepts  of  the  Gospel.  Mr. 
Wilson  is  now  serving  as  Deacon  in  the  church. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  In  the  spring  of  1888 
he  was  elected  Road  Commissioner  of  Hamburg 
Precinct  for  a  term  of  three  years  and  he  is  also 
serving  as  School  Director  of  his  district.  He  com- 
mands the  respect  of  the  business  coranuinity  and 
is  recognized  as  an  intelligent,  liberal  and  pul)lic- 
spirited  citizen. 


W  EWIS  H.  SNEEDEN.  The  life  of  this  gen- 
I  (j^  tieman  is  a  record  of  difficulties  successfully 
jl'—^Vi  overcome,  adversities  bravely  combated  and 
success  finally  won.  Although  possessed  of  but  few 
advant.iges  when  beginning  life  for  himself  he  has. 
become  wealthy,  and  his  fine  farm  on  section  lit, 
Detroit  Township,  will  be  a  monument  to  his  in- 
dustry' and  toil,  long  years  after  he  has  passed 
hence. 

In  tracing  his  lineage  we  find  that  ]\Ir.  Sneeden 
comes  of  a  substantial  stock,  his  father,  Charles 
Sneeden,  being  a  native  of  the  Old  P>ay  State  and 
born    in    1817.      He   followed   the   occupation  of  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


301 


stonemason,  ami  on  ari'ivino-  at  years  of  uialuritv 
married  Mary  Siulditli,  a  native  of  ^'irgi^ia  and 
born  in  181. '3.  I'rior  to  iiis  marriage  Charles  Snee- 
deii  had  emigrated  to  the  Old  Dominion  and  it 
remained  his  home  until  18G;3,  when  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  the  village  of  Detroit,  where 
he  made  a  [lermanent  home  for  his  family.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  in  18SS2  after  a  long  life  de- 
voted to  the  welfare  of  her  husband  and  children. 
The  father  still  survives  and  now  lives  in  Detroi*;. 
They  both  joined  the  Jlethodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  their  earlier  years.  He  still  maintains  a  hearty 
interest  in  political  affairs  and  voted  first  with  the 
Whig  party  but  upon  the  organization  of  the  IJc- 
publican  party  became  identioed  with  that  organi- 
zation. His  upright  life  is  a  priceless  heritage  he 
has  given  to  his  children,  and  he  enjoys  the  esteem 
of  all  who  know  him. 

The  parental  family  included  nine  children,  of 
whom  five  now  survive  whose  record  is  as  follows: 
Our  subject  w.as  the  first  born;  Sarah  J.,  Mrs.  Will- 
ian  Keel,  lives  in  Detroit  Township  and  has  nine 
children;  Fannie,  Mrs.  Matthew  Williams,  lives  in 
Hardin  Township  and  has  three  children.  By  a 
previous  marriage  to  William  Manker  she  became 
the  mother  of  two  children:  Miranda,  Mrs.  Burten 
Elliott,  resides  in  Detroit  Township  and  is  the 
mother  of  four  children;  Charles,  who  resides  in 
Detroit  Township,  is  married  and  they  have  three 
chiklren. 

In  Fairfax  County,  Va.,  tlie  birth  of  our  subject 
occurred  March  15,  1845.  He  passed  his  youth  in 
the  Old  Dominion  and  attended  a  select  school  for 
a  sliort  time.  He  was  fifteen  years  of  age  when  the 
Civil  War  broke  out  and  lived  about  fourteen 
miles  from  the  famous  battlefield  of  Bull  Run.  He 
well  remembers  the  battle.  During  the  war  the 
family  lost  all  their  possessions  and  the  father,  on 
account  of  his  Union  sentiments,  was  taken  by  the 
rclielsand  imprisoned  four  months  at  Castle  Thun- 
der, Richmond,  and  twelve  months  at  Salisbury, 
N.  C.  After  suffering  all  kinds  of  inhuaian  treat- 
ment he  was  released  in  1865  and  leturning  home 
soon  started  for  the  West. 

Upon  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  our 
subject  commenced  the  battle  of  life  for  himself, 
and    for  one  year  worked  by  the  month  for  James 


Stduer.  and  the  following  se.ason  rented  a  farm 
and  worked  for  himself  one  year.  In  1868  he  went 
to  Kansas  and  Iccated  in  Shawnee  County,  whence 
after  working  by  the  month  for  one  and  one-half 
years  he  returned  to  I'ike  County-.  His  marriage 
was  solemnized  September  11,  1870,  in  Detroit 
Township,  when  Miss  Susan  M.,  daughter  of  David 
and  Melviua  (Castcel)  Sliuler,  became  his  wife. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shuler  were  natives  respectively  of 
North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  and  were  married 
in  Jlontezuma  Town»liip,  this  county.  After  their 
marriage  they  settled  east  of  Milton,  and  after  a 
residence  of  a  few  \ears  there  removed  to  Newburg 
Township.  They  sojourned  there  a  short  time  then 
located  in  Detroit  Township  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  W.  Scarborough.  She  died  there  in  1864  and 
Mr.  Shuler  subsequently  married  and  passed  from 
earth  in  1886. 

By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Shuler  became  the  fa- 
ther of  six  children,  of  wjiom  the  following  survive: 
Lucinda  (Mrs.  Gobble),  Susan  M.  (Mrs.  Sneeden) 
and  Mary  J.  (Mrs.  Scarborough).  The  mother 
was  a  sincere  Christian  and  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  father  was 
in  the  Mormon  War  at  Nauvoo,  111.,  and  was  al- 
ways interested  in  politics,  voting  the  Democratic 
ticket  and  serving  as  a  School  Director.  The 
daughter,  Mrs.  Sneeden,  was  born  October  14, 1853, 
in  Newburg  Township,  Pike  County,  and  received 
her  education  in  district  No.  8,  Detroit  Township. 

Unto  Mr.  Sneeden  and  his  excellent  wife  there 
have  been  born  eight  chiklren,  namely  :  David,  now 
a  stalwart  youth  of  nineteen  years;  Lewis,  who  was 
born  in  1873;  Maud,  in  1876;  Charles,  a  bright 
boy  of  twelve  vcars;  Edna,  Cora,  Haltie  and  Ethel, 
the  latter  a  winsome  child  of  two  years.  After 
niarriage  our  subject  lived  two  miles  east  of  De- 
troit for  one  year,  then  rented  a  part  of  the  farm 
which  Mr.  Scarborough  now  operates.  After  liv- 
ing there  one  year  he  removed  one-half  mile  south 
on  section  30.  He  only  remained  tliere  one  3ear, 
and  then  selling  his  household  effects  and  farm 
implements  removed  to  Kansas  and  located  in  Rice 
County. 

Finding  life  in  Kans.as  not  congenial  to  his  taste 
Mr.  Sneeden  returned  to  I'ike  County  after  a  resi- 
dence of  two  and  one-hrdf  j-ears    in    the    Sunflower 


302 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


State,  and  bought  a  farm  on  section  31,  Detroit 
Tovvnsliip.  Tliis  place  continued  to  be  liis  home 
for  eleven  years  and  in  the  meantime  he  etfected 
good  improvements  upon  it  and  made  it  one  of  tiie 
finest  estates  in  the  vicinity.  In  1886  he  purchased 
the  place  where  he  now  resides,  paying  for  it  $97 
per  acre.  He  has  one  liiuidred  and  ninety-five 
.acres,  of  which  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  are 
under  excellent  cultivation.  Here  he  carries  on 
general  farming,  also  raises  cattle,  horses,  hogs  and 
siieep.  The  jjlace  is  admirably  ada[)ted  to  the  rais- 
ing of  stock  and  he  li.as  been  quite  successful  in  liis 
ventures  in  that  line. 

Although  devoting  most  of  his  time  to  the  de- 
velopment of  his  farm  Mr.  Sneeden  yet  finds  time 
for  public  duties,  and  has  served  as  School  Director 
in  his  district,  and  is  now  Township  Trustee.  He 
is,  socially,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order  at 
Milton,  of  which  he  has  been  Steward.  He  has 
always  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  and  is  thor- 
oughly in  sympathy  with  the  principles  of  that 
party.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  education  of 
his  children,  who  will  receive  all  the  advantages  of 
a  thorough  training  in  the  best  schools  of  the 
county. 


^^. 


"^I^LI  GRIMES.  Few  citizens  of  Pike  County 
l^  have  shown  a  greater  degree  of  business 
!}} — -^/  tact  and  enterprise  than  Eli  Grimes,  of  Mil- 
ton, who  is  now  filling  the  ofHce  of  Postmaster  in 
a  very  eflicient  manner.  He  has  been  one  of  the 
leading  sjjirits  in  the  Republican  ranks  in  this  sec- 
tion for  some  years  and  is  one  of  the  most  uncom- 
promising advocates  of  the  party  policy.  In  the 
conduct  of  his  business  affairs  he  has  from  his  youth 
up  followed  the  old  ad.age,  "Nothing  venture,  noth- 
ing have,"  but  has  likewise  wisely  calculated  prob- 
abilities and  rtsults. 

The  father  of  our  subject  is  John  D.  Grimes  and 
his  mother  was  Elizabeth  A.  (Cox)  Grimes.  Both 
parents  were  born  in  the  Blue  Grass  State  and  came 
to  Illinois  when  quite  young,  Grandfather  Cii'irnes 
settling  in  Pike  County  and  Grandfather  Cox  in 
Cass   County.     The    marriage    took    place    at    the 


home  of  the  bride,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Grimes 
immediately  settled  on  a  farm  near  Milton,  Pike 
County.  Mr.  (i rimes  operated  his  farm  and  en- 
gaged in  speculating.  He  was  one  of  the  leading 
citizens,  tjiking  a  prominent  [jart  in  public  enter- 
prises, among  which  was  the  building  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  He  w.as  a  member  of  the  society  and 
a  Deacon  of  the  same.  He  is  now  living  in  Kan- 
sas City,  Mo.,  with  his  second  wife,  the  mother  of 
our  subject  having  l)reathed  her  last  in  1868,  and 
is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business.  Six  children 
came  to  bless  the  union  of  .lohn  and  Elizabeth 
Grimes  and  all  are  still  living. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  child  and  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  light  in  Milton,  January  3,  1843.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  n.ntive 
place  and,  inheriting  a  taste  for  trade,  began  spec- 
ulating when  but  seventeen  j'ears  old.  For  ten 
years  after  the  war  he  was  a  heavy  dealer  in  horses 
and  mules  in  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Arkansas, 
and  he  has  also  done  a  large  trade  in  cattle.  After 
his  marriage  in  1864,  he  established  his  home  in 
Milton  and  is  still  living  in  the  same  house.  In 
addition  to  this  property  he  owns  two  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  farm  laud  in  Detroit  Township,  which 
is  imjiroved  with  a  comfortable  residence  and  ade- 
quate barns,  and  occupied  by  a  renter.  Mr.  Grimes 
gives  his  attention  to  stock-dealing  and  to  the  du- 
ties of  the  ofHce  to  which  he  was  appointed  April 
7,  1889. 

The  lady  who  presides  over  the  home  of  Mr. 
Grimes  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ellen  E.  Brown 
and  was  born  in  Greene  County,  this  State,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1843.  She  is  an  educated,  refined  woman 
who  has  many  friends  in  the  community.  Her  par- 
ents, Isaac  S.  and  Catherine  E.  (Hay)  Brown,  re- 
moved from  New  York  to  Illinois,  making  their 
first  settlement  in  Greene  County  and  coming  to 
Pike  County  in  1850.  Mr.  Brown  was  killed  at 
the  siege  of  Vicksbnrg  in  1863,  he  having  been  a 
wagonmaster  in  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry. 
Mrs.  Brown  survived  until  1889.  Their  family 
consists  of  six  sons  and  daughters,  all  still  living. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grimes  are  the  parents  of  three 
daughters,  named  respectively:  Clara,  Catherine  E. 
and  Hawley  A.  All  have  I'eceived  good  educations 
and  the  daughters  held  teachers'  certificates.     The 


^ 


-->-         «    \ 


w 


73.  ^y^ 


^lA  O^'H    CS-ir-O-^-Z-lX 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


807 


first-born  is  now  deceased,  but  was  formerly  the 
wife  of  C.  White.  Catherine  married  J.  A.  Miller, 
lives  in  Detroit  Township  and  lias  one  child,  Mary 
Ellen.  The  youngest.  Hawley  A.,  is  still  residing 
under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Grimes  is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge  in 
Millon,  in  which  he  has  held  office,  and  also  belongs 
to  Milton  Chapter,  No.  119.  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Board  and  was  Assessor  of  Monte- 
zuma Townslup  nine  years.  He  was  a  candidate' 
for  the  office  of  Supervisor  but  was  beaten  by  five 
votes.  His  first  Presidential  ballot  was  cast  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  at  his  second  candidacy  and  he 
has  never  withdrawn  his  political  allegiance  from 
his  first  love.  He  has  frequently  been  a  delegate 
to  State  conventions  and  is  recognized  as  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  local  party  organization.  Our 
subject  was  Postmaster  under  Arthur's  administra- 
tion. 

*.  : jg^J^i^:       :    . 

RS.  BENJAMIN  D.  BROWN,  widow  of 
'■  the  late  Benjamin  Brown  is  a  revered  resi- 
dent of  the  town  of  Barrv,  to  whose  peo- 
ple she  has  endeared  herself  by  her  manj' 
benevolent  and  charitable  acts.  To  her  belongs 
the  honor  of  suggesting  the  name  this  township 
has  borne  for  fifty  years  or  more,  and  as  an  early 
settler  of  the  county  we  are  pleased  to  present  her 
personal  sketch  and  portraits  of  herself  and  hus- 
band. 

Mrs.  Brown  has  been  a  resident  of  Pike  County 
since  1833,  and  therefore  has  witnessed  almost  its 
entire  development.  She  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Barrr.  Washington  County,  Vt.,  May  27,  1805.  Her 
father,  Charles  Kellum,  was  also  a  native  of  New 
England  and  his  parents  removed  from  New 
Hampshire  to  Vermont  in  an  early  day  of  the  set- 
tlement of  that  State  and  were  pioneers  of  Iras- 
burg.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer 
and  spent  his  last  years  in  the  Green  Mountain  State. 
He  was  a  good  man,  a  sincere  Christian  and  a  Dea- 
con in  the  Baptist  Church  and  was  well  known  far 
and  wide  as  "Deacon  Kellum." 

Mrs.  Brown's  father  settled  in  Barre  before  his 
marriage,  and  there   was  emplo3-ed  as   a  carpenter 


and  a  painter.     He  bought  a   home    adjoining  the 
village  of  Barre  and  spent    his   last  years  in  that 
town.     His    wife,  who    bore    the   maiden  name  of 
Rebecca  Rice  was   born    in  Worcester,  Mass.,  and 
spent  her  last  years   with   Mrs.  Brown  at  her  home 
in  Barry,  this  county.     She  of  whom  this  personal 
sketch  is  written  was  reared  and  educated  in  her  na- 
tive town  and  was  carefully   trained   by   her  good 
mother  in  all  that  goes  to  make  an  excellent,  capa- 
ble housewife,  so  that  at  the  time  of  her  marriage, 
April  3,  1831,  to  Benjamin  D.  Brown,  she  w.as  well 
fitted  to  take  charge  of  a  home  of  her  own.  Directly 
after  marriage  the  young  couple  removed  to  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  going   by   st.age   to    Burlington,  thence    b}' 
Lake  Champlaiu,Cliamplain  Canal  and  Erie  Canal  to 
their   destination.     They  sojourned    in  Ulica  until 
the  fall  of  1833,  when  they  again  started  westward 
traveling  by  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  thence  by   lake 
to  Detroit,  from  there  b}-  stage  across  the  Territory 
of  Michigan,   and  then   by  Lake  Michigan  to  Chi- 
cago.    At  that  time  Chicago   was  a  small    village, 
and  Northern  Illinois  was  practically  uninhabited, 
though  the  Indians  still    lingered   there.     At  Chi- 
cago Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  hired  a  carriage  and  drove 
across    the  country  to   Pike   County.     Here  they 
found  but  few  settlements,  and  Atlas  was  then  the 
principal  town,  Pittsfield  having  been  laid  out  that 
spring. 

Our  subject  and  her  husband  lived  there  until 
the  spring  of  1834,  and  then  went  to  Louisiana, 
Mo.,  and  to  St.  Louis.  In  1839  tho3-  came  to  the 
present  site  of  Barry,  and  admiring  its  beautiful 
sjtuation  took  up  their  residence  here.  At  that 
time  there  was  but  one  store  here  and  a  hotel  kept 
in  a  frame  building,  besides  about  six  dwellings. 
The  place  was  then  known  as  Worcester,  hut  it 
happened  that  there  was  another  town  of  the  same 
name  in  Illinois,  and  as  the  name  must  be  changed 
the  Postmaster  suggested  that  Mrs.  Brown  name 
the  place  and  she  [iroposed  Barre  in  honor  of  her  na- 
tive town  in  Vermont. 

This  venerable  lady  has  lived  in  Barry  for  more 
than  half  a  century,  and  no  name  is  more  beloved 
and  honored  than  hers  among  the  old  settlers 
of  the  town.  She  is  a  noble  type  of  the  pioneer 
women  of  this  county  who  so  faithfully  and  capa- 
bly aided    their  fathers,  husbands  and   brothers  in 


308 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


its  upbuilding,  and  have  greatly  helped  to  iai<e 
its  moral,  social  and  religious  status.  Many  a 
kind  act  has  she  done  to  relieve  want  and  distress, 
and  the  snons  of  age  have  not  chilled  her  generous 
blood  and  warm  heart,  for  she  is  as  ready  to-day  as 
ever  to  extend  a  helping  hand  and  give  words  of 
counsel  and  sympatiiy  wherever  needed.  She  uses 
her  wealtli  freely  for  charitable  purposes  and  other- 
wise. She  has  recently  donated  opera  chairs  to  seat 
tlie  Baptist  Church  here  and  previously  gave  the 
society  a  handsome  and  commodious  dwelling  for 
a  parsonage. 

|=^if^  - . 


n  SOM  L.  INGRAM.  Among  the  successful  far- 
mers of  Pike  County,  is  numbered  Isom  Ing- 
/j  i-am,  whose  estate  is  pleasantly  located  on 
section  2,  Perry  Township.  It  is  the  old  home- 
stead on  which  the  father  of  our  sul)ji:ct  began  his 
pioneer  labors  in  1833,  and  the  son  grew  to  man- 
hood, assisting  his  father  more  and  more  from  year 
to  year.  Mr.  Ingram  was  born  in  Smith  C<junty, 
Tenn.,  June  12,  1822.  and  after  passing  some  of 
his  boyhood  years  in  his  native  State,  accompanied 
his  parents  hitlier.  The  journey  took  place  in  the 
fall,  and  was  accomplished  by  means  of  a  two- 
wheeled  cart  drawn  by  a  poke  of  oxen  with  a  liorse 
in  the  lead.  All  the  earthly  possessions  of  the  lit- 
tle family  were  brought  with  them,  and  they  began 
their  new  life  in  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness. 

The  hardships  endured  in  obtaining  a  foothold 
were  such  as  were  common  to  many  of  the  pioneers, 
and  served  to  develop  in  our  sul)joct  the  more 
sturdy  traits  of  manhood.  A  good  farm  was  ere 
long  acquired  and  improved,  and  here  the  active 
life  of  our  subject,  with  the  exception  of  three 
years  spent  in  Brown  County,  has  been  passed.  As 
the  oiily  child  of  his  parents  he  inherited  the  estate 
where  he  has  continued  the  work  begun  by  them, 
further  developing  the  resources  of  the  land,  and 
gaining  a  competency  in  so  doing. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride,  October  25,  1843,  in 
Brown  County,  this  State,  Mr.  Ingram  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Perlina  Rusk.  This  lady 
was  born  in  Morgan  County,  cast  of  Jacksonville, 


June  15,  1825,  and  carefully  reared  by  Christian 
parents.  She  had  four  sisters  and  five  brothers. 
and  three  sisters  and  two  brothers  are  still  living. 
Her  parents,  John  and  Nancy  (Swegett)  Rusk,  na- 
tives of  Kentucky',  were  married  in  that  State  and 
about  1820  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Morgan 
County.  They  develo|ied  a  good  farm  from  the 
prairie  wilds,  making  it  their  home  some  twenty 
years,  and  then  locating  in  Brown  County.  There 
Mr.  Rusk  breathed  his  last  October  8,  1844,  when 
about  fifty-three  years  old.  For  some  years  after 
his  death  his  widow  lived  with  her  children,  dying 
at  the  home  of  our  subject  in  1866,  when  she  had 
passed  the  age  of  fourscore.  Both  ^Ir.  and  Mrs. 
Rusk  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  children  born  to  our  subject  and  his  esti- 
mable wife,  are  Louisa, who  passed  awaj'  in  the  dawn 
of  her  womanhood,  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years; 
Isaac,  who  married  Kllen  Ledgett,  and  occupies  a 
farm  near  Mt.  Pleasant.  Brown  County;  Susan, 
wife  of  James  York,  a  farmer  in  Adams  County; 
Joshua  T.,  who  married  Sarah  Banning,  and  after 
her  death  her  sistei  Rhoda,  and  is  farming  in  Brown 
County;  Benjamin  F.,  who  married  Henrietta  Han- 
nah, and  lives  in  Nebraska  City,  Neb.;  Nancy  A., 
wife  of  George  Walling,  astock-shii)per  in  Douglas 
County;  Martha  J.,  wife  of  Alexander  Collier, 
who  operates  a  farm  in  the  same  township  as  our 
subject;  Henry  W.,  unmarried  and  a  farmer;  M.  ^^ 
FJla,  wife  of  Cary  Ilarllen,  is  a  farmer  in  I'ike  ^H 
County.  ^^ 

Mr.  Ingram  is  a  sound  Democrat  in  his  political 
views.  Mrs.  Ingram  and  most  of  the  children  be- 
long to  the  Christian  Church.  The  family  are  ac- 
corded their  due  measure  of  respect  as  worth}' 
members  of  the  agricultural  class  and  of  society  in 
general.  , 

Our  subject  is  presumed  to  be  of  Scotcli-lri.^h  an- 
cestry, and  his  grandfather,  John  Ingram,  w,as 
born  in  Ireland  but  reared  in  Tennessee  whither 
his  parents  had  emigrated  in  his  early  childhood. 
John  Ingram  married  Rachel  Blanton,  the  daughter 
of  Irish  parents,  and  herself  probalily  a  native  of 
the  Emerald  Isle.  In  1830  John  Ingram,  his  wife 
and  five  sons,  came  to  this  State,  making  their  home 
on  Government  land  in  an  unsettled  part  of  Pike 
County.     The}'  lived  to  be  quite   aged,    securing 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


309 


and  improving  two  or  three  farms,  and  becoming 
well  known  and  higiily  res[)ected  by  their  associates 
in  tiie  development  of  tlie  county.  Mr.  Ingram 
was  a  stanch  Democrat,  and  he  and  his  wife  in- 
clined to  the  Methodist  faith. 

Joshua  Ingram,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
eldest  of  seven  sons  who  lived  to  maturity,  became 
residents  of  this  State,  and  i  eared  families  here. 
All  are  now  deceased,  the  youngest  having  died 
within  the  past  year.  Joshua  grew  to  manhood  in 
Smith  County,  Tenn.,  and  there  married  Susannah 
Lemox,  a  native  of  that  county,  and  daughter  of 
Isom  Lemox.  After  most  of  their  children  were 
grown  to  maturity.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lemox  went  to 
Indiana  in  which  State  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  days.  Their  daughter,  Mrs.  Ingram,  was 
reared  b3'  her  grandparents  in  her  native  county, 
and  thence  removed  to  this  State  with  her  husband 
and  only  child  in  the  manner  before  mentioned. 
She  and  her  husband  were  intelligent,  industrious 
and  pious,  adhering  to  the  faith  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  Mr.  Ingram,  like  bis  father  before  him, 
was  a  stanch  Democrat. 


ETER  STAFF.  When  the  natural  re- 
|)  sources  of  such  a  region  as  that  of  Pike 
Count}'  are  developed  and  enhanced  by  all 
that  goes  to  m,ike  up  a  model  farm,  the 
scene  is  attractive  indeed.  A  visitor  to  the  home 
of  Peter  Staff  could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  ad- 
miration for  the  enterprise  and  industry  that  ac- 
quired, and  the  good  judgment  and  tact  which 
carries  on  this  fine  estate.  The  farm  consists  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  29.  Barry  Township,  which 
has  been  cleared  and  placed  under  thorough  culti- 
vation by  its  present  owner.  lie  has  erected  upon 
it  a  set  of  frame  buildings  which  will  compare  fa- 
vorably with  any  in  the  township.  In  addition  to 
Ibis  farm  he  owns  thirty-three  acres  on  section  20, 
of  tlie  same  township  which  also  is  in  good  con- 
dition as  to  its  cultivation  and  improvement. 

Mr.  Staff  is  a  native  of  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany, 
in  which  province  his  ancestors  liave  lived  for  many 
years.     His  grandfather  and  father,  both  of   whom 


bore  the  name  of  Peter  were  weavers  and  spent 
their  entire  lives  in  their  native  province.  The 
father  died  in  18i;3  when  our  subject  was  but  an 
infant.  The  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Catharine  Kestner,  died  in  1852.  She  bad  reared 
three  sons — John,  George  and  Peter,  all  uf  whom 
came  to  America.  The  first  makes  his  home  with 
our  subject  and  George  resides  in  Quincy. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  was  left 
motherless  when  nine  years  old.  His  natal  day  was 
September  4,  1842.  He  attended  school  quite 
steadily  until  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  then  with 
his  brother  George  came  to  America.  They  set 
sail  from  Bremer-Haven  in  November,  1855,  land- 
ing at  New  Orleans  after  a  voyage  of  forty-eight 
days,  and  at  once  came  north  to  C^uincy,  III.,  where 
our  subject  landed  with  but  $1  in  his  pocket.  He 
found  work  on  a  farm  near  the  city,  receiving  at 
first  but  $5  per  month  and  his  board.  He  continued 
to  work  on  the  farm  until  1860,  when  he  began  to 
learn  the  shoemaker's  trade,  working  at  it  until 
August,  1861.  On  the  20th  of  that  month  he  was 
enrolled  in  Company  A,  Twenty-seventh  Illinois 
Infantr}' and  from  that  time  until  September,  1864, 
was  an  active  participant  in  the  duties  devolving 
upon  a  soldier  of  the  Union. 

Among  the  more  important  battles  in  which  Mr. 
Staff  participated  were  Belmont,  LTnion  City,  Island 
No.  10,  siege  of  Corinth,  Stone  River,  Mud  Creek, 
Chickamauga  and  Missionary  Ridge.  He  joined 
Sherman's  command  at  Chattanooga  and  partici- 
pated in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  being  present  at 
the  battles  of  Rocky  Falls,  Resaca,  Dalton  and  Ken- 
esaw  Mountain.  He  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Mud  Creek  but  not  so  severely  as  to  incapacitate 
him  for  duty,  and  he  was  always  able  to  answer  to 
roll  call,  never  being  sick  during  the  period  of  his 
army  life.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  ser- 
vice he  was  discharged  with  the  regiment,  after 
having  satisfied  his  commanders  of  his  valor,  de- 
votion to  duty  and  loyalty  to  the  country  of  his 
adoption.  Returning  to  this  State  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  the  land  be  now  owns,  ten  of  which  were 
cleared  and  the  remainder  brush  and  timber  land. 
The  work  which  he  has  done  upon  this  place  and 
its  present  appearance  have  been  already  noted. 

The  good   wife   of  Mr.    Staff  bore  the    maiden 


310 


PORTRAIT  AND  BlOCiRAPHlCAL  ALBUM. 


name  of  Katlieiiiia  Rosina  Auer.  She.  was  born  in 
Wu  item  burg,  Germany,  and  came  to  America  willi 
her  parents,  becoming  the  wife  of  our  subject  in 
18G6.  She  possesses  the  iiouselieeping  abilities  so 
characteristic  of  German  VTomanhood,  and  lilie 
others  of  her  race  is  intensely  devoted  to  the  wel- 
fare of  lier  husband  and  children.  The  family  con- 
sists of  four  sons — George,  Peter,  Edward  and 
Leonard  who,  like  their  parents,  belong  to  the 
German-Lutiieran  Church. 


^^ 


„  EV.  THEODORE  C.  COFFEY.  The  Bap- 
■  tist  Church  at  Griggsville,  Pike  County,  is 
/ii  \\\  in  charge  of  a  man  of  bioad  culture,  corn- 
el preiiensive  views,  and  earnest  zeal  in  tlie 
cause  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  talents.  His 
scholarly  tastes  are  inherited  and  he  lias  been  a 
lifelong  student,  eager  to  olitain  knowledge,  par- 
ticularly in  those  lines  which  will  add  to  his  in- 
fluence over  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  he  is 
presenting  the  truths  of  the  Gospel. 

The  Coffey  family  has  been  known  in  America 
for  about  two  hundred  years,  its  founder  having 
come  from  the  North  of  Ireland  and  located  in 
Virginia,  whence  the  family  afterward  went  to 
Nortli  Carolina.  The  Rev.  Reuben  Coffey,  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Caldwell 
County,  N.  C.  He  won  for  his  wife  Polly  Dowell. 
Their  sou  Cornelius  was  born  March  12,  1812,  was 
well  educated  and  studieii  for  the  ministry,  at  the 
same  time  working  at  the  carpenter's  bench  or  at 
farming.  He  was  never  ordained,  but  became  a 
voluminous  writer  for  religious  papers.  He  be- 
came a  resident  of  Indiana,  marrying  in  that  State 
Miss  Margaret  Smith,  the  ceremony  being  solemn- 
ized in  1836  near  the  town  of  Bloomington.  The 
bride  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Ach<ah  (Belcha)  Smith.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Coffey  spent  their  entire  wedded  lives  in  the  Hoosier 
State,  the  husband  d3'ing  there  in  1852  at  the  age 
of  forty  years.  The  widow  survived  until  1883 
and  breathed  her  last  when  sixty-five  years  old. 

The  family  of  this  good  couple  consisted  of  four 
children,  our  subject  being  the  third    in  order    of 


birth.  The  oldest,  Copernicus  H.,  became  a  soldier 
in  Company  I,  Twenty-second  Illinois  Infantry 
and  w.'is  promoted  to  the  position  of  Orderly- 
Sergeant.  When  his  term  of  enlistment  expired  he 
re-entered  as  a  veteran  and  was  at  the  head  of  his 
company  at  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Ga.,  where  he  fell 
mortally  wounded.  He  lay  on  the  field  two  days 
and  nights  before  death  ended  his  sufferings.  Susan 
S.,  the  second  child,  is  engaged  in  teaching  in 
Ulysses,  Grant  County,  Kan.,  and  Sarah  B.,  the 
youngest  child,  is  devoted  to  the  same  work  in  that 
pl.ace. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  at 
Bloomington,  Ind..  November  11.  1847.  He  took 
advantage  of  every  opi)ortunity  to  attend  school, 
advancing  his  knowledge  in  the  district  schools 
principally  until  he  was  sixteen  j'ears  old,  when  he 
entered  Ladoga,  Ind.,  Seminar^',  taking  an  acad- 
emic course.  He  subsequently  taught  in  that  in- 
stitution one  year  as  head  assistant.  He  next  went 
to  Shurtleff  College,  Upjier  Alton,  III.,  where  he 
com|)leleda  collegiate  course,  being  graduated  with 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1871.  He  then 
took  up  the  study  of  theology  in  the  same  institu- 
tion and  three  years  later  received  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Divinity. 

In  1875,  the  year  following  his  grailuation,  Mr. 
Coffey  was  ordained  in  the  Baptist  Church  and 
spent  some  time  in  Appleton,  Wis.,  engaged  in  min- 
isterial labors.  He  was  then  sent  as  a  missionary 
to  Kansas,  in  which  .State  he  sojourned  nine  yei'rs, 
preaching  in  various  places,  building  up  the  church 
and  opening  up  new  fields.  He  came  from  Hering- 
ton  to  Griggsville  in  February.  1889,  and  with  his 
customary  ardor  is  endeavoring  to  meet  the  wants 
of  the  people  in  his  new  field  of  labor.  His  affable 
manners,  which  seem  incited  by  the  law  of  love, 
give  him  a  foothold  among  those  who  are  not  easily 
attracted  toward  Christianity,  and  are  an  additional 
reason  for  the  respect  of  his  peo|)le. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Coffey,  at  IJpper  Alton  in  1875.  led 
to  the  hymeneal  altar  Miss  Julia  A.  Vallette  and 
the  congenial  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
five  children — Grace,  Ro3%  ftL-iggie,  Carrie  and 
May.  Mrs.  Coffey  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
where  her  father  was  formerly  engaged  in  business. 
j    Her  parents,  Frederick  A.  and  Marcia  (Field)  Val- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


311 


lette  came  to  this  State  some  j-ears  ago  and  her  fa- 
ther became  a  lumber  dealer.  Mrs.  Coffey  is  cul- 
tiired  and  lefined,  and  possesses  the  kindly  spirit  so 
nece.'Sirv  to  a  minister's  wife. 


HARLES  M.  WEEMS,  M.  D.  is  a  young 
II  ,  physician  of  more  than  ordinary  skill  and 
ability  and  is  very  successfully'  prosecuting 
his  noble  calling  in  Rockport,  Pike  County,  and 
vicinity  where  he  has  an  extensive  practice.  He 
is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Albany,  Gentry  County, 
Mo.,  where  he  was  born  September  14,  1859.  He 
comes  of  an  ancient  and  distinguished  family  and 
his  ancestry  is  traceable  back  to  the  time  of  King 
.lames  wh':'n  one  of  the  family  won  considerable 
prominence  in  the  wars  of  that  period  and  held  the 
title  of  Baron. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  D. 
Weems,  who  was  formerly  prominent  in  the  Meth- 
odist ministry,  but  was  superannuated  in  the  month 
of  September,  1890,  on  account  of  ill  health.  He 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1833  while  his  father, 
l-)avid  Weems,  was  a  native  of  Maryland.  He  was 
a  son  of  the  noted  Dr.  John  Weems,  one  of  Wash- 
ington's biographers.  He  was  a  native  of  Scotland 
who  coming  to  this  country  in  Colonial  times  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  friend  of 
Washington  and  l)Oth  during  and  after  the  war  was 
his  attending  physician,  and  was  with  the  General 
at  Mt.  Vernon  during  his  last  sickness.  lie  died  in 
Maryland  when  quite  an  old  man. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  in 
Ohio,  of  which  he  was  an  early  settler.  He  was  a 
a  finely-educated  man  and  was  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  classics.  He  finally  emigrated  to 
Iowa  and  died  there  in  1879  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
five  years.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Uniontown,  Pa.  and  was  reared  in  Ohio,  until  he 
was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Indiana. 
He  was  married  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and 
then  the  j'oung  husband  moved  with  his  bride  to 
Miss)uri.  He  was  a  strong  Union  man,  and  the 
pro-slaver^'  sentiment  of  that  State  was   too   much 


for  him  so  that  a  year  later  he  left,  and  coming  to 
Illinois  organized  a  company  of  soldiers  in  Vermil- 
ion County.  He  was  First  Lieutenant  of  his  com- 
pany, was  dispatched  to  the  seat  of  war,  and  served 
nearl}'  three  years,  winning  an  honorable  military 
record.  After  his  retirement  frojii  the  army  he 
entered  the  ministry,  joining  the  Illinois  Annual 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli.  He 
worked  hard  in  the  interests  of  religion,  became 
quite  widely  known  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  earnest  and  faithful  ministers  of  his  denomi- 
nation in  this  Stale.  The  condition  of  his  health 
finally  obliged  him  to  abandon  his  beloved  calling 
aud  lie  is  now  living  in  retirement. 

The  Rev.  ]Mr.  Weems  married  Mary  Reese  who 
is  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  reared  in  Indiana.  She 
is  still  living  and  devotes  herself  to  the  comforts 
of  her  husband  aud  family.  She  is  the  mother  of 
six  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  namely  : 
Albert,  Elwood  W.  (a  physician),  James,  Thomas 
R.,  LuUa  M.,  (Mrs.  Snider),  aud  Charles  M.  Mrs. 
Weem's  father,  Zachariali  Reese,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina  in  1800  and  died  in  Indiana  in  1887. 
He  was  of  English  extraction  and  a  Quaker  in  re- 
ligion.    He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 

Dr.  Weems  was  only  a  year  old  when  his  famil3' 
came  to  this  State,  and  his  father  being  a  minister 
the  family  moved  from  town  to  town  at  different 
times,  and  he  attended  school  in  various  places,  and 
laid  the  solid  foundation  of  his  present  liberal  edu- 
cation. His  connection  with  the  public  schools 
ceased  when  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  at 
that  time  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Rush 
Medical  College,  Chicago,  which  he  attended  two 
terms.  He  subsequently  was  a  student  at  the  Col- 
lege of  Surgeons  and  Physicians  at  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
one  term  and  was  graduated  from  there  with  honors. 
The  first  four  years  of  his  experience  as  a  physician 
were  passed  in  the  town  of  Weir,  Cherokee  Cotintj", 
Kan.,  aud  he  then  opened  an  oflice  at  liaylis,  this 
county,  where  he  was  engaged  until  188'J.  He  then 
located  at  Rockport  where  he  has  worked  up  quite 
a  pr.ictice,  his  lepulation  having  preceded  him, 
and  he  has  the  field  to  himself. 

Dr.  Weems  was  married  July  2,  1883  to  Lee  Anna 
Pastor.  Mrs.  Weems  was  born  in  Virginia  City, 
Ncv.,  April  22,  1864,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Sam- 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


uel  E.  and  Frances  I.  (Davis)  Pastor.  Her  father 
is  a  gold  miner  in  the  Territory  of  Arizona.  Her 
parents  are  botii  living  and  she  is  their  only  child. 
She  is  a  member  of  tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Cluirch 
and  possesses  a  fine  Christian  character.  The  Doc- 
tor and  his  wife  have  four  clii'.dren,  two  sons  and 
two  daughters,  whom  they  have  named  Thomas  D., 
Harris  R..  Helen  and  Mabel.  The  Doctor  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  is  true  to  all  the  duties  im- 
posed upon  him  as  a  man  and  a  citizen. 

JUSTUS  FRANKE.  It  is  always  a  pleasure 
to  the  biographical  writer  to  record  the  his- 
torj-  of  a  self-made  man  and  to  give  credit 
where  credit  is  due  in  the  accumulation  of 
property  and  the  securing  of  an  honorable  reputa- 
tion. We  are  glad,  therefore,  to  be  able  to  present 
to  our  readers  the  main  facts  in  the  life  of  Justus 
Franke  of  Richwoods  Precinct,  Calhoun  County, 
one  of  the  wealthy  and  substantial  farmers  whose 
prosperity  is  due  to  personal  effort. 

Mr.  Franke  is  descended  from  old  and  respectable 
families  of  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and  is  himself  a 
native  of  that  province.  His  grandfather,  Henry 
Franke,  entered  the  army  when  a  young  man,  serv- 
ing during  the  time  of  Napoleon's  invasion.  After 
his  discharge  he  followed  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker 
some  years,  then  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 
Cliris  Franke,  the  father  of  our  subject  was  also  a 
soldier,  but  served  only  three  years.  He  then 
ailopted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  which  he 
busied  himself  until  called  hence.  He  breathed  his 
last  in  18S2. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Minnie  Thias.  She  was  also  a  native  of  Hesse- 
Cassel  and  died  there  about  1855.  She  was  tlie 
mother  of  five  children  and  the  father's  second  mar- 
riage resulted  in  the  birth  of  three.  But  two  of  the 
family  emigrated  to  America,  our  subject  and  his 
brother  Henry,  who  lives  near  Batchtown. 

The  natal  day  of  Justus  Franke  was  F'ebruary  4, 
1846.  In  accordance  with  the  custom  in  the  Ger- 
man Em|)ire,  he  attended  school  from  six  years  old 
until  nearly  fifteen,  and  in  the  intervals    of  study 


assisted  his  father.  He  continued  to  reside  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  bade  adieu  to  his  native  land  and  turned 
his  footsteps  westward,  firmly  believing  that  in  the 
New  World  he  would  find  a  better  opening  in  which 
to  exert  himself.  In  March.  1866,  he  set  sail  from 
Bremen  on  the  steamer  "Hansa"  and  after  a  voyage 
of  thirteen  days  landed  at  New  York.  He  went 
directly  to  Wayne  County,  found  employment  on  a 
farm  near  Clyde,  and  worked  industriously  to  pay 
off  a  debt  of  $66  which  hung  over  him  when  he 
landed. 

Two  years  after  arriving  in  the  States  J'oung 
Franke  came  to  Calhoun  County  and  here  also  be 
worked  bj'  the  month  at  farm  labor.  He  was  dili- 
gent in  his  habits  and  economical  in  his  expendi- 
tures and  was  therefore  soon  enabled  to  begin  life 
for  himself  on  rented  land.  His  farming  opera- 
tions prospered  and  in  1876  he  purchased  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  included  in  his  present  estate. 
At  the  time  of  his  purchase  there  were  two  log 
houses  on  the  place  and  one  of  these  was  occupied 
by  him  as  a  dwelling  some  years.  He  was  obliged 
to  go  in  debt  for  a  portion  of  his  purchase  money 
and  his  first  endeavor  was  to  again  free  himself 
from  incumbrance. 

After  that  was  accomplished  JMr.  Franke  made 
arrangements  for  securing  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  the  Mississippi  River  bottom  land  .and  was 
soon  able  to  pay  for  it  and  buy  forty  acres  adjoin- 
ing the  home  farm.  After  this  Land  was  secured  lie 
turned  his  attention  to  preparing  better  quarters  for 
his  family,  building  a  substantial  and  attractive 
frame  house  on  his  first  purchase.  Fortune  has 
continued  to  smile  upon  the  labors  of  Mr.  Franke 
and  he  has  added  another  tract  of  four  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  acres  to  that  already  mentioned^ 
his  present  landed  estate  being  over  six  hundred 
and  ninety-seven  acres,  all  in  Richvvoods   Precinct. 

In  his  efforts  to  secure  a  good  home  Mr.  Franke 
has  had  the  assistance  of  a  faithful  and  devoted 
wife  with  whom  he  was  united  in  marri.age  in  1868. 
To  this  lady,  whose  maiden  name  was  Martha  Dil- 
ling,  has  been  due  the  wise  management  of  house- 
h(ild  affairs  which  have  prevented  the  little  leaks 
that  drain  a  man's  finances.  Mrs.  Franke  was  born 
in  Hesse-Cassel  August  21,  1843,  and  in  the    same 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


313 


province  Phillip  and  Emanuel  Dilling,  her  father 
and  grandfather  were  lifelong  residents.  Her 
father  was  eraplo^-ed  in  one  factory  from  the  time 
he  was  fourteen  until  sixty-six  years  of  mie.  He 
l)ioathed  his  last  in  1884.  The  mother  of  Mrs. 
Franke  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Louisa  (irasscut, 
and  she  also  spent  her  entire  life  in  (ierman^y.  The 
tamily  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dilling  consists  of  eight 
eliildren,  but  tvvo  of  whom  have  come  to  America, 
Mrs.  Franke,  and  a  brother  Philij),  who  lives  in 
Alton. 

The  record  of  the  family  of  Mr.  and  .Mrs.  Franke 
is  as  follows:  William,  born  June  21,  KS6'J;  Henry, 
February  24,  1H71;  Charles,  January  9,  1873;  Al- 
bert, March  15,  1875 ;  August,  April  23,  1877; 
Fritz,  July  26,  1880,  Minnie,  November  14,  1882. 
'I'he  parents  belong  to  the  Lutheran  Church  and 
are  not  only  conscientiously  endeavoring  to  live 
aright,  but  are  rearing  their  children  with  firm  prin- 
ciples and  industrious  habits.  Mr.  Franke  was  form- 
erly a  Republican,  but  now  votes  the  Democratic 
ticket.  He  is  a  member  of  the  .School  I5oard.  and 
manifests  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  education 
and  in  all  other  movements  which  will  elevate 
society  and  im[)rovethe  condition  of  the  people. 


''^    AVID  ROBERT.S.  Xo  member  of  the  farm- 
)1  ing  community   of  Pike   County  is  more 


worthy  of  representation  in  this  Biogkaph- 
icAL  Album  than  David  Roberts  vvho  is 
one  of  the  skillful  enterprising  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  Montezuma  Township.  He  came  of 
sturdy  New  England  stock.  His  father,  David 
Roberts,  was  a  native  of  Vermont  born  in  1800, 
and  there  reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  His  mother 
w.as  in  her  maiden  days  Lavina  Pool,  and  she  was 
born  in  New  York  in  1802. 

David  Roberts,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  born  in  the  earlj' 
j-ears  of  the  settlement  of  that  place  and  he  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  wheelwright 
by  trade  .and  in  1816  left  his  old  New  England 
hnwc  and  became  a  pioneer  of  Ohio.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  1839   and   died   here   in   1847.     Joseph 


Pool,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  resident  of  New  York,  whence  he  wont  to  Ohio 
as  early  as  1816  and  wjis  a  pioneer  of  the  State. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  passed  tliei.-  remaining  days 
theve. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Ohio 
in  1818,  when  very  young.  They  resided  there 
until  1839  and  then  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  on 
section  36,  JIartinsburg  Township,  Pike  County. 
Mr.  Roberts  h.ad  ^1,500  after  he  sold  his  posses- 
sions in  Ohio  and  he  invested  part  of  it  in  raw 
timber  land  which  he  iiurchaseil  of  old  Franklin 
Turpin.  It  lay  on  section  6,  Spring  Creek  Township, 
and  he  built  a  house  thereon  in  1842,  and  lived  on 
it  until  1847.  He  then  bought  eighty  acres  on 
section  26,  to  which  place  he  moved  in  the  spring 
of  1847.  He  sold  that  at  an  advance  in  1850,  and 
moving  his  family  to  Pittsfield  went  to  California 
to  try  his  fortune.  He  remained  there  one  year, 
and  then  had  to  borrow  money  to  enable  him  tore- 
turn  home  as,  like  so  many  gold-seekers  he  was 
not  successful  in  his  search  of  the  precious  hjetal. 

After  he  came  back  to  Pike  County  Mr.  Roberts 
bought  forty  acres  of  land  on  section  15.  Martins- 
burg  Township,  which  he  disposed  of  in  1854  and 
took  up  his  abode  in  Ple.asant  Hill  Township,  where 
lie  bought  one  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section  8. 
He  was  a  minister  of  the  Christian  Church  nearly 
all  his  life,  and  was  widely  known  and  greatly-  es- 
teemed as  a  man  of  true  religious  faith  and  of  un- 
blemished char.acter.  His  honorable  life  was  brought 
to  a  close  in  1856,  and  his  wife  died  in  1872.  They 
were  the  parents  of  twelve  children  of  whom  the 
following  four  are  now  living:  our  subject;  Ira,  a 
resident  of  Pleasant  Hill  Township;  Palmedus  and 
James,  who  live  in  Martinsburg  Township. 

David  Roberts  of  whom  these  lines  are  a  life- 
record,  was  born  August  8,  1833,  in  Delaware 
Count)',  Ohio,  and  he  was  six  j'ears  of  age  when 
his  parents  came  to  Illinois,  He  first  attended 
school  in  a  log  schoolhonse  in  Pleasant  Hill  Town- 
ship, near  the  Hanks  fan^'aid.  The  schoolhouse 
was  lighted  by  taking  a  log  out  of  the  wall  and 
inserting  glass  in  the  opening  thus  made,  which  was 
held  in  by  sticks,  and  the  rude  benches  on  which 
the  scholars  s.at  were  made  of  slabs.  For  three 
months  our  subject  was  under  the  tuition  of  Elder 


314 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Joseph  Troutncr.  Later  in  1842  a  Mr.  Kelso  was 
teacher,  and  the  schools  were  taught  on  the  sub- 
scription plan.  Our  subject  attended  three  terms 
in  Miirtinsburg  Township,  and  was  then  "gradu- 
.ited"  at  thirteen  3ears  of  age.  When  he  was  six- 
teen j'ears  old  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1850.  They  started  in  the  month  of 
April,  journeyed  across  the  plains  and  mountains 
and  arrived  at  Ilangtown  or  Placerville,  July  27. 
Mr.  Roberts  worked  in  the  mines  until  the  fall  of 
1852  and  then  went  into  the  valleys  and  farmed 
until  the  fall  of  1853.  He  then  returned  to  the 
mines  at  Coloma  in  El  Dor.ado  County  and  he  sub- 
sequently learned  the  daguerreotype  business  and 
followed  that  for  three  months  until  he  was  pros- 
trated by  the  smallpox  in  its  most  virulent  form. 
When  he  recovered  from  that  dreadful  disease, 
custom,  money  and  everyl-hing  except  life  itself 
had  left  him,  and  he  sold  his  outfit  and  went  into 
Stanislaus  County,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm 
three  months.  From  there  he  went  to  Yolo  County 
where  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1856,  and  in 
the  meantime  was  elected  Constable.  lie  attended 
to  the  duties  of  his  office  and  carried  on  farming 
tliere  until  his  removal  to  Placer  County,  to  a  min- 
ing town  named  Forest  Hill,  where  he  worked  in 
the  mines  until  the  spring  of  1858.  He  had  been 
absent  from  home  and  friends  eight  long  years,  and 
he  then  decided  to  return  to  the  scenes  of  his  youth, 
and  leaving  California  April  1  he  came  back  to 
Illinois  by  the  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 
New  York. 

After  his  return  Mr.  Roberts  helped  to  work  his 
father's  farm  three  years  and  he  also  rented  other 
places.  In  1861  he  leased  a  farm  near  Martins- 
hurg  for  three  years.  In  1864  he  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  a  mile  and  one-half  south  of  ^Martins- 
hurg,  onto  which  he  moved.  He  purchased  fifty- 
two  acres  more  after  that  and  staid  there  until  the 
fall  of  1868  when  he  sold  the  place  to  his  brother 
and  moved  to  his  brother  George's  homestead,  a 
raile  north  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Martins- 
burg.  His  brother  had  recently  died  and  he  man- 
aged the  farm  there  for  one  year.  His  next  ven- 
ture v"as  to  buy  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  i'7, 
the  same  township,  where  he  staid  one  winter. 
He  tin  n  sold  it  and  moved  to  his  present   farm  in 


the  spring  of  1870  where  he  has  since  remained. 
He  now  owns  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  acres 
of  land  of  which  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  are 
under  fine  cultivation  and  the  remainder  in  timber 
and  pasture.  He  built  his  residence  in  1877  and 
has  other  necessar}-  buildings  and  all  the  appliances 
for  carrying  on  agriculture  to  tlie  best  advantage. 
He  gives  his  attention  to  mixed  farming,  mostly  to 
stock-raising  and  raises  one  hundred  sheep  a  yenr, 
from  fifty  to  sixty  cattle,  and  has  sixteen  horses 
and  a  few  hogs.  All  the  improvements  on  the 
home  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixtv. three  acres 
have  been  the  work  of  his  own  hands,  except  the 
orchard  which  is  an  old  one  and  from  which  he  has 
an  excellent  income. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  married  March  20,  1862,  to  Miss 
Susan  Cooper,  a  daughter  of  Asa  and  E.eanor 
(Goodin)  Cooper,  natives  of  Tennessee.  They 
came  first  to  Morgan  County,  and  then  to  pike 
County  where  they  were  married.  Mrs.  Cooper 
died  in  March,  1854,  and  Mr.  Cooper  in  December, 
1858.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children  of 
whom  six  are  now  living:  John  II. ;  JIarv,  Mrs. 
W.  E.  Hutler;  Susan,  JNIrs.  Roberts;  Nancy  Jane. 
Mrs.  Adams;  Jam^s;  Mrs.  Lewds  Johnson.  Mrs. 
Roberts  was  born  December  15,  1840,  in  Martins- 
burg  Township  and  received  her  education  in  the 
public  schools.  Her  pleasant  wedded  life  with  our 
subject  lias  brc'ught  them  five  children,  as  follows: 
Lavina  Ellen;  Lizzie,  (deceased);  John  Ira,  David 
and  George.  Miss  Lavina  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Normal  School  at  Normal.  111.,  has  taught  five 
terms  of  school  and  is  eminently  successful  in  her 
profession.  She  has  been  induced  by  the  voters  of 
the  county  to  accept  the  eandidacj'  of  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools  in  Pike  County  and  is  running  on 
an  independent  ticket.  Sue  is  amply  qualified  for 
the  office  and  would  doubtless  make  a  veiy  able 
superintendent  if  elected.  The  sons  of  our  sub- 
ject are  ca[)able,  enterprising  young  men  who  are 
courteous  and  gentlemanly  in  their  conduct  and  . 
have  high  reputations. 

The  family  are  members  in  high  standing  of  the 
Christian  Church  of  which  Mr.  Roberts  was  ap- 
pointed Elder  some  j'ears  ago.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  tlio  Sunday-school  and  at  one  time  was 
Assistant  Superintendent.     He  was  School  Director 


i 


">>. 


^,  ^'PjK^^^o-yyiyi) 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


317 


in  this  district  for  five  j'ears  and  is  now  serving 
liis  second  term  as  Townsiiip  Trustee  of  Scliools,  lie 
liiiving  first  iield  that  otliee  in  Martinsburg  Town- 
ship; he  was  Collector  of  Martinsburg  Township  in 
ISG3,  Supervisor  of  the  same  in  18G4  and  Assessor 
of  Montezuma  Township;  at  the  present  time  is 
Trustee.  He  was  Roa()  Commissioner  of  Monte- 
zuma Township  in  1884.  He  is  a  good  type  of 
our  self-educated  men  having  gained  a  good  fund 
of  information  tlirough  observation  and  reading. 
For  the  past  thirty-five  years  he  has  taken  a  deep 
intcicst  in  political  questions  and  keeps  himself 
thoroughly  posted.  His  first  vote  was  for  a  Whig 
all  hough  he  was  a  Democrat  at  heart.  He  voted 
for  James  Buchanan  as  President.  In  1880  he 
changed  his  political  views  and  became  a  member 
of  the  Greenback  party  liaving  had  a  leaning  that 
way  since  1868.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  in- 
dopen<leiit  in  politics. 


^'  A.  KAMP.  Calhoun  County  is  the  home 
of  many  citizens  of  foreign  birth  who 
take  as  deep  an  interest  in  the  growth  of 
their  adopted  countrj'  in  all  that  is  truly 
elevating,  as  if  it  were  the  land  of  their  birth.  One 
of  tills  class  is  the  gentleman  above  named,  whose 
portrait  will  be  noticed  on  the  opposite  page  and 
who  has  been  connected  with  the  business  life  of 
the  county  for  a  number  of  years  and  enjoys  the 
confidence  of  commercial  circles  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent. In  1873  he  took  up  his  residence  in  what 
was  then  called  Farrowtown,  but  which  was  after- 
ward re-christened  Kampsville  in  his  honor,  the 
people  petitioning  for  the  change  of  name. 

Mr.  Kamp  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  a 
son  of  John  and  Magdalena  Kamp  and  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  light  August  21,  1829.  He  attained  to 
man's  estate  in  his  native  country,  learning  the  arts 
of  a  barber  and  surgeon,  which  he  followed  for 
manj-  j-ears.  He  received  a  thorough  education  in 
the  German  tongue  and  has  acquired  a  good  knowl- 
edge of  English  since  he  left  his  native  land.  He 
belonged  to  the  Bavarian  Arm}'  during  the  Revo- 
lution of  1849. 

In  1853  Mr.  Kamp  bade  adieu  to  the  laud  of  his 


birth,  and  taking  passage  at  Havre,  crossed  the 
broad  Atlantic  and  landed  in  New  Orleans  fifty- 
two  days  later.  He  immediately  went  North  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  there  followed  surgery  and  the 
tonsorial  art  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  had  become  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  loyalty  to  his  adopted  country  and  in 
April,  18()I,  took  his  i)lace  in  Company  D,  Fourth 
Missouri  Reserve  Corps,  with  which  he  was  out 
about  four  months.  He  was  then  discharged  and 
sub.sequently  enrolled  his  name  in  a  Missouri 
militia  regiment,  becoming  First  Lieutenant  of 
Company  F,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  he 
resigned  during  the  year  1863. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Kam|)  came  to  Calhoun 
County,  III.,  settling  at  Silver  Creek  Post-office 
where  he  carried  on  the  dual  occupations  of  mer- 
chant and  farmer,  meeting  with  success  in  both  lines 
of  business.  A  decade  later  he  ch.anged  his  resi- 
dence to  the  town  of  which  he  has  become  a  leading 
citizen  and  on  the  Board  of  which  he  is  now  serv- 
ing as  President.  He  manifests  his  faith  in  the  re- 
sources of  this  section  of  the  United  .States  by 
entering  into  the  various  movements  which  will 
promote  the  growth  of  the  community  in  civiliza- 
tion and  material  [u-osperity.  For  twelve  years  he 
has  served  as  County  Commissioner.  He  casts  his 
vote  with  the  Republican  party. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Kamp  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  BuUierand  the  happj-  union  was  blest  by 
the  birth  of  six  children — William  B..  John  B., 
Joseph  A..  Francis  N.,  Katie  E.  and  Alois.  Tiie 
last  two  named  are  deceased.  By  unceasing  elTorts 
Mr.  Kamp  has  accumulated  a  competency  and  has 
a  pleasant  residence,  a  view  of  which  will  bi^  found 
on  another  page. 


S^»" 


/p^EORGE  W.  DOYLE,  M.  D.,  a  brave  veteran 
(||  (- —  of  the  late  war,  is  now  one  of  the  most 
^^s4l  successful  phj'sicians  of  Pike  County,  and 
lias  an  extensive  practice  in  Barry  his  home,  and 
in  the  surrounding  country.  He  is  a  native  of 
Seneca  County.  Ohio,  and  was  born  December  28, 
1835.     Nicholas  Doyle,  his  father,  was  born  in  Ire- 


318 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


laiid  .'iiul  wns  the  son  of  Antlion.y  Doyle.  Tlio 
grjindfallier  of  oui-  subject  spent  liis  entire  life  in 
Ireland.  Of  liis  children,  Nicholas,  William,  Mar- 
garet, Catherine  and  George  W.,  fonr  came  to 
America  with  their  mother. 

The  father  of  onr  subject  was  twelve  years  olil 
when  his  mother  brouglit  her  children  to  America. 
Tliey  stopped  a  short  time  in  Canada  and  then  re- 
itioved  to  Seneca  Countj-,  Ohio,  in  1818,  and  were 
among  the  early  settlers  of  that  section  of  country. 
Mr.  Doyle  grew  to  man's  estate  there,  and  some 
years  later  went  to  Hardin  County,  where  he 
bought  a  tract  of  land.  He  did  not  build  on  the 
place,  however,  but  soon  sold  it.  He  was  unfortunate 
in  his  investments,  lost  all  he  had  and  was  oliliged 
to  start  anew  in  life,  but  never  recovered  from  his 
loss.  In  185C  he  came  to  Illinois  and  resided  in 
Champaign  County  till  death  closed  liis  life. 

Maria  Blair  was  the  maiden  name  of  the  mother 
of  our  subject.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  her  father,  Joseph  Blair,  is  thought  to  have 
been  a  native  of  that  State  and  of  Scotch  i)ar- 
entage.  He  served  under  Gen.  Scott  in  the  War 
of  1812  and  his  father  was  a  Revolutionary 
soldier.  He  was  a  mechanic  and  in  1810  removed 
to  Knox  Count}',  Ohio,  and  became  a  pioneer  there- 
of. He  spent  his  last  years  at  Mt.  Vernon,  dying 
at  the  venerable  age  of  ninety-six  years.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Champaign  County, 
111.  Her  marriage  with  the  father  of  our  subject 
had  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  nine  chil- 
dren. 

Dr.  Doyle  laid  the  foundation  of  his  education 
in  the  pioneer  schools  of  this  State.  His  father 
being  jioor,  our  subject  had  to  earn  his  own  living 
at  an  early  age.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  185G  and 
settled  in  Champaign  County  wiiere  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land,  and  was  actively  engaged  in 
farming  there  till  1861.  That  was  the  year  in 
which  the  rebellion  broke  out  and  he  early  threw 
aside  his  work  at  his  country's  call  and  enlisted  in 
the  month  of  June  in  Company  C.  Twenty-fifth 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  first  with  the  Western 
army  under  Fremont,  and  later  with  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  and  displayed  the  fine  soldierly 
qualiti(.=  of  endurance,  courage  , promptness  to  obey 
orders  and  a  willingness  to  face  any  danger  when- 


ever commanded  to  do  so.  He  was  with  his  regi- 
ment in  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge,  Corinth,  Perry  ville. 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge  and 
Lookout  Mountain.  Our  subject  and  his  comrades 
were  with  Sherman  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta, 
and  fought  in  the  principal  engagements  on  the 
way.  He  was  three  times  wounded.  The  first 
time  at  Blissionary  Ridge  where  aminicball  passed 
through  his  right  limb,  and  soon  after  that  he  was 
granted  a  furlough  and  returned  home. 

The  Doctor  rejoined  his  regiment  at  Knoxville, 
Teun.,  and  on  the  March  following  was  wounded  a 
second  time.  His  third  wound  was  received  while 
on  a  skirmish  line  at  Noon  Day  Creek.  Referring 
to  the  circumstances  under  which  he  received  that 
wound, the  Doctor  humorously  says:  "We  sometimes 
hear  of  the  soldier  behind  the  tree,  but  in  this  case 
the  tree  was  not  large  enough."  Each  man  in  the 
regiment  was  looking  out  for  himself  during  the 
fight  and  was  watching  the  enemy  closely.  The  Doc- 
tor had  a  good  position  behind  a  large  tree,  but 
unfortunately  left  it  to  get  a  chew  of  tobacco,  and 
when  he  returned  found  another  soldier  there,  so 
he  had  to  take  his  place  behind  a  tree  much  smaller. 
Thus  imperfectly  sheltered,  while  he  was  loading 
his  rifle,  a  minie  ball  aimed  by  a  rebel  hit  him  on 
the  ;,honlder,  causing  a  i)ainful  wound.  The  Doctor, 
however  did  not  on  that  account  leave  the  regiment, 
but  heroically  staid  by  his  fellow-soldiers  for  a 
few  days,  though  he  could  not  carry  a  gun.  The 
third  wound  was  received  at  Kenesaw  Mountain 
where  he  was  hit  with  a  piece  of  shell.  Our  subject 
was  discharged  with  his  regiment  in  the  month  of 
September  18C4,  after  more  than  three  years  of 
hard  work  on  the  battlefield. 

After  the  exciting  experiences  of  his  military 
life.  Dr.  Doyle  returned  home  and  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  pursued  a  tliorough  course 
at  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  in  Cincinnati,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  18G7.  He 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  calling  at  St. 
Joseph  in  C'hampaign  County,  and  was  engaged 
there  till  18G9,  when  he  came  to  Barr}'  and  has 
been  in  |)ractiee  here  continuously  since  for  a  period 
of  more  than  twenty  years.  Duiing  that  time  he 
has  met  with  the  success  that  he  so  well  deserves 
on  account  of  Ids  close  attention  to  his  business. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


319 


j  his  careful  study  of  the  cases  that  come  under  bis 
I  notice,  and  his  sliill  in  the  treatment  of  disease. 
Dr.  Doyle  .ind  Mary  J.  Bar]<lc3'  were  married  in 
18G7,  and  tlieir  union  has  been  one  of  mutual  bene- 
fit and  happiness.  Mrs.  Doyle  is  a  native  of  Cham- 
paign County,  and  a  daughter  of  James  and  Matilda 
I  Barkley.     Two  ciiildren  have    been    born    to    the 
Doctor    and    liis    wife — Sadie    and    Charles.     The 
former  is  the  wife  of  Frank  j\I.  McNeal  of  Barry. 

The  Doctor  and  his  family  are  prominent  in 
social  circles  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  following 
organizations,  his  gallant  services  during  the  war 
being  commemorated  by  his  present  cf)nnection  with 
the  John  McTuclver  Post,  No.  154,  G.  A.  R. ;  he 
belongs  to  Barry  Lodge  No.  34,  A.  F.  it  A.  M. ;  and 
is  a  member  of  Barry  Lodge,  No.  55,  A.  O.  U.  W. 


^mMw^^ 


LEXANDER  CRADER.    This  young  gen- 
tlenian  affords  an  excellent  example  of  the 
agricultural   element  whicii    has  been  de- 
,^^  veloped  in  Calhoun  County,  and  is  coming 

rapidly  to  the  front  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
farm  work  and  the  interests  of  the  tillers  of  the  soil. 
His  early  life  was  passed  amid  surroundings  and 
under  influences  which  developed  and  strengthened 
the  better  traits  of  his  character  and  taught  him  the 
value  of  inlegrilj-,  industry  and  wise  economy. 
His  pleasant  home  is  located  on  section  24,  Ham- 
burg Precinct,  whore  he  owns  a  half-interest  in  one 
hundred  and  sixt}-  acres  of  land,  from  the  cultiva- 
tion of  which  he  is  gaining  a  comfortable  mainte- 
nance. 

Mr.  Crader  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  the  county,  his  grandparents 
being  numbered  among  the  verj'  early  settlers. 
llis  father,  Isaac  Crader,  was  born  here  and  reared 
to  manhood  amid  the  scenes  of  pioneer  life,  bear- 
ing a  goodl_y  share  in  the  development  of  the 
section  in  which  he  lived.  He  is  now  in  his  sixty- 
fourth  year  living  in  Gilead  Precinct  and  rejoic- 
ing in  the  growth  of  the  countrj-  which  he  has  seen 
develop  from  an  almost  primitive  condition  to  one 
of  great  productiveness  and  high  cultivation.  He 
is    a    pulilicspirited    citizen,    who    upholds    the 


doctrines  promulgated  by  the  Church  of  Christ, 
and  has  for  years  modeled  his  life  in  accord  with 
them.  His  vote  is  cast  with  the  Democratic 
party. 

The  first  wife  of  Isaac  Crader  was  Maiy  J. 
Wilson,  who  breathed  her  last  March  30,  1877, 
leaving  behind  her  the  record  of  a  useful  life.  The 
children  who  survive  her  are  Henry,  Alexander, 
Austin  and  Isaac.  The  present  wife  of  Isaac  Crader 
was  Mrs.  Rosana  Gresham,  who  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  him  in  1880. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  February  22, 
1863.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  country, 
attending  the  public  schools  and  acquiring  a  fair 
amount  of  practical  knowledge,  although  he  was 
not  privileged  to  take  a  collegiate  course.  As  he  is  de- 
sirous of  understanding  what  is  going  on  about  him 
in  the  world's  history  and  the  work  of  mankind  he 
devotes  considerable  time  to  reading,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  men  in  the  community-.  When 
but  sixteen  years  old  our  subject  began  working 
for  himself,  spending  about  four  3'ears  as  a  farm 
hand  for  different  parties,  averaging  §12  per  month 
and  board  the  year  round.  In  the  spring  of  1884 
he  settled  where  he  is  now  living  and  where  he  is 
surrounding  1  imself  with  more  and  more  of  what 
are  considered  the  comforts  of  life  each  year. 

July  25,  1883,  the  interesting  ceremony  took 
place  which  transformed  Miss  Malinda  Ullery  into 
Mrs.  Alexander  Crader.  The  bride  was  born  in 
Lincoln  Count3',  Mo.,  is  an  intelligent,  industrious 
and  earnest  woman  who  wears  her  religion  as  an 
everyday  garment  and  is  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  her  family.  The  happy  union  has  been  blessed 
b\'  the  birth  of  three  children — Sylvester,  DeFortst 
and  Lena.  The  younger  son  has  crossed  the  river 
of  death,  but  his  parents  mourn  not  as  those  with- 
out hope,  being  cheered  by  the  consolations  of 
religion. 

The  interest  of  Mr.  Crader  in  all  which  will 
elevate  society  and  advance  the  material  interests 
of  the  neighborhood  is  well  understood  by  all  who 
know  him.  Their  confidence  in  him  has  been 
manifested  by  his  election  to  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  the  fall  of  1889,  for  a  term  of  four 
years,  and  to  his  continuance  in  the  office  of  Town- 
ship School  Trustee,  in  which  he  is  now  serving  his 


320 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


second  term.  In  Lis  official  capacity  he  is  recog- 
nizrd  as  a  fair-iniiided  otHcer  whose  intention  it  is 
to  do  justice  to  all  i)arties;  in  business  circles  he 
wins  c(intiflence  by  his  intea;rity  and  strictly  honor- 
able dealiuif.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grader  belong  to 
the  Christian  Church,  and  he  is  now  serving  as 
Deacon  in  the  society  which  meets  in  the  school- 
liou.sc  on  Fox  Creek.  As  a  rising  and  representative 
young  farmer  be  merits  a  prominent  place  in  this 
Album. 


,OBERT  J  AVALKER,  who  came  from  En- 
gland many  years  ago  ere  he  had  attained 
to  man's  estate,  was  one  of  the  pioneer 
of  Griggsville  Township  and  as  a  farmer 
anil  stock-raiser  has  contributed  his  quota  in  bring- 
ing about  the  prosperity  of  Pike  Count}'.  He  was 
born  December  28.  1819,  in  Lincolnshire,  Engliind, 
and  came  of  a  sterling  English  ancestry.  When  not 
quite  seventeen  years  old  he  left  his  native  shire  with 
hi:'  uncle  James  Temple  for  America,  taking  passage 
on  the  sailing-vessel  •■Liverpool,"  November  10, 
1836.  and  after  a  voyage  of  thirteen  weeks,  during 
which  time  he  celebrated  his  seventeenth  birthday, 
luided  in  New  York.  In  the  fall  of  1837  he  came 
to  Griggsville  with  his  uncle,  having  made  a 
tedious  journey  by  land  and  water  from  New  York 
to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  down  the  Ohio,  up  the  ^Mississippi 
and  Illinois  to  Griggsville,  and  landing  at  Phillip's 
Ferry. 

After  he  came  to  this  place  Mr.  Walker  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  working  three  years  as  an 
apprentice  and  later  followed  that  calling  for  sev- 
enteen years.  He  was  a  very  skillful  workman  and 
during  that  time  made  money  enough  to  purchase 
his  first  eighty  acres  of  land  lying  on  sections  1 
and  12.  Griggsville  Township.  He  hatl  also  pur- 
chased forty  acres  on  section  13,  of  the  same  town- 
ship, on  which  he  now  resides.  His  farm  comprises 
some  fine,  highly  productive  farming  land,  pro- 
vided vvitli  good  improvements,  and  he  has  forty 
acres  of  it  devoted  to  an  orchard  of  choice  fruit 
trees  which  is  very  valuable.  Mr.  Walker  is  a 
broad-minded  man,  progressive  in  his   views,  and 


a  great  reader,  ho  keeps  up  with  the  times.  He  has 
always  been  a  loyal  and  worthy  citizen  of  his 
adopted  country  and  lias  interested  himself  in  its 
jiolitics.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig  and  Free  Soiler 
and  is  now  a  sound  Republican.  He  is  a  member 
in  high  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Mr.  AYalker  was  married  in  Newburg  Township. 
Pike  County,  to  Miss  Amanda  Evans.  She  was 
born  in  Indiana  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio  River; 
she  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents,  George  and 
Susan  (Armstrong)  Evans,  when  she  was  quite 
young,  the  family  locating  south  of  (iriggsville  in 
1830.  After  imjiroviug  a  farm  in  this  townshi|) 
Mr.  Evans  sold  it  in  18-tG,  and  with  his  wife  and 
children  removed  to  Newluirg  Township  where  lie 
purchased  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  George 
M..  and  there  Mrs.  Evans  died  when  ().ast  threescore 
j'ears  of  age.  She  was  a  Christian  ami  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  After  the 
death  of  his  wife  Mr.  Evans  lived  with  his  chil- 
dren and  finally  died  while  with  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Sarah  Shinn,  of  Griggsville  Township,  when  he  was 
about  eiglity  jears  of  age.  He  had  always  been  a 
farmer  and  he  was  a  soldier  throughout  the  War 
of  1812,  fighting  with  Gen.  Harrison  on  his  cam- 
paigns. He  was  in  early  life  a  Jackson  Democrat, 
later  became  a  Whig  and  died  a  Republican. 

Mrs.  Walker  was  one  of  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  eight  daughters,  some  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
She  was  well  and  carefull}'  reared  b^'  her  parents, 
was  given  a  good  education  and  was  a  teacher  for 
some  years  before  her  marriage.  She  was  in  every 
respect  a  true,  womanly  woman,  of  fine  personal 
character  and  her  death  at  her  limne  in  this  town- 
ship, December  17,  1881,  when  jiast  middle  life,  was 
a  severe  blow  to  her  husband  and  children.  She 
belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
was  devoted  to  its  good  works. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  ami  his  lieloved 
wife  was  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  three  died  young.  Those  re- 
maining are:  Jane,  wife  of  Alexander  Morton,  a 
farmer  of  Su|)erior,  Neb.;  Ann,  who  resides  in 
Griggsville,  where  she  has  amillineiy  establishment; 
George,  an  invalid  at  home  with  his  father;  .Mary, 
who  lives  with  her  father;  Catherine,  wife  of  Ben- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


321 


aiiiin  Windsor  n  fanner  of  Flint  To\viislii|);  Kliza- 
K'tii,  wife  of  Parvin  15utler,  a  farnicr  at  Superior 
JJel).;  ami  ^^'iIlar(l  and  Fannie,  who  are  at  home 
iviUi  llieii   father. 


^s-J#>U^s^^-* 


RANK  L.  HALL,  M.  ]).  A  prominent  iilaee 
I*  among  the  professional  men  living  in 
Perry,  Pike  County,  is  accorded  to  tliegen- 
Llemau  above  named  wiio  represents  tlie  oldscliool 
of  medicine.  In  the  short  time  tliat  lias  elapsed 
since  be  opened  liis  oflice  here,  lie  lias  made  a  good 
record  as  a  surgeon  and  general  practitioner,  and 
has  justly  won  a  reputation  that  has  not  only  made 
him  prominent,  but  advanced  his  finances.  In  all 
matters  that  pertain  to  the  progress  of  the  profes- 
sion, he  is  to  be  found  taking  an  earnest  part,  and  in 
every  possible  way  continuing  the  study  of  the 
science. 

Dr.  Hall  was  born  in  Florence,  Pike  County, 
September  10,  1861,  and  carefully  reared  by  parents 
who  taught  him  industrious  habits,  wisely  believing 
that  the  capability  to  endure  hard  work  would  dc- 
velo|)  his  physical  forces  and  lit  him  for  the  strug- 
gle of  life.  He  received  a  good  common-school 
education  and  afterward  entered  Eureka  College  at 
Eureka,  where  he  made  wonderful  progress  in  his 
studies  and  held  a  grade  as  nearly  perfect  as  possi- 
ble. He  graduated  therefrom  in  the  class  of  1885, 
and  entering  Rush  ^ledical  College  in  Chicago 
pursued  his  jirofessional  studies  until  Fibruaiy  15, 
1887,  when  he  received  his  diploma.  In  the  last- 
named  institution  he  took  two  siiecial  courses  of 
study  nniler  Profs.  E.  Fletcher  Ingals  and  lirophy, 
the  former  of  whom  occupies  the  front  rank  in 
lung  and  throat  diseases.  His  specialty  work  did 
not  interfere  with  his  prosecution  of  the  regular 
course  nor  (ireveiit  him  from  receiving  his  diploma 
in  line  time. 

At  the  residence  of  the  bride's  parents  .John  S. 
and  Mary  A.  (Harvey)  Dorsey,  the  rites  of  wed- 
lock were  celebrated  between  our  subject  and  Miss 
Emma  X.  Dorsey.  Mrs.  Hall  was  born  January  8, 
1864,  in  the  village  which  is  still  her  home.  She  is 
a  cultured,    refined   and   accomplished  woman,  who 


was  educated  in  the  Female  Acad.'uiy  of  .lackson- 
ville,  pursued  her  musical  studies  in  the  Conserva- 
tory of  Music  there  and  was  a  teacher  of  instru- 
mental music  some  six  years.  She  is  a  skillful 
performer,  and  by  reason  of  her  musical  talent  and 
charming  manners  is  a  general  favorite  in  society. 
Her  parents  are  well-known  early  settlers  and 
highly  respected  citizens  of  Pike  County.  After 
having  successfully  prosecuted  farm  work  i\Ir. 
Dorsey  has  made  a  good  home  in  the  village.  His 
family  consists  of  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
Mrs.  Hall  being  the  j'oungest  but  one  in  the  little 
circle. 

Dr.  Hall  is  prominent  in  the  social  circles  of  the 
town  in  which  he  lives,  possessing  in  a  high  de- 
gree the  cordial  and  polished  bearing  of  the  true 
gentleman.  His  habits  are  exemplary,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  rising  generation  who  make  the  name  of 
Christian  attractive  to  those  with  whom  they  asso- 
ciated. He  is  one  of  the  charier  members  of  the 
Christian  Chuich  in  Detroit  Township,  Pike 
County,  and  the  eldest  member,  still  retaining  his 
connection  with  that  congregation,  of  which  he  has 
been  Clerk  for  a  number  of  ^ears  and  also  Sunday- 
school  Superintendent. 

Dr.  Hall  is  of  Scotch  ancestry  but  his  father  and 
grandfather  were  born  in  North  Carolina.  The 
latter,  T.  L.  Hall,  was  a  planter  and  slaveholder. 
He  married  Angelina  Clemens,  a  native  of  the 
same  State  as  himself,  and  in  18.'?0  with  his  two 
children — Calvin  L.  and  .loseph  \V. — removed  to 
Illinois.  The  family  settled  in  Detroit  Township, 
Pike  Count}-,  on  a  squatter's  claim,  a  part  of  their 
farm  being  on  section  16.  There  Grandfather  and 
Grandmother  Hall  passed  the  remnant  of  their 
days,  living  to  see  what  was  a  wilderness  when 
they  came,  developed  into  good  homes.  Mr.  Hall 
died  .lanuary  5.  1872.  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years 
and  five  months.  His  widow  survived  until  July, 
1887,  reaching  more  than  threescore  and  ten  years, 
lioth  had  formerly  been  members  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  but  after  they  came  to  this  .State  the}' 
became  identified  with  the  (church  of  Christ. 

Calvin  L.  Hall,  the  father   of   <nir   subject,    was 

the  second  son   and  child  born   to  his  parents,  his 

I    natal  day  being  February  14.  IM.'SO.     In  September 

'    of  the  same  year  his  ii.arents   removed  to  this  State 


322 


PORTRAIT  AXD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  he  grew  to  maturitj'  in  the  county  and  town- 
ship mentioned  above,  acquiring  his  education  in 
the  primitive  schools.  Wheli  lie  liad  become 
grown  he  followed  the  trade  of  a  ship  carpenter,  later 
becoming  a  merchant,  and  after  a  time  giving  his 
attention  to  carrying  on  a  flouring-raill.  He  finally 
began  farming  and  has  since  been  thus  engaged. 
His  landed  estate  now  consists  of  more  than  two 
thousand  acres  of  land,  upon  which  he  has  a.  home 
in  which  all  of  the  comforts  and  manj-  of  the  luxu- 
ries of  life  are  to  be  found.  Mr.  Hall  has  held 
some  of  the  township  and  county  offices  and  is  a 
stanch  Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Cluirch  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  organi- 
zation in  his  township,  of  whicli  he  has  been  Elder 
for  many  years  and  to  which  lie  has  contributed 
liberally. 

The  marriage  of  Calvin  L.  Hall  was  solemnized 
in  the  township  where  he  now  resides,  his  bride 
being  Miss  Melissa  Thomas,  who  was  born  in  Ox- 
ville,  Scott  County,  and  was  still  young  when  her 
parents  removed  to  Florence,  Pike  County.  She 
has  been  a  true  iielpinate  to  her  husband,  hard- 
working and  earnest  in  every  department  of  her 
life  work.  She  has  many  womanly  virtues  and 
many  friends.  She  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  She  is  the  mother  of  six  living 
children — three  sons  and  three  daughters — and  has 
lost  three,  who  died  in  early  life. 


■.o*o^^y^<^^-o4o.. 


■iylOIlN  R.  HARDY,  an  old  settler  and  success- 
ful farmer  of  Perry  Township,  Pike  County, 
owns  a  fine  farm  on  sections  19  and  30.  The 
estate  comprises  two  hundred  and  thirteen 
acres  of  well-im|)roved  land,  two  hundred  of  which 
are  under  tlie  plow.  The  farm-house  is  commo- 
dious and  substantial,  and  the  numerous  outbuild- 
ings which  add  to  the  value  of  the  farm  and  the 
convenience  of  its:  occu|)ants  are  also  well  built,  all 
having  been  put  up  by  the  present  owner.  The 
farm  is  well  stocked  with  good  swine,  tine  cattle, 
and  draft  and  Cleveland-Bay  horses  of  a  high  grade. 
This  tine  rural  abode  has  iieen  developed  from  al- 
most new  land  by  Mr.  Hardy,  who  has  lived   here 


twenty-nine  years  and  owned  the  greater  part  of 
the  land  for  that  length  of  time.  His  residence  in 
the  township  extends  over  a  period  of  forty-four 
years  and  has  sufficed  to  give  him  a  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  its  resources  and  development. 

Mr.  Hardy  was  born  in  Pickaway  Count}',  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  February  8,  183H,  and  is  the  young- 
est but  one  of  a  family  consisting  of  three  brothers 
and  one  sister,  all  now  living  in  the  same  county. 
His  parents,  John  R.,  Sr.,  and  Maria  (Battley) 
Hardy,  were  the  son  and  daughter  of  early  settlers 
in  Ohio  and  natives  of  that  State.  The  former  was 
reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage, aided  by  his  wife,  began  an  agricultural  ca- 
reer. AVben  our  subject  was  but  a  few  months  old 
they  emigrated  to  Illinois  with  their  three  children 
this  being  in  1838.  Tiiey  settled  in  Naples,  Scott 
County,  established  a  store  and  carried  it  on  for 
some  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hardy  subsequently  purch.ised  a 
farm  in  the  Illinois  River  bottoms,  not  far  from  the 
town  and  there  the  husband  died  when  but  little 
past  thirty  years  of  age.  He  was  a  stanch  Democrat 
in  politics,  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  an  excellent  man.  In  1848  the 
widow  with  her  children  came  to  Pike  County  and 
()urchased  a  farm  in  Perry  Township,  making  it  her 
home  until  her  death,  which  occurred  in  Feliruary, 
1876,  at  the  age  of  sixty  five  years.  After  she 
came  to  this  township  she  became  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  She  was  a  woman  of  intelligence, 
kind  to  her  neighbors,  loving  to  her  children,  and 
worthy  of  respect  in  every  department  of  life. 

Our  subject  remained  with  his  mother  until  his 
marriage,  whicli  occurred  in  Perry,  November  4, 
1858,  the  lady  whom  he  won  for  his  wife  being 
]\Iiss  Rebecca  Walker.  She  was  born  in  Griggs- 
ville  April  18,  1842,  but  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Perrj'  Township.  Siie  is  an  excellent  woman, 
intelligent  and  refined,  and  a  consistent  rneuilier  of 
the  Christian  Church.  Her  father,  Robert  Walker, 
was  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  but  having 
come  to  this  country  when  young'  became  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  in  Griggsville  Township.  After  im- 
proving a  large  farm  there,  he  sold  and  i)iirchased 
near  tlie  village  of  Perry,  later  selling  tiiat  estate 
and  buying  two   large  farms  in   Perry  and   Fair- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


323 


mount  Townships.  Some  years  later  lie  retired  from 
active  life,  settled  in  the  village  of  Perry  and  died 
tliere  April  22.  1861,  when  past  sixty  years  of  age. 
In  politics  he  was  a  stronsj  Republican  and  his  re- 
ligious belief  was  expressed  by  the  principles  and 
practice  of  the  Christian  Church  with  which  he  was 
identified.  His  second  wife,  formerly  Cathena 
Wiidc,  was  born  in  Kentucky  but  became  a  resident 
in  this  county  when  j'oung;.  She  became  tlip 
mother  of  four  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Hardy  is 
fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  Hardy  has  voted  the  Republican  ticket  since 
he  became  of  age.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Workmen  and  Modern  Woodmen,  identified  with  a 
lodge  of  each  order  in  Perry.  An  honorable  man, 
a  reputable  citizen  and  a  good  neighbor,  Mr.  Hardy 
has  his  friends  wherever  he  is  known. 

-—^ ^3-^ ^^ 


^,EV.  STEPHEN  R.  WILLIAMS.  This  gen- 
tleman is  an  influential  citizen  and  large 
\\  landowner  of  Pike  County,  living  on  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  31,Derry  Town- 
ship. He  has  led  a  useful  life,and  looking  back  over 
the  long  years  that  have  passed  can  recall  scenes  and 
incidents  whose  recital  would  be  of  great  interest 
to  all  who  are  interested  in  the  story  of  the  de- 
velopment of  the  country,  but  which  space  will  not 
permit  us  to  enlarge  upon.  Mr.  AVilliams  has  la- 
bored for  more  than  thirty  years  to  promulgate 
Christianity,  preaehing  the  glad  tidings  of  salva- 
tion and  being  the  means  under  Christ  of  adding 
inany  souls  to  the  Church. 

The  history  of  the  Williams  family  is  not  de- 
void of  interest,  and  before  entering  upon  the  ca- 
reer of  our  subject  we  will  speak  briefly  of  his 
ancestors.  His  great-grand  father,  Edward  Williams, 
was  born  in  Virginia,  went  to  '  Kentucky  when  a 
j'oung  man,  and  for  some  time  lived  in  a  block 
house  and  fought  against  the  Indians.  His  first 
wife  and  two  of  their  children  were  killed  by  sav- 
ages, and  a  third  child,  a  son,  was  taken  prisoner 
and  held  in  cajitivity  eight  years,  being  finally  re- 
stored to  his  father  through  a  treaty.  Mr.  Will- 
iams was  a  planter  and  spent  all  his  niature  life  in 


Kentucky,  dying  at  the  extreme  age  of  ninety- 
three  years.  He  reared  fourchildren.  one  of  them, 
a  son,  Stephen,  being  born  in  Kentucky  about  1780. 
This  gentleman  pursued  the  same  occupation  as  his 
father,  and  was  also  a  minister  in  the  Baptist 
Church.  lie  came  to  this  State  in  1822,  settling 
in  White  County,  on  the  Wabash  River,  and  was 
prominent  in  the  pioneer  ministry  there.  He  was 
active  in  establishing  the  church  and  probably 
baptized  more  peo|)le  than  any  other  man  in  the 
State. 

In  1854  Stephen  AVilliams  removed  to  Jefferson 
County,  Iowa,  where  he  continued  his  ministerial 
labors  until  his  death.  He  was  eighty-three  years 
of  age  when  he  entered  into  rest  and  was  called 
by  the  death  angel  while  on  one  of  the  journeys 
pertaining  to  his  calling.  His  labors  in  the  Gos- 
pel field  had  extended  over  a  period  of  sixty  years, 
during  which  time  he  never  charged  a  dollar  for 
his  preaching,  but  on  the  contrary  gave  from  his 
own  means  to  aid  the  poor.  He  reared  nine  chil- 
dren, eight  sons  and  one  daughter. 

The  next  in  direct  line  of  descent  was' Isaac 
Williams,  the  father  of  our  subject,  who  w.as  born 
in  Kentucky  in  1800.  He  sojourned  in  his  native 
State  until  he  was  twenty-two  years  old,  then  came 
to  White  County,  111.,  in  compan}'  with  his  father. 
He  followed  Larming  throughout  life.  In  1848 
he  came  to  Pike  County,  settling  on  section  4, 
Atlas  Township.  He  lived  to  be  seventy-three 
years  of  age  and  from  his  twentieth  year  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Primitive  Baptist  Church.  His 
good  wife  also  united  with  that  church  when  twenty 
years  old  and  faithfully  adhered  to  its  doctrines 
until  called  home  in  her  eightieth  year.  She  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Coleman,  was  born  in 
Kentucky  in  1800,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of 
twenty-two  children.  She  was  the  mother  of  thir- 
teen children,  ten  of  whom  were  reared. 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Henry  Coleman,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in  the 
Blue  Grass  State  and  was  quite  old  when  called 
from  time  to  eternity.  He  belonged  to  the  Bap- 
tist Church  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  His 
father,  who  bore  the  same  given  name  as  himself, 
was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America  prior 
to  the   Revolution,  during  which   he  fought  in   the 


324 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Colonial  army.  He  went  to  Keutuck}'  while  it 
was  still  a  Territory,  and  when  the  settlers  lived 
in  stockades  and  were  often  engaged  in  conflicts 
with  the  Indians.  He  lived  to  be  ninet\-three 
years  of  age  and   reared  a  small  family. 

The  snbject  of  this  sketch  opened  his  eyes  to  the 
light  November  12,  1820,  in  Ohio  County,  Ky. 
He  was  but  two  years  old  when  brought  to  this 
State  and  grew  to  maturity  in  Wliite  County, 
amid  the  primitive  scenes  whose  memory  is  vivid 
and  includes  much  of  interest.  His  education  was 
obtained  in  the  old  log  sclioolhouse  of  the  early 
days,  with  its  puncheon  floors  and  seats,  its  im- 
mense fireplace  and  the  greased  paper  windows 
through  wliicli  the  light  struggled  for  admission. 
The  schools  were  kept  up  by  the  subscri|)tion  plan 
and  the  teacher  -'boarded  round"  as  an  lionored 
guest  in  the  pioneer  homes. 

In  1844  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  came 
to  Pike  County,  making  the  journey  by  team  and 
wagon  and  camping  en  route.  His  first  location 
was  in  J'ittsfield  Township,  where  he  remained  a 
year.  Wild  game  was  still  to  be  found  in  this 
section  and  he  hunted  quite  a  little,  killing  turkeys 
and  deer.  When  he  arrived  here  he  liad  but  one 
shilling  in  mone^^,  but  he  vvas  blest  with  a  good 
wife  and  three  children.  He  rented  land  for  seven 
years,  and  then  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  32,  Derry  Township.  lie  has 
been  abundantly  prospereil  in  financial  affairs  and 
now  owns  six  hundred  acres  of  land  in  a  body  and 
eighty  acres  on  the  bottom.  He  now  lives  a  some- 
what quiet  life,  but  in  former  years  carried  on  ex- 
tensive farming  operations  and  raised  stock  of  all 
kinds  in  great  numbers. 

In  1837  Mr.  Williams  was  married  to  Nancy 
Funkhouser.  She  was  born  in  White  County'  in  1  820 
and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  She  was  the 
mother  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  the  following 
grew  to  maturity:  Virgil,  William,  Sarah,  Isaac, 
Henry  and  Mary.  In  1883  our  subject  was  again 
married,  his  bride  being  Rachel  Shinn.who  was  born 
in  this  county  June  2(>,  1857.  She  is  a  woman  of 
exemplary  cliaracter,  a  capable  housewife  and  de- 
voted companion.  She  belongs  to  the  Primitive 
Baptist  Church. 

The  political  adherence  of  our   subject  is  given 


to  the  Democratic  party  and  he  has  held  various 
township  offices.  In  1842  he  united  with  the  Primi- 
tive Baptist  Church,  was  subsequently  ordained  as 
a  minister  of  tlie  Gospel  and  has  preached  in  tiiis 
State,  Missouri  and  Iowa.  He  has  baptized  a  great 
many  converts.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
Moderator  of  liie  Ml.  Gilead  Assembly  of  the 
Regular  Baptist  Church.  lie  still  preaches  in  two 
eliurches  and  frequently  addresses  the  people  in  dif- 
ferent settlements  through  the  county. 


,ip=^  AMUEL  S.  GOURLEY,  a  farmer  residing  on 
^^^    section  9,  Carliii  Precinct,  Calhoun  County, 
'v^UrJ  '*  ^  native  of  the   North  of  Ireland,    but 
though  of  foreign   birth  the  county  has  no 
belter  citizen  than  our  subject  or  one  more  worthy 
of   representation  in   this   volume.     He    was  born 
Jul}'  10,  1833,  his  parents  being  John  and  Rosa  E. 
(Orr)  Gourley,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ire- 
land; his    father   however    spent   his   last  days  in 
Scotland. 

At  the  age  of  thirteen  years,  Samuel  left  the 
Emerald  Isle  and  made  his  way  to  Scotland  where 
lie  engaged  in  coal  mining  for  a  number  of  years 
or  until  1858,  when  he  came  to  America.  Attracted 
by  the  advantages  of  the  New  World  and  with  a 
desire  to  try  his  fortune  in  a  free  country  he  took 
passage  on  a  sailing  vessel  at  Liverpool  which 
landed  him  in  New  York  City  after  twenty-eight 
days.  The  succeeding  seven  j'ears  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  Canada,  working  as  a  farm  hand,  after 
which,  in  the  fall  of  1865  he  returned  to  the  Em- 
pire State  where  he  passed  the  winter.  The  spring 
of  1866  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  he  making 
a  location  in  Greene  County,  whence  about  a  year 
later  he  came  to  Calhoun  County. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1867,  Mr.  Gourley  was 
united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Miss 
Mary  Lane,  daughter  of  John  S.  Lane,  of  Carlin 
Precinct.  Unto  them  has  been  born  a  family  of 
nine  children,  namely:  John  S.,  Luanna,  Rosa  B., 
George  C,  Aaron  J.,  Fremont,  Tiiomas,  Lulu  and 
Ada.  The  family  circle  remains  unbroken  and  all 
are  ^et  under  the   parental   roof.     Their  home  is 


ym 


4 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


327 


situated  on  section  9,  Carlin  Precinct,  where  I\Ir. 
Goiuley  owns  two  hundred  and  eightj'-one  acres 
of  land,  constituting  one  of  the  best  farms  in  tlie 
neigliboriiuod.  In  addition  to  the  care  and  culti- 
vation of  his  land  he  devotes  considerable  atteution 
to  stock-raising,  keeping  on  hand  good  grades  of 
horses,  cattle  and  iiogs.  His  business  ability  sup- 
plemented b}'  industry  and  perseverance  have  nuade 
his  life  a  success  and  he  is  now  numbered  among 
the  substantial  citizens  of  Calhoun  County.  In  re- 
ligious belief  he  is  a  Presb3'terian  and  in  political 
sentiment  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 
Widely  known  throughout  the  county,  his  friends 
are  many  and  bis  enemies  few. 


,^^  AMUEL  J.  MERIDA  is  a  man  of  much  en- 
^^^    terprise  and    is   extensivel}'   engaged  as  a 
III// U)   farmer,    nurseryman    and    fruit   raiser    in 
Calhoun    County,  carrying  on  his    opera- 
tions   on    section   2,  Hamburg    Precinct.     He  is  a 
native   of  Bollinger   County,  Mo.,  and   was    born 
March   4.  18.51,  to  Samuel  and  Margaret  ( Pauter- 
baugh)  Merida,  natives   respectively  of  Tennessee 
and   Ohio.     His   father   was   left  an  orphan  at  an 
earl}-  age  and  subsequently  went  to  Missouri,  set- 
tling in   Bollinger   County  in   ]Sid  and  ^becoming 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  region.     In  the  fall  of 
18,i6  he  came  with   his   family  to  Calhoun   Count}' 
and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occupied  bj-  our  sub- 
ject. 

The  father  of  our  subject  first  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  for  which  he  paid 
>!120()  in  gold.  About  four  acres  of  it  were 
cleared,  the  remainder  being  covered  with  under- 
brush an<l  timber.  He  moved  into  the  log  cabin 
that  stood  on  the  place,  beginning  at  once  to 
clear  liis  laud  and  in  time  developing  a  good  farm. 
His  death  occurred  here  May  2G,  I8'J0,  at  the  ven- 
erable age  of  seventy-nine  years,  five  months  and 
one  d.'iy.  Thus  closed  the  life  of  one  of  Calhoun 
County's  res|iected  pioneers  and  good  citizens. 
His  wife  preceded  hiui  in  tleath.  passing  away  March 
3,  1879.  They  were  the  [larents  of  seven  chihlren, 
of  whom  four  survive:  .Samuel  J.,  Caroline,  wife  of 


Wesley  Bovee,  of  Belleview  Precinct;  Julia,  wife 
of  E.  L.  Bess,  of  Belleview  Precinct,  and  Sarrh  A., 
wife  of  Henry  Darr,  of  Hamburg  Precinct.  The 
father  was   one   of  the  first  settlers  of  Fox  Creek, 

j  and  did  his  sliare  in  developing  that  region.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  in  religion  a  strong 
Baptist  and  a  member  of  the  church  of  that  denom- 

I    ination. 

Samuel  J.  Merida,  of  whom  this  biographical 
... 
review  is  written,  was  quite  j'oung  when  his  par- 
ents brought  liim  to  this  county  and  here  ho  was 
reared  under  the  influences  of  a  pioneer  life  and 
has  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  of  the  count}-. 
lie  received  his  education  in  the  early  subscription 
schools  of  this  region  and  for  the  limited  advan- 
tages of  his  boyhood  he  h.as  made  up  by  reading 
and  obserration,  so  that  be  is  quite  well  posted  on 
all  topics  of  general  interest.  On  the  23rd  of  May, 
1869,  his  marriage  with  Lucy  Blackorby,  a  native 
of  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  took  place.  One  daugh- 
ter was  born  to  them — Arleltic,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merida  have  for  years  had 
living  with  them  a  niece,  Miss  Mollie  Blackorby, 
whom  they  have  adopted  and  who  is  now  known 
as  Miss  ISIollie  Merida.  Mrs.  Merida  was  born 
April  9,  185"2  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Sanders;  Blackorby,  natives  respectively  of 
Kentucky  and  Virginia.  At  the  early  age  of  eleven 
years  she  accompanied  her  sister  to  Calhoun  County 
and  here  her  union  with  our  subject  was  solemn- 
ized. 

Mr.  Merida  owns  two  hundred  and  two  acres  wiiich 
are  under  excellent  tillage.  He  is  carrying  on  a  large 
and  lucrative  nursery  business,  and  besides  having 
from  fifty  to  seventy-five  thousand  trees  carries 
much  other  nursery  stock,  and  has  a  large  orchard 
of  about  three  tbfiusand  apjile  trees  of  the  leading 
varieties,  all  in  l)earing.  He  has  served  as  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  nine  years,  and  in  18.30  was  a 
candidate  for  .Sheriff  but  was  defeated  by  only 
twelve  votes.  He  is  quite  prominent  in  Democratic 
circles  and  lakes  a  genuine  interest  in  whatever 
will  proniote  the  welfare  of  Calhoun  County.  He 
and  his  wife  are  among  the  most  active  members 
of  the  Christian  Church,  in  which  he  holds  the  of- 
fice of  Deacon. 

Mr.  Meritla  is  a  man  of  much   energy  and   has 


328 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


been  very  [successful  in  the  various  enterprises 
■which  lie  has  untlertaken.  He  makes  a  specialty  of 
cattle  and  bogs  and  during  the  apple  season  usually 
engages  in  buying  and  shipping  apples.  Samuel 
J.  Merida  &  Co.,  shipped  from  Mosier  Landing 
during  the  season  of  1890,  eighteen  thousand  bar- 
rels of  "apples,  from  which  they  realized  from  13  to 
13.25  per  barrel.  In  whatever  enterprise  Mr.  Mer- 
ida eno'ao-es  he  devotes  to  it  his  accustomed  energy 
and  consequent!}'  is  known  as  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  Hamburg  Precinct,  holding  an  assured 
position  among  its  substantial  residents. 

On  another  page  of  this  volume  will  be  found  a 
lithographic  portrait  of  Mr.  Merida. 


3^ii^iF 


<^AMER  R.  EA8LEY.  When  the  natural 
resources  of  such  a  region  as  that  of  I'ike 
'  Count}'  are  developed  and  enhanced  by  all 
i^^J  that  goes  to  make  up  a  model  farm,  the 
scene  is  attractive  indeed.  A  visitor  to  the  home 
of  James  Easley  on  section  18,  Derry  Township, 
could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  admiration  for  the 
judgment  and  tact  that  carries  on  this  fine  estate  of 
two  hundred  acres,  and  the  good  taste  displayed  in 
and  about  the  dwelling.  One  of  the  very  best  farm- 
houses in  the  county  is  the  substantial  frame  dwell- 
ing in  which  our  subject  makes  his  home.  It  stands 
on  a  spacious  lawn  adorned  with  fine  shade  trees,  and 
in  its  green  setting  is  a  conspicuous  and  attractive 
feature  in  the  landscape. 

The  farm  which  our  subject  now  oi)crates  is  his 
birthplace  and  the  first  house  built  in  tiiis  locality 
in  1825  is  tliat  in  which  he  opened  his  ej'es  to  the 
light.  His  natal  day  was  August  31,  1857.  He 
has  been  fortunate  in  receiving  educational  advan- 
tages that  stored  his  mind  with  useful  knowledge 
and  fitted  him  to  successfully  conduct  business  af- 
fairs and  understand  the  various  movements  in 
political  and  social  circles  which  have  a  bearing 
upon  the  world's  historj'.  Some  of  his  school  daj's 
were  spent  in  the  log  schoolhouse  of  the  district  and 
he  also  attended  the  El  Dara  High  School,  and  that 
at  St.  Louis,  ISIo.     louring  his  boyhood  and  youth 


he  bore  more  or  less  share  in  farm  work,  and  when 
twenty-one  years  old  began  to  operate  the  home 
place  on  shares. 

This  work  was  continued  by  Mr.  Easley  until  bis 
father's  death,  when  the  tract  he  now  operates  was 
deeded  to  himself  and  two  sisters  who  were  still  at 
home — Mary  F.  and  Laura  A.  He  carries  on  quite 
extensive  operations  in  tilling  the  soil  and  stock- 
raising,  keeping  all  kinds  of  domestic  animals  of 
good  breeds  and  grades.  He  brings  to  bear  upon 
his  enterprise  the  intelligence  and  progressive 
spirit  which  are  rapidly  bringing  him  to  the  front 
among  the  3'oung  farmers  of  this  section,  and  secur- 
ing him  a  satisfactorj'  financial  reward  for  bis 
thouglit  and  physical  labor. 

Mr.  Easley  believes  in  the  principles  of  Dem- 
ocracy and  votes  a  straight  ticket.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  Township  Assessor  three  terms  and  is 
now  serving  his  first  term  as  Supervisor.  He  has 
been  School  Trustee  sevenj'ears  and  takes  a  deep 
interest  in  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion as  well  as  in  other  public-spirited  movements. 
He  belongs  to  Elm  Camp  Lodge,.  No.  1 148,  M.  W. 
A.,  at  New  Canton.  He  is  considered  an  ac- 
quisition to  social  circles,  as  he  is  cordial  and  well 
bred,  while  his  reputation  as  a  man  of  honor  is  ex- 
cellent. He  has  never  married,  but  has  felt  no  need 
of  a  housekeeper  as  his  wants  are  carefully  looked 
after  by  his  sisters. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Moses  R.  Easley,  a  man 
of  English  extraction  who  was  born  in  Tennessee 
in  1820.  His  home  was  on  a  farm  but  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  mason  as  well  as  a  knowledge  of 
farming.  In  1840  he  came  to  Pike  County,  111., 
making  his  journey  partly  on  a  boat,  partly  by 
wagon  and  partly  on  foot.  For  the  first  two  or  three 
years  he  worked  at  his  trade  near  Pittslield,  then 
rafted  about  two  years  on  the  Mississippi  River. 
He  was  taken  with  chills  and  fever  and  lay  sick  for 
over  a  year. 

Moses  Easley  finally  bought  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Derry  Township  and  sojourned  thereon 
about  two  years,  then  sold  it  and  bought  another 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  same  township.  After  living 
there  a  few  years  lie  disposed  of  his  property,  and 
in    the    spring  of    1857    bought   eighty    acres    on 

t 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


329 


I  section  19,  moving  into  the  first  bouse  that  had 
been  built  in  this  vicinity.  Altliough  sixty-live 
years  old,  tliis  buildino  still  stands  in  so  good  a 
state  of  preservation  that  it  is  occupied.  Mr. 
Easley  prospered  in  his  worldly  affairs  as  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  owned 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  He 
held  some  of  the  township  offices  and  voted  the 
Democratic  ticket.  He  passed  away  February  7, 
1888. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Mary  A.  Tittswortb.  She  was  born  in  Tennessee 
in  1822,  her  father,  Jesse  Tittswortb,  being  a  native 
of  the  same  State  and  a  farmer  therein.  Mr.  Titts- 
wortb came  to  this  State  in  1831  and  died  here  at 
the  age  of  seventy-flve  ye.irs.  He  was  quite  prom- 
inent in  agricultural  circles.  Mrs.  Easley  breathed 
her  last  in  January,  1885,  leaving  seven  children, 
two  of  her  family  having  died  in  early  life.  She 
was  a  devout  member  of  the  Methodist  Church 
during  the  greater  part  of  her  life.  Her  surviving 
'  cliildreu  are  Thomas  L.,  Sarah  A.,  William  F., 
I  James  R.,  Mary  F.,  Nancy  I.  and  Laura  A, 


^. 


I ICHARD    CARNES.     Perhaps  no  resident 

il^i       in  the  agricultural  districts  of  Pike  County 

cli \V       has    acquired   a  more  substantial    fortune 

"^^i  than  our  subject,  and  that  by  dint  of  good 

judgment  and  energy  and  the  education  which   he 

!  has  won  from  contact  with  mankind  and  keen  ob- 
servation only.  Mr.  Carnes  owns  about  fifteen 
hundred  acres  of  fine  land,  divided  in  no  less  than 

Ihalfadozen  farms,  most  of  which  are  adequately 
supplied  with  farm  buildings.     The  greater  part  of 

'the  estate  is  well  watered  and  the  various  portions 

lare  well  supplied  with  good  stock.  The  possessions 
of  Mr.  Carnes  will  foot  up  into  the  hundreds  of 
thousands  and  all  his  business  affairs  are  transacted 
with  accuracj'and  skill,  although  he  has  absolutely 
no  book  learning. 

The  name  indicates  that  the  Carnes  family  is  of 
Englisli  descent.  The  grandparents  of  our  subject 
wore  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Duiiliara)  Carnes,  who 
were  born  and  reared  in  Maryland  and  after  their 


marriage  made  their  home  in  Harrison  County, 
Ohio.  When  thev  began  their  life  there  the  coun- 
try was  new  but  they  lived  to  see  their  pioneer 
labors  rewarded  and  the  country  around  them  well 
develojied.  Both  died  when  full  of  years  and 
honor,  having  been  numbered  among  the  best  citi- 
zens of  the  section,  and  worthy  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  Mr.  Carnes  served  as  a 
private  during  the  War  of  1812. 

John  Carnes,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  one 
of  a  large  family  and  born  in  Harrison  Count}', 
Ohio,  in  1812.  He  married  Eliza  Nelson,  a  native 
of  the  same  county,  whose  parents  were  born  in 
JIaryland  and  are  believed  to  have  been  of  Scotch 
descent.  John  Carnes  a^id  wife  occupied  a  farm  in 
their  native  county  until  1854  when  they  came  to 
Pike  County,  111.,  settling  on  partially  improved 
land  in  Griggsville  Township.  They  were  poor 
when  the}-  arrived  in  this  State,  but  being  indus- 
trious, persevering  and  prudent  they  succeeded  in 
tlieir  worldly  affairs  and  eventuallv  possessed  quite 
a  large  farm.  Mr.  Carnes  voted  the  Whig  ticket. 
Both  he  anil  bis  wife  were  active  in  the  work  and 
generous  in  the  support  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  Both  died  in  this  county,  the  death  of 
Mr.  Carnes  taking  place  in  New  Salem  Township 
in  1870,  some  }ears  after  his  wife  had  been  borne 
to  the  tomb. 

Our  subject  is  the  first-born  in  a  famil}'  of  whicli 
three  sons  and  four  daughters  are  still  living.  One 
sou  was  fatally  burned  when  a  child  and  one  killed 
bj'  a  log  rolling  on  bira  when  eight  years  old;  one 
daughter  is  also  deceasefl.  Richard  Carnes  was 
born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  near  Cadizville, 
June  23,  1832,  and  was  quite  young  when  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  this  State.  The  circumstances  were 
such  that  he  enjoyed  no  educational  privileges 
but  through  his  participation  in  the  work  of  life  he 
acquired  an  excellent  understanding  of  agricultural 
aff;,irs  and  a  comprehension  of  business  matters 
which  has  resulted  in  making  him  a  skillful  and 
successful  farmer.  Unlike  some  men  who  have 
worked  hard  to  acquire  a  fortune  he  is  generous 
with  his  means,  giving  liberally  to  the  support  of 
the  church  and  various  local  interests.  Although 
be  has  not  in  the  conduct  of  his  affairs  realized  the 
need  of  an   education    as  do  most   men,  yet    he  is 


330 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


anxious  that  Lis  children  and  tliose  of  ills  neigh- 
bors shall  have  eveiy  opportunity  to  acquire 
Ivnowledge.  In  politics  Mr.  Carnes  is  a  sound  Re- 
publican and  lie  and  his  wife  are  active  members 
of  the  L'nited  Brethren  Churcli. 

The  marriage  rites  between  our  subject  and  Miss 
Guldy  E.  Moore  were  solemnized  in  New  Salem 
Township  at  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents,  John 
and  Sarah  (Simpson)  Moore.  Mrs.  Carnes  was  born 
in  Maryland  May  5, 1834,  and  wasscarcly  more  than 
an  infant  when  her  parents  turned  their  stops  west- 
ward, making  a  home  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio. 
Some  j'ears  later  they  came  to  Adams  County,  this 
State,  but  finally  settled  in  Pil^e  County  where 
tliey  died  at  the  respective  ages  of  seventy-five 
and  eighty-three  years.  They  were  successful  in  a 
worldly  sense  and  were  known  to  many  citizens 
wlio  had  learned  to  respect  them.  They  reared 
quite  a  large  famil}-,  five  of  whom  now  survive. 

Mrs.  Carnes  received  careful  training  from  her 
parents  will)  whom  slie  lived  until  lier  marriage. 
She  is  an  excellent  neighbor,  a  devoted  helpmate 
and  mother  and  has  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of 
many  of  the  best  people  in  the  county.  Siie  is  the 
mother  of  nine  cliiidren,  of  whom  the  following  are 
living:  Henry  R.  who  married  Elizabetli  White  and 
lives  on  a  farm  in  the  same  township  asiiis  parents; 
George,  vvlio  married  Margaret  White  and  also  oc- 
cupies a  farm  in  Griggsville  Township;  S.  Edward 
a  student  in  the  Quincj'  schools;  Marv  A.  and  Sa- 
lena  who  still  occupy  their  places  bj-  the  home 
fireside. 

\t7  EVI  THOMAS,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
I  (?§)  Belleview  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  has 
Jj'-^\  been  identified  with  the  history  of  the 
county  since  an  early  day  and  is  well  worthy  of 
representation  in  the  volume  where  is  recorded  the 
lives  of  its  prominent  settlers  and  honored  pioneers. 
He  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred on  the  Ith  of  .lulj',  1832,  in  Simpson  County. 
His  parents,  .lohn  and  Rebecca  (Butler)  Thomas, 
were  also  natives  of  that  State  and  his  father  served 
in  the  War  of  1812.  Until  about  fourteen  years  of 
age  Levi    remained   in   Kentucky-,  when   with  liis 


parents  he  removed  to  Shelby  County,  Mo.,  where 
he  was  reared  to  manhood.  His  educational  ad- 
vantages were  very  limited.  The  school  wliich  he 
attended  was  built  of  logs  and  the  furnishings 
were  slab  seats  and  desks.  A  puncheon  floor,  clap- 
board door  and  immense  fire-place  completed  the 
structure.  The  boys  attending  generall}-  carried 
with  them  their  rifles,  for  wild  animals  were  still 
quite  numerous  in  the  settlement.  On  one  occasion 
our  subject,  when  a  lad  of  sixteen  years,  shot  and 
killed  a  bear  while  on  his  way  to  school.  Although 
his  scholastic  training  did  not  carry  him  much  be- 
3'ond  the  rudiments  of  knowledge,  Mr.  Thomas  has 
always  been  a  great  reader,  a  deep  thinker  and 
possessing  a  retentive  memory,  has  become  a  well- 
informed  man.  The  year  1851  witnessed  his  arri- 
val in  Illinois  and  he  chose  Calhoun  Count}'  as  the 
scene  of  his  future  labors.  The  succeeding  four 
years  he  spent  in  procuring  raw  material  used  in 
making  barrels  of  various  kinds  in  a  coopering 
establishment  of  the  county,  after  which  he  pnr- 
chasefV  eighty  acres  of  land,  the  farm  on  which  he 
now  resides,  although  it  bore  little  resemblance  to 
the  cultivated  fields  which  to-day  pa}-  tribute  to 
his  care  and  labor.  He  took  up  his  residence  in  a 
small  log  cabin  and  began  the  development  of  the 
raw  i)rairie.  The  improvements  have  all  been 
made  by  hitn  and  to-day  stand  as  monuments  of 
his  thrift  and  industr}'. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1853,  Mr.  Thomas  was 
joined  in  wedlock  vvilh  Miss  Mary  Cloninger,  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  nine  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living: 
John,  the  eldest,  now  of  Oregon:  AVilliam,  also 
living  in  tiiat  State;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Turner 
Lumlej",  of  Calhoun  Count}-;  Edward,  a  resident 
of  this  county;  Emma,  at  home;  James,  a  success- 
ful school  teacher  in  the  county;  Anne,  at  home; 
and  Charles.  The  deceased  member  of  the  family 
was  a  daughter,  MoUie. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Thomas  is  the  owner  of 
eighty  acres  of  land  and  is  accounted  one  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  the  community.  Beginning  life 
without  capital  and  steadil)'  working  his  way  up- 
ward, he  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man.  The 
difHculties  and  disadvantages  arising  from  lack  of 
education    and   fin'incial   help  he  overcame  and    by 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


331 


fail-  and  honest  dealing,  good  management  and  per- 
severance has  acquired  a  coaifortable  com  potency. 
Not  afraid  of  work,  he  eagerly  grasped  every  op- 
portunity which  would  better  enable  him  to  pro- 
vide for  the  wants  and  comfort  of  his  family-.  He 
has  also  faithfully  discharged  his  duties  of  citizen- 
ship and  for  many  years  he  served  as  School  Direc- 
tor. He  helped  to  raise  tlie  first  log  sehoolhousc 
erected  in  Belleview  Precinct  and  has  ever  been  a 
friend  to  education  or  any  interest  which  would 
advance  the  social  and  moral  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  relig- 
iously is  a  Baptist.  His  memory  goes  back  to  tlie 
days  in  the  early  history  of  Calhoun  County  when 
ox-teams  were  used  in  place  of  horses  even  when 
going  to  church,  when  the  land  was  in  its  primitive 
condition  and  when  the  settlements  were  few  and 
far  between,  Init  all  this  has  now  changed  and  no 
one  has  taken  a  deeper  interest  in  the  advancement 
of  the  count}'  or  done  more  to  promote  its  welfare 
than  Levi  Thomas.  This  gentleinan  is  well  known 
for  his  intcgrit}-  and  honest)-  and  cnjo3'S  the  confi- 
dence of  the  business  communitj'. 


-^^ 


c 


HARLES  A.  WATSON.  Among  the  native- 
born  citizens  of  Calhoun  County  who  have 
become  well  known  throughout  its  bounds 
is  Charles  A.  Watson,  of  Hardin.  He  has  made  a 
fine  record  as  a  faithful  public  servant,  and  is 
popular  not  only  in  the  ranks  of  his  own  party  but 
among  his  political  opponents.  Still  quite  a  3'oung 
man,  his  official  term  has  extended  over  a  period 
of  eight  years  and  he  has  also  done  good  work  as  a 
teacher.  He  adds  to  the  book  knowledge  necessary 
to  an  instructor,  the  tact  in  governing  and  the 
skill  in  Imparting  instruction  to  the  young,  which 
are  fully  as  necessary'  as  mental  acquirements.  He 
has  gained  the  good-will  and  respect  of  his  pupils 
and  made  them  realize  the  beauty  of  knowledge 
and  discipline. 

Our  subject  is  a  grandson  of  William  Watson,  a 
Kenuickian,  who  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits and  .also  dealt  extensively  in  real  estate.  Dur- 
ing  the   early   settlement  of  Illinois  he  removed 


hither  locating  in  Greene  County,  but  later  becom- 
ing a  resident  of  Calhoun  County.  His  son  James, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  tlie  Blue 
Grass  State,  and  being  quite  a  young  man  when  his 
parents  made  their  removal  grew  to  nialuritv  in 
this  State.  While  a  single  man  ho  bought  a  tract 
of  partly  impiDved  land  in  Gilead  Precinct,  upon 
wliich  he  made  still  further  impiovements  and  to 
which  he  added  other  lands.  He  made  the  farm 
his  home  until  18.59,  then  bought  an  hotel  in  Hard- 
in carrying  it  on  until  18(54.  He  then  returned 
to  tiic  farm  but  some  years  later  sold  it  and  pur- 
chased another  home  in  the  same  precinct.  In  1869 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Hardin,  con- 
tinuing thus  occupied  until  1872,  when  he  retired. 
He  breathed  his  last  July  21,  1890,  in  the  seven- 
tieth year  of  his  age. 

James  AVatson  led  to  the  hymeneal  altar  Miss 
Mary  P.  Church,  an  estimable  woman,  who  died  on 
the  home  farm  when  our  subject  was  but  a  child. 
She  was  born  in  Calhoun  County  among  the  pio- 
neers of  which  her  father,  Thomas  Church,  is  num- 
bered. 

The  gentleman  whose  life  is  the  subject  of  these 
brief  paragraphs  was  born  April  10,  1853,  on  the 
farm  which  was  for  so  many  years  the  family  home. 
He  began  to  assist  his  father  thereon  as  soon  as  he 
was  large  enough  and  likewise  pursued  his  studies  in 
the  public  schools.  In  1869  he  began  clerking  in 
his  father's  store,  continuing  to  act  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity until  1875,  when  he  began  his  professional 
work  as  a  teacher.  He  devoted  himself  with  earn- 
estness to  his  profession  until  1882,  when  he  was 
elected  Sheriff.  His  coolness  and  determination 
gave  him  etliciency  and  his  faithfulness  during 
the  ensuing  four  years  led  to  his  continuance  in 
public  service.  In  1886  he  was  elected  County 
Clerk  for  a  term  of  four  years  and  in  1890  was 
again  elected  for  a  similar  length  of  time. 

At  the  bride's  home  April  23,  1885,  Mr.  Watson 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Claia  M.  (Treat- 
house.  This  lad}'  was  born  in  Milton,  Pike  County, 
April  13,  1865,  to  the  Hon.  Francis  M.  and  Belle 
(.Morris)  Greathouse.  She  is  a  well-informed,  at- 
tractive lady  and  has  many  friends  in  her  new 
home,  as  she  had  in  her  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson 
are  the  happy  parents  of  two  children — Leslie  A. 


332 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Arleigh  F.  Mr.  Watson  belongs  to  Calhoun 
Lodge,  Xo.  792,  V.  &  A.  M.,  having  been  the  first 
member  initiated  in  the  first  Masonic  Lodge  or- 
ganized in  the  county.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, lias  l)een  Chairman  of  the  County  Central 
Committee  three  j'ears,  and  during  the  past  three 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  and 
for  two  years  was  a  member  of  the  Town    Board. 


^|(_-^  ARRY  F.  WELLS  occupies  a  leading  posi- 
jj  tion  among  the  young  farmers  of  Pleasant 
Hill  Township,  Pike  County.  He  is  a  rep- 
l^)  resentative  of  a  family  which  located  here 
in  1837  and  his  maternal  ancestors  were  even 
earlier  settlers  in  the  county.  He  is  a  native  of  the 
township  in  which  he  now  lives  and  was  reared  on 
the  farm  of  which  he  has  sole  control  and  manage- 
ment. His  natal  day  was  June  4.  1864.  He  was 
reared  amid  the  surroundings  of  farm  life,  received 
a  good  English  education  in  the  common  schools 
and  those  of  Griggsville,  completing  his  higher 
studies  in  the  Bloomington  College  at  Blooming- 
ton.  His  sister  completed  her  studies  in  the  State 
Normal  University  in  Normal,  111. 

Since  the  death  of  his  father  Mr.  Wells  has  had 
control  of  five  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of  the 
estate  which  consists  of  twelve  hundred  acres  of 
fine  land.  He  is  carrying  on  his  work  in  accordance 
with  the  most  approved  methods  and  winning  the 
respect  of  his  fellow-men  by  his  manly  character,  as 
well  as  by  his  assiduity  in  worldly  affairs. 

Our  subject  is  a  grandson  of  Richard  Wells,  who 
removed  from  Kentucky  to  Missouri  about  1817, 
and  thence  came  to  this  State,  making  Pike  County 
his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  Perry  Wells  who  was 
born  in  Madison  County,  Ky.,  January  27,  1814, 
and  was  reared  and  educated  at  Painesvillo,  Pike 
County.  Mo.  Before  and  after  the  Black  Hawk 
War  he  was  an  extensive  trader  between  Minneapo- 
lis and  St.  Louis.  In  1837  he  came  to  this  State 
and  located  a  soldier's  claim  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Pike  County.  His  farm  was  on 
Six   Mile   Creek,  west  of  the  village    of  Pleasant 


Hill,  and  comprised  a  part  of  sections  7  and  8.  He 
improved  tlie  land,  carrying  on  farming  and  stock- 
raising  and  won  a  high  degree  of  success,  finally 
becoming  the  owner  of  the  large  acreage  before 
noted.  He  was  an  active  and  influential  member 
of  the  Methodist  Pipiscopal  Church,  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  societj'  in  Pleasant  Hill,  and  was 
honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Perry  Wells  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
having  been  Elizabeth  Kerr,  a  daughter  of  Richard 
Kerr,  a  prominent  trader  and  citizen  in  Missouri  in 
the  early  days  and  later  a  resident  of  this  State. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wells  was  born  in  Kentucky,  but 
died  in  this  State  in  1862.  She  bore  six  children 
all  of  whom  lived  to  maturity  and  married.  They 
are  Richard,  Ruth,  Molly,  George,  Elizabeth  and 
Retta.  The  second  wife  of  Perry  Wells  was  Kate 
Fesler,  who  bore  him  two  children — Harry  F.  and 
Jessie  E.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Pike  County,  111.,  her  parents,  Henry  and  Eliza 
(Clark)  Fesler,  being  natives  of  Clark  Count3'.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fesler  came  to  this  Stale  in  1833,  first 
settling  in  El  Dara,  Pike  County.  They  afterward 
removed  to  the  northwestern  part  of  Pleasant  Hill 
Township,  where  Mr.  Fesler  died  about  1847  and 
Mrs.  Fesler  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Wells. 
Besides  the  daughter  who  became  the  wife  of  Mr. 
Wells,  their  family  included  Thomas  J.,  Mary  and 
Amanda  C. 


DWIN  O.  GOLDMAN  is  an  intelligent  and 
skillful  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  who  stands 
well  among  the  men  of  his  calling  in  Pike, 
his  native  county.  His  father,  Charles  W.  Gold- 
man, is  also  a  native  of  this  county.  He  is  a  son 
of  Martellas  Goldman,  who  came  from  Indiana  to 
Illinois  in  a  very  early  day  of  the  settlement  of  this 
county  and  located  in  Flint  Township.  He  is  now 
deceased.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  educated 
in  the  old  log  schoolhouses  of  pioneer  times,  and 
was  married  in  this  county  to  Jane  Dunniway,  a 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Dunniway,  who  came  from 
South  Carolina  and  was  an  early  settler  of  this 
county. 

About  1858  Mr.  Goldman  removed  from  Griggs- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


333 


ville,  where  he  had  settled  after  marriage,  to  De- 
troit Township,  where  he  leased  a  farm  known  as 
the  Ellis  Farm.  From  there  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
.an<l  for  two  years  was  engaged  in  the  stockyards 
in  the  city.  He  then  returned  to  Detroit  village, 
where  he  remained  for  about  three  years  before 
going  back  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  again  em- 
ployed in  the  stockyards  two  years.  Coming  buck 
to  Detroit  Township  he  engaged  in  broom  making 
until  four  years  ago,  since  which  time  he  has  lived 
partly  retired.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  habits  and 
correct  principles,  and  with  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Southern  Methodist  Cliurcli,  of  which  he  has 
been  Steward.  He  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
education  and  likewise  in  politics,  giving  his  sup- 
port to  tlie  Democratic  part^'.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  at  Detroit. 
Seven  of  the  nine  children  that  have  blessed  him 
and  his  wife  are  now  living,  as  follows:  Albert  P., 
Edwin  O.,  Sytha  Ann  (Mrs.  Seniff),  Frank,  Will- 
iam. Benjamin  and  Rumsey. 

He  of  whom  this  sketch  is  written  was  the  second 
child  of  the  family  and  was  born  August  1,  1865, 
in  Flint  Township.  He  did  not  attend  school  until 
he  was  ten  years  old,  when  he  became  a  pupil  in  a 
district  school  in  Detroit  Township.  The  hard 
work  of  life  began  for  him  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years,  when  he  was  employed  at  farming  in  the 
summer  and  was  allowed  to  go  to  school  winters, 
he  living  at  that  time  with  Aaron  Loveless,  remain- 
ing with  him  five  years.  He  continued  to  work 
out  by  the  month  until  he  was  married.  That  im- 
portant step  in  his  life  took  place  in  1877,  when  he 
was  united  to  Miss  Jennie  Porter,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Eliza  Porter,  of  whom  see  sketch  on 
another  page  of  this  BiodiiArinCAL  Alhum.  Mrs. 
Goblman  was  born  in  Newburg  Township,  August 
31,  1858.  She  received  a  good  common-school 
education  and  an  excellent  training  in  housework 
and  is  particularly  noted  for  her  fine  cooking  and 
other  housewifely  accomjilishments.  Her  pleasant 
married  life  with  our  subject  has  been  productive 
to  them  of  five  children,  whom  they  have  named 
Flora  B.,  Leila  E.,  John  E.,  Sarah   E.  and  Eliza  J. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Goldman  lived  one  winter 
in  Hancock  County,  III.,  and  then  resided  on  the 
John  Porter  f^rm  until   1879,  when  he  came  to  his 


present  liomestead,  where  he  and  his  family  have 
lived  ever  since.  He  has  here  one  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  of  land,  of  which  ninety  acres  are  tilla- 
ble and  are  under  admiralile  cultivation.  He  car- 
ries on  mixed  farming,  raising  grain  and  slock, 
p.aying  particular  alienlion  to  raising  Poland- 
China  hogs.  Mr.  Goldman  is  a  man  of  industrious 
habits  who  is  always  busy  in  carrying  on  his  farm- 
ing labors  and  is  doing  very  well  from  a  financial 
standpoint.  He  is  a  young  man  of  exceptional 
integrity;  all  his  transactions  are  conducted  with 
honestj'  and  fairness  and  his  reputation  is  of  the 
highest.  He  keeps  well  posted  in  political  matters 
and  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 


T/AMES  MORTLAND.  Among  the  many 
who  are  cultivating  a  portion  of  the  soil  of 
,_^  Calhoun  County  successfully,  may  be  men- 
((^y'  tioned  James  ]\Iortland.  a  farmer  and  horti- 
culturist, near  Hardin.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Em- 
erald Isle,  born  in  County  Tyrone  in  1826,  and 
possesses  many  of  the  strongest  and  most  worthy 
characteristics  of  the  Irish  race.  His  parents,  John 
and  Mary  Mortland,  are  spoken  of  at  greater 
length  in  the  sketch  of  William  Mortland,  on  an- 
other page  in  this  Album.  Onr  subject  w.as  reared 
and  educated  in  his  native  count}-  and  resided  with 
his  parents  there  until  his  removal  to  America. 

After  reaching  the  shores  of  tlie  New  World,Mr. 
Blortland  came  West  to  Illinois  and  for  six  years 
was  employed  as  a  llat-boatman  on  the  Illinois  River. 
At  that  time  Louisville  and  St.  Louis  were  but 
small  towns  anfl  many  of  the  now  flourishing  cities 
throughout  the  Mississippi  ^'alley  were  not  even 
dreamed  of.  During  the  j^ears  which  he  spent  as 
a  boatman  Mr.  iMortland  hoarded  his  resources  and 
bought  land  where  he  now  resides.  He  settled 
down  to  farm  life  and  from  j'ear  to  year  has  added 
to  the  improvements  around  him.  gained  a  higher 
standing  among  agriculturists  and  a  firmer  finan- 
cial footing.  He  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  Illinois  bottom  land,  well  improved  in 
every  particular,  the  buildings  that  have  been 
erected  upon  it  being  above  the  avarage.     Adjoin. 


SJ 


334 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ing  this  home  farm  nrc  ninety-six  acres  on  the  bank 
of  the  river  and  Mr.  Mortland  also  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  bluff  land.  He  pays  con- 
siderable attention  to  horticulture  and  many  bar- 
rels of  fine  fruit  are  hauled  from  his  orchards  to  tlie 
market,  he  having  over  twenty  acres  in  orchaid. 

Mr.  Mortland  was  accompanied  to  the  United 
States  by  a  wife  who  had  borne  the  maiden  name  of 
Isabel  kSproule.  She  was  a  native  of  the  same 
county  as  himself  and  during  tlie  years  of  her 
wedded  life  aided  him  as  best  she  could  in  the  up- 
building of  his  fortune.  She  died  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  in  1853,  leaving  two  children — Thom.is  S. 
and  John  James,  the  second  of  whom  is  now  de- 
ceased. 

Mr.  Mortland  subsequently  married  Margaret 
Smith,  daughter  of  Henry  Smith,  and  a  native  of 
Jersey  County,  this  State.  This  estimable  woman 
died  six  years  after  her  marriage,  leaving  a  daugh- 
ter, Fanny,  who  is  the  wife  of  Asher  J.  Gutlirie, 
and  lives  in  Platte  Count}',  Neb.  The  present  wife 
of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Jane  Smith, 
is  a  native  of  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland,  and  a 
capable,  intelligent  woman.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mortland  belong  to  the  Presliyterian  Church  and 
have  high  standing  in  the  community  by  reason  of 
their  consistent  lives.  Mr.  Mortland  exercises  the 
right  of  suffrage  in  behalf  of  Republican  principles 
and  candidates. 

-■ — * — 7    ^-=^'»-^     =^v^°^^\<r  i».r^T— ;^ — ^ 


ENRY  HALL.  Among  the  citizens  of  Pike 
County  few  have  sliown  more  entei'prise 
than  the  gentleman  above  named,  whose 
(^)  pleasant  home  is  located  on  section  27, 
Derry  Township.  A  visitor  will  see  there  every- 
thing needful  and  convenient  in  the  way  of  farm 
buildings,  will  note  with  pleasure  the  prevailing 
neatness  and  order,  and  be  struck  with  admiration 
for  tlie  energy  which  has  acquired  and  the  tact 
which  carries  on  the  fine  estate. 

Mr.  Hall  is  of  Southern  ancestry,  at  least  two 
generations  of  the  family  having  been  natives  of 
Kentucky.  In  that  State  Henry  Hall,  his  grand- 
father  was  born,  removing  therefrom  to  Ohio  \x\  a 


very  early  day.  The  journey  was  made  with  pack 
horses  and  the  part}'  camped  by  the  way,  much 
care  being  exercised  in  extinguishing  the  fires 
which  the\'  had  used  for  cooking  that  the  light  and 
smoke  might  not  be  seen  bj'  the  Iiulians  who  were 
rather  too  numerous  and  hostile  for  the  comfort  or 
safety  of  travelers.  Mr.  Hall  settled  in  Butler 
County  near  where  the  town  of  Oxford  now  stands, 
and  entering  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
Government  land  devoted  himself  to  tilling  the 
soil.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  in 
politics  was  a  Democrat.  He  died  at  the  extreme 
old  age  of  ninety-four  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hall  reared  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom,  Peter  C,  was  the  father  of  our 
subject.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1795  and 
was  but  five  years  old  when  the  journey  was  made  j 
from  his  native  State  to  Ohio.  He  was  therefore 
principally  reared  in  the  Buckeye  Stale,  attending 
the  pioneer  schools  in  the  old-fashioned  log  school- 
house  of  that  period.  He  served  during  the  War 
of  1812  and  is  now  one  of  the  few  surviving  pen- 
sioners of  that  war.  His  life  has  been  spent  in 
farming  and  he  now  lives  in  Warren  County,  Ind., 
at  the  age  of  ninety-tive  years.  His  vote  is  cast 
with  the  Denu)crats.  He  married  Hannah  Shoe- 
maker, a  native  of  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  1799.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Virginia,  v.as  a  volunteer  in  the  Indian  War  under 
Gen.  Anthony  Wayne,  and  an  extensive  farmer. 
He  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Church  in  the  faith  ' 
of  which  he  died  at  a  ripe  old  age.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  lived  to  be  seventy-four  years  old.  She  ' 
bore  nine  children,  of  whom  the  following  grew  to  I 
maturity:  Harriet,  Silas.  Catherine,  Henr}'  and 
George. 

Henry  Hall,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  on  the  7th  of  January,  1836,  and  lived  in 
Ohio  until  nineteen  }ears  old  when  he  left  the  pa- 
rental roof  to  begin  life  for  himself.  He  had  at- 
tended the  log  schoolhouses,  acquiring  a  good 
practical  education  and  began  his  career  b}'  work- 
ing by  the  month,  continuing  so  to  do  three  or 
four  years,  having  come  to  Pike  Count}',  111.  He 
then  married  and  farmed  his  mother-in-law's  estate 
until  1868,  when  he  purchased  eighty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 27,  Derry   Township.     He  has  labored   ardu- 


Residence  OF  Henry  Hall,  Sec.2T.  Derry  Tp.  Pike  Co.  111. 


Residence  or  Charles  B.Dustin  ,5ec.24.  Atlas  Tp.  PikeCo.Ill. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


337 


ously,  been  a  wise  economist,  and  now  sees  the 
results  of  bis  care  and  industry  in  a  fine  estate  of 
two  liundred  acres  of  valualile  land.  It  is  under 
liigli  cultivation,  well-improved  in  every  respect, 
aiiiong  the  buildings  which  a<lorn  it  being  an  at- 
tractive and  substantial  two-stury  frame  residence, 
erected  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  82,n00  and  represented 
liv  a  view  on  another  page.  Mr.  Hall  raises  con- 
siderable stock  but  by  no  means  neglects  the  ce- 
reals for  which  this  section  of  the  Prairie  State  is 
noted. 

The  lady  to  whom  the  coziness  and  pleasant  sur- 
roundings of  the  home  are  due.  became  the  wife  of 
our  subject  August  7,  1859,  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  L.  Taylor.  Her  parents  were  early 
settlers  in  the  county,  in  which  her  eyes  opened  to 
the  light  August  21,  1841.  She  was  carefully 
reared,  developing  estimable  qualities  of  character 
and  habits  of  usefulness  in  home  and  society.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hall  have  had  nine  children,  four  only 
surviving,  these  l)earing  the  names  of  Frederick, 
Clarence,  Jenn}'  and  Mabel. 

Mr.  Hall  figures  quite  prominently  in  the  iiolit- 
ical  circles  of  the  county,  being  a  stanch  Republi- 
can and  one  who  believes  in  working  for  tlie  good 
of  the  party.  His  fitness  for  positions  of  public  re- 
sponsibility has  been  recognized  by  his  associates 
and  in  1875  he  was  placed  upon  the  ticket  as  can- 
didate for  the  office  of  Treasurer.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  Democratic  majority  in  the  county 
is  from  eight  hundred  to  one  thousand  votes,  his 
personal  popularity  was  such  that  he  came  within 
one  hundred  and  twentj'  votes  of  being  elected.  In 
1879  he  was  again  nominated  for  the  office,  losing 
the  race  by  three  hundred  and   twenty-five    votes. 


....ii,...'  ' 


IIARLES  B.  DUSTIN.  But  few  of  the  sons 
of  Pike  County  have  met  with  more  success 
^^J  in  carrying  on  farming  and  stock-raising 
than  the  subject  of  this  biographical  review.  He 
is  one  of  the  foremost  agriculturists  of  this  State 
wiiere  he  owns  many  acres  of  choice  land,  and  has 
in  Atlas  Township,  the  center   of  his  interests,   a 


large  and  highly-improved  farm  and  one  of  the 
most  charming  and  attractive  homes  to  be  found 
for  man}'  miles  around. 

Mr.  Dustin  was  born  in  Atlas  Township,  this 
county,  November  29,  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  one 
of  its  pioneer  settlers,  William  Dustin,  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire  and  a  son  of  Moody  Dustin  who 
is  also  supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  the  Gran- 
ite State.  The  latter  was  a  farmer,  and  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  lie  and  his  wife 
reared  a  family  of  nine  children. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  bred  to  the  life  of 
a  farmer  among  the  hills  of  New  Hampshire  and 
showed  early  in  life  those  sturdy,  energetic,  manly 
traits  so  characteristic  of  the  New  England  stock. 
At  the  age  of  twenty  four  years,  early  in  the  '30s 
he  left  his  old  homestead  and  made  his  way  west- 
ward mostly  b}'  water  to  this  State  and  county.  He 
was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Atlas  Townshii) 
where  he  entered  land.  The  country  around  liere 
was  then  in  a  wild  uncultivated  condition  and  in 
the  forests  and  on  the  open  prairie  deer,  turkeys 
and  other  wild  game  were  often  seen.  He  passed 
the  first  years  of  his  life  here  in  a  log  house. 

Having  but  little  money  to  start  witii  William 
Dustin  used  to  shuck  corn  after  nightfall  to  earn 
monej'  with  which  to  make  his  payments.  His  in- 
dustry and  persistence  were  well  rewarded  and  he 
became  very  prosperous,  was  one  of  the  extensive 
farmers  of  this  vicinity,  and  at  one  time  owned  up- 
wards of  two  thousand  acres  of  land.  His  life  was 
terminated  in  the  month  of  October,  1873,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-one  years,  and  thus  passed  to  his  eter- 
nal rest  an  honored  pioneer  of  the  county'  who  had 
been  an  important  factor  in  promoting  its  growth. 
Religiously,  he  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Methodist 
faith  and  belonged  to  the  church  of  that  denomi- 
nation. In  ixililics  he  was  an  unswerving  Republi- 
can and  he  bore  an  active  part  in  the  administration 
of  local  affairs,  holding  most  of  the  township  offi- 
ces and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  Levee  Commis- 
sioner. 

The  mother  of  our  sulijcct  is  still  living  on  the 
old  homestead,  and  has  atlaincd  a  venerable  .age. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Beiitley  and  she  was 
born  in  the  Stite  of  New  York.  Her  life  has  been 
guided  by   the    highest    principles   of  (.'hiisti.-inity 


338 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  she  has  long  be^n  a  membei'  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  She  lias  rcaied  three  eiiildren  to  good 
and  useful  lives,  two  daughters  and  one  son,  namely  : 
Jennie;  Nettie,  now  Mrs.  .Sayers;  and  Cliarles.  The 
latter  forms  the  sulject  of  this  sketch.  His  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  |)ioneRr  logschooliiouse  of 
the  early  days  with  its  primitive  furnishings  of 
slab  benches  and  a  board  placed  on  the  side  for  a 
writing  desk  and  the  room  heated  by  a  rude  fire- 
place. After  leaving  the  district  school  he  pursued 
a  good  course  of  study  in  a  school  at  Jacksonville 
which  he  attended  two  winters  after  he  had  grown 
to  maturity.  When  ho  attained  his  majority  he 
began  life  on  his  own  account,  and  for  five  years 
farmed  on  rented  land.  He  then  bought  seven 
hundred  acres  of  his  father  and  has  since  pursued 
farming  very  extensively.  He  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing Short-horn  cattle  raisers  of  Pike  County,  and 
has  his  farm  well-stocked  with  a  fine  herd  of  cattle 
of  that  breed.  At  one  time  he  owned  three  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  but  has  sold  some  of  it,  and  now 
has  an  estate  of  sixteen  humhed  acres.  He  has 
thirteen  hundred  acres  in  cultivation  and  pasture, 
while  eight  hundred  acres  are  bottom  land  and 
very  valuable.  His  homestead  comprises  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  choice,  finely  improved 
land,  and  here  he  has  made  a  beautiful  home.  His 
father  erected  a  handsome  frame  residence  on  the 
farm  before  liis  death  and  it  is  surrounded  by  a 
lovely,  shady  lawn.  He  has  substantial  frame  barns, 
his  cattle  barn  being  a  commodious  and  couveniently 
arranged  building,  fitted  up  with  stalls  for  seventy- 
five  head  of  cattle.  A  view  of  the  homestead  is 
shown  on  another  page. 

Mr.  Dustin  lias  been  fortunate  in  his  wedded  life, 
as  by  his  marriage  with  Miss  Emma  P.  Stebbins, 
which  was  solemnized  October  29,  1867,  he  secured 
a  true  and  devoted  wife  who  has  actively  co-oper- 
ated with  him  in  his  work,  and  by  her  judicious 
management  of  household  affairs  has  contributed 
greatly  to  his  prosperity.  She  is  a  native  of  the 
city  of  Springfield,  Mass.,  where  she  was  born 
March  10,  1 848.  She  is  tiie  mother  of  two  children, 
AVilliiim  A.  and  Homer  M.  Mrs.  Dustin  is  an  es- 
teemed member  of  the  Congregational  Church  and 
her  influence  is  felt  in  its  every  good  work. 

Mr,  Dustin  is  a  man  of  large  enterprise,  seconded 


by  rare  judgment,  great  capability  and  good  busi- 
ness habits.  With  such  traits  it  is  not  remarkable 
that  he  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  prospered  in 
life  and  has  placed  himself  among  the  moneyed  men 
of  Pike  County.  He  is  a  standi  advocate  of  the 
Republican  party,  taking  an  intelligent  interest  in 
all  political  matters.  He  has  mingled  in  the  public 
life  of  the  community  and  has  represented  Atlaa 
Township  on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors. 


AVID  WATKINS.  Perry  Township,  Pike 
County,  is  the  home  of  many  practical  farm- 
ers, but  none  evince  a  better  understanding 
of  the  work  before  thom  than  David  Wat- 
kins,  who  has  acquired  a  desirable  piece  of  propertj' 
on  sections  8,  17,  18  and  19.  It  consists  of  two  hun- 
dred and  nineteen  acres,  most  of  which  is  improved 
and  all  well  watered  by  Snyder  (J reek.  The  place 
is  well  stocked  with  high  grades  of  cattle,  swine, 
etc.,  and  has  upon  it  a  good  house  and  adequate 
outbuildings.  Mr.  Watkins  identified  himself  with 
the  agriculturists  of  Perry  Township  in  1860,  and 
has  acquired  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  reliable 
and  energetic  member  of  the  community. 

The  Watkins  family  is  believed  to  be  of  Welsh 
ancestry  and  was  probabi}'  represented  for  some 
years  in  Pennsylvania.  In  that  State,  near  West- 
chester, Peter  Watkins,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  State 
and  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemak<^r,  armed  with 
which  equipment  for  the  liattle  of  life,  he  went  to 
New  Jersey.  .Some  time  later  he  was  married  at 
Egg  Harbor,  Atlantic  County,  to  Miss  Margaret 
Risley,  who  was  born  in  that  county  in  1801.  Her 
parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edward  Risley.  were  natives 
of  the  same  State  and  made  it  their  home  during 
their  entire  lives.  The  mother  died  when  in  mid- 
dle life,  but  the  father  reached  an  advanced  age. 
They  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Church  and 
in  that  faith  reared  their  daughter.  Peter  Watkins 
and  his  wife  continued  to  make  their  home  in  the 
section  in  which  tliej'  were  married,  until  they  had 
reached  a  goodly  age  when  tliej'  were  called  from 
time  to  eternity.      Their  family  consisted  of   seven 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


339 


sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  but  three  now 
survive.  These  are,  our  subject,  tlie  foiiitli  mem- 
ber of  the  p.arental  family;  Peter,  who  raises  oysters 
at  Cape  Alay ;  and  Mrs,  Hannah  King,  whose  home 
is  in  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

David  Walliins.  the  subject  of  this  bioij;raphy, 
was  reared  in  liis  native  county,  and  after  becom- 
ing of  age  embraced  the  oceui)ation  of  a  seaman. 
He  W.1S  employed  as  a  coaster  for  six  years  wlien. 
in  18.57,  he  came  West  and  has  been  a  permanent 
resident  in  Pike  County  most  of  the  time  since.  He 
devotes  the  most  of  liis  time  to  his  person.nl  affairs, 
but  does  not  neglect  the  duties  he  owes  to  his  fel- 
lowmen,  in  whose  welfare  he  manifests  a  sufficient 
interest.  He  does  not  seek  office,  but  is  a  sound 
Republican,  giving  his  support  to  the  principles  of 
the  party  and  the  candidates  who  are  pledged  to 
support  them.  He  holds  quite  a  prominent  posi- 
tion among  tbe  citizens  and  is  regarded  with  such  a 
measure  of  respect  as  his  character  deserves. 

In  Perry  Township  in  1862  the  marriage  rites 
were  celebrated  between  our  subject  and  Mrs.  Jlary 
Hannant,  7iee  Wiird.  That  estimable  woman  was 
born  in  Norfoikshire,  England,  in  1816,  afid  there 
grew  to  womanhood.  She  married  John  Hannant 
with  whom  she  came  to  America  some  years  later, 
their  settlement  being  made  in  the  township  before 
mentioned.  Here  Mr.  Hannant  died  in  March, 
1861,  when  somewhat  past  middle  life,  leaving  five 
children.  Tliey  are  all  living,  now  married  and 
settled  in  homes  of  their  own.  Their  given  names 
are,  Mares'MO,  John,  Rebecca,  Fred  and  William. 
Some  time  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Hannant  the  widow 
became  the  wife  of  our  subject,  witli  whom  she 
lived  happily  until  removed  by  death,  in  December, 
1883.     She  was  a  memberof  the  Episcopal  Cluircii. 


HARLES  SCHLIEPER,  Sk.  The  German 
element  that  has  contributed  so  mucli  to  the 
upbuilding  of  Calhoun  County-,  is  well  rep- 
resented by  this  gentleman,  who  was  an  early- 
settler  of  Hamburg  Precinct,  where  he  owns  a  fine 
and  well  improved  farm  on  section  23,  and  is  one 
of  the  substantial,  highly  respected  citizens  of  this 


community.  He  is  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany, 
his  birth  occurring  lliere  June  20,  1818.  His  par- 
ents, Henr^-  and  JMinnie  Suhlieper,  were  also  of 
German  birth  and  antecedents.  He  was  reared  in 
the  land  of  his  birth  to  a  stalwart,  active  manhood 
and  was  tliere  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He 
received  a  fair  education  in  the  (ierman  schools. 
He  was  married  in  (iermany,  August  13,  1842, 
Lena  Witlihoun  becoming  his  wife.  Of  the  twelve 
children  born  of  that  niarri.age  the  following  five 
are  living:  Henry  in  Pike  County;  Charles  and 
William  in  Calhoun  County  ;  and  Lena  and  Edward 
at  home. 

In  the  fall  of  1852  our  subject  emigrated  with 
his  family  to  America,  taking  passage  at  Bremen, 
on  a  sailing  vessel,  September  13,  and  arriving  at 
New  Orleans,  November  2.').  The  family  then  took 
passage  in  a  boat  for  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  they 
spent  the  winter  and  the  following  spring  came  to 
Calhoun  County.  Mr.  Schlieper  first  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Point  Precinctand  lived  on  it  three 
years,  clearing  some  of  it,  and  chopping  cordwood. 
He  finally  moved  to  his  present  farm  and  has  lived 
here  ever  since.  His  farm  comprises  ivue  hundred 
and  sixt}^  acres  of  land  of  exceeding  fertility  which 
was  in  a  wild  state  just  as  it  had  lieen  left  by  the 
Indians  when  it  came  into  his  ijossession,  and  like 
most  pioneers  he  had  to  endure  mau}^  hardships 
and  privations  ere  he  brought  it  to  its  present  fine 
candition.  He  has  proved  to  be  a  good  citizen  of 
his  adopted  country  and  the  prosperity  Hamburg 
Precinct  enjoys  is  partly  due  to  his  labors  as  an 
intelligent,  skillful  farmer.  He  is  a  stanch  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Churcli  and  is  one  of  our  best 
Republicans. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1859,  our  subject 
was  dee[)ly  bereaved  by  the  ileath  of  the  wife  of  his 
early  manhood,  who  had  accompanied  him  to  this 
country  and  had  faithfully  aided  him  in  the 
upbuilding  of  their  new  home.  Mr.  Schlieper  was 
subsequently  married  to  Mrs.  Caroline  Becker, 
who  was  devoted  to  his  interests  and  faithfully 
co-operated  with  him  in  his  work.  By  her  death 
in  1881,  he  lost  a  helpmate  who  was  good  and  true 
and  a  loving  wife. 

William  .'^clllleper.  a  son  of  our  subject,  is  a 
native   of  Callioun  County,  his  birth  taking  place 


340 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


here,  July  15.1  860,  and  he  is  now  one  of  its  prom- 
ising young  fanners.  He  lives  on  tiie  home  farm 
belonging  to  his  father  anrl  is  tlie  owner  of  sixty-one 
and  one-lialf  acres  of  choice  land,  which  he  culti- 
vates very  successfully.  He  received  his  education 
in  the  public  schools,  and  is  an  intelligent,  well- 
informed  young  man. 

Mr,  Schlieper  has  estal)lished  acozj' home  with 
the  aid  of  his  good  wife,  to  whom  he  was  united 
in  marriage  February  3,  1889.  Mrs.  Schlieper's 
maiden  name  was  Clara  Schonstein.  and  she  is  a 
native  of  Berlin,  Germany.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Ludwig  and  Louisa  Schonstein,  who  are  resi- 
dents of  Belleview  Precinct.  She  was  two  years 
old  when  she  came  with  her  parents  to  America, 
and  for  nearly  two  years  resided  with  them  in 
C^uincy.  The  family  then  came  to  Belleview 
Precinct,  where  they  have  since  lived.  Mr. 
Schlieper  is  a  Republican  in  politics  anfl  is  a 
credit  in  every  way  to  the  citizenship  of  his 
native  county. 

EDWARD   YATES,    who    is    practicing    law 
very  successfully  at  PittsQeld,  stands  among 
I  the  foremost  members  of   his  profession   in 

this  part  of  Hlinois.  He  is  a  representative  native- 
born  citizen,  Griggsville  Township,  Pike  County, 
the  place  of  his  birth,  and  September  21,  1846,  the 
date  thereof.  He  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
tills  State,  George  Yates,  who  was  a  native  of  Bar- 
ren County,  K}'.,  born  in  the  year  1807.  He  was  a 
son  of  Samuel  Yates,  a  native  of  Virginia,  of  En- 
glish extraction.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Maria  (Hinman)  Yates,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  a  daughter  of  Col.  George  Hinman,  a  resident 
of  that  State. 

George  Yates  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  Pike 
County,  coming  to  Illinois  in  1823,  and  locating  in 
Griggsville  Township  in  1833.  When  the  Black 
Hawk  War  broke  out,  he  was  one  of  the  volunteers 
who  hastened  to  the  front  to  fight  the  Indians.  He 
improved  a  fine  farm  in  Griggsville,  and  there  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  days  engaged  in  raising  cattle 
and  hogs.     When  he  died  August  13,  1878,  a  ven- 


erated pioneer  was  removed  from  our  midst,  one 
who  had  aided  in  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  county,  of  which  he  was  a  resident  for  nearly 
half  a  centur}-,  living  to  see  busy  towns  and  beau- 
tiful farms  where  he  first  saw  a  wilderness. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  departed  this  life  in 
1867,  leaving  seven  children,  three  sous  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living:  Catherine,  wife 
of  Jerome  W.  Rush,  of  Fairmount;  William  IL,  a 
resident  of  CTriggsville;  Monroe,  also  a  resident  of 
the  same  place;  Emma,  wife  of  J.  W.  Fisher,  of 
Paris,  Ky.;  Eila  M.,  wife  of  Jefferson  Orr.  of  Pitts- 
fleld;  .Mattie  F.,  wife  of  Levi  McMahon,  of  Griggs- 
ville. 

Mr.  Yates,  our  subject,  was  the  fifth  child  of  the 
family.  His  early  school  days  were  passed  at 
Griggsville,  and  he  suljsequentl\'  entered  McKen- 
dree  College  at  Lebanon,  111.,  and  after  pursuing  a 
course  of  study  there  he  became  a  student  at  Jack- 
sonville College,  afterward  entered  the  English  and 
German  College  at  viuincy.  111.,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  with  a  high  rank  for  scholar- 
ship. He  entered  upon  the  study  of  law  with 
Messrs.' Warren  cfe  Wheat,  at  (iuiucy,and  completed 
his  course  of  reading  with  Col.  Jack  Grimshaw, 
also  of  (^uinc}'.  He  was  thus  finely  prepared  to  en- 
ter upon  the  work  of  his  chosen  calling,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1869.  He  immediately  opened 
an  office  in  Quincy,  but  afterward  went  to  Trenton, 
Mo.,  and  was  in  active  practice  there  until  1874, 
when  he  returned  to  Pittsfield.  Here  he  entered 
into  partnership  with  Jefferson  Orr,  and  was  with 
him  for  some  time.  He  subsequently  spent  five 
years  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  in  the  employ  of  the  Government  as  Deputy  In- 
spector of  Survej'S,  and  also  investigated  fraudulent 
claims  and  entries  upon  the  public  domain.  After 
his  return  to  Pittsfield  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
law,  and  has  now  a  large  clientage,  and  transacts 
an  extensive  legal  business. 

Mr.  Yates  was  married  January  1,  1890,  to  Miss 
Mary  H.  Sharpe,  of  Griggsville,  daughter  of  A.  P. 
Sharpe,  who  came  to  this  county  from  Connecticut 
and  was  one  of  its  early  settlers.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Yates  have  est.ablished  a  charming  home,  which  the 
gracious  cordiality  of  the  hostess  and  the  genial 
courtesy  of  their  host  renders   very  attractive   to 


II 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


341 


their  large  circle  of  frieiKls.  Besides  being  an  able 
lawyer,  Mr.  Yates  is  a  man  of  much  literary  talent 
and  is  a  contributor  to  several  important  Journals. 
His  articles  are  always  read  with  interest,  as  he  is  a 
clear  and  logical  writer  and  jiosscsses  a  pleasing, 
graceful  stj-le. 


\l(_,  ENRY  L.  ANDERSON,  of  the  firm  of 
Anderson  ife  JNIarsli,  general  merchants  at 
Summer  Hill,  is  one  of  the  leading  business 
men  of  this  part  of  Pike  County  and  is  also 
a  large  landowner  and  stock-raiser.  He  was  born 
in  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  September  4,  1841. 
His  father,  whose  given  name  was  also  Henry,  was 
likewise  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  was  born  in 
1818,  a  sou  of  Timoth}-  Anderson  who  was  of  Eng- 
lish parentage  and  was  born  in  Connecticut.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  during  the  Revolutionary  War  was 
a  soldier.  He  lived  to  be  seventy-seven  years  of 
age  and  died  in  his  native  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  and  educa- 
ted in  the  State  of  his  birth  and  farmed  there  quite 
extensively  for  that  time.  While  j'et  in  early  man- 
hood and  when  it  would  seem  that  he  had  many 
more  years  of  usefulness  before  him,  his  life  was 
terminated  at  the  age  of  thirty-one  years.  He  had 
married  Delcena  Elmore,  who  was  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, where  she  was  born  in  1811).  She  is  still 
living  in  that  State  east  of  Hartford,  with  a  daugh- 
ter. She  reared  two  children,  Emma  and  Henry 
L.,  our  subject.  She  is  a  devoted  Ciiristian  and 
a  member  of  tlie  Congregational  Church.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  where  he  car- 
ried on  farming  and  he  died  there  at  upwards  of 
eighty  years  of  age. 

He  of  whom  we  write  spent  his  early  days  on  a 
farm.  He  attended  the  district  school  until  he  was 
thirteen  years  of  age  and  then  entered  an  academy 
at  Hartford,  where  he  pursued  a  fine  course  of  study 
for  two  years.  He  worked  in  Hartford  two  years 
in  a  wholesale  grocery  house,  and  then  came  to 
Pike  County  in  the  spring  of  1858,  this  newly  set- 
tled region  offering  fine  advantages  for  young  men 
of  ambition,  energy  and  talent.    He  first  located  at 


Summer  Hill  and  engaged  as  a  farm  laborer,  work- 
ing for  his  uncle  with  whom  he  staid  five  years. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  the  [jatriotic  veterans  of 
the  late  war,  in  which  he  fought  during  the  open- 
ing 3'ears  of  his  manhood,  and  did  brave  service 
for  his  country.  He  enlisted  August  22,  1862. 
when  scarcely  twenty-one  years  of  age,  in  compaii}- 
A,  Ninetj'-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  in  the 
army  three  years.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Magnolia  Hills,  was  present  at  the  siege  and  capture 
of  ^'icksburg,  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Ft. 
Esperanza,  Mobile  and  Spanish  Fort  and  Blakesley, 
was  in  man\-  other  skirmishes  and  contests  with  the 
enemy,  and  wherever  he  was  he  ilisplayed  fine  sol- 
dier y  qualities  that  marked  him  as  a  courageous, 
high-spirited,  loyal  and  obedient  soldier. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  mustered  out  of  the  army  in 
the  latter  part  of  August,  18(55,  and  returned  to 
Hartford,  Conn.  He  was  ambitious  to  improve 
his  education  and  he  then  became  a  student  of  Bry- 
ant &  Stratton's  Business  College  at  that  city,  where 
he  pursued  a  thorough  mercantile  course  and  was 
graduated  after  eight  months  of  hard  stud}-.  Upon 
leaving  college  he  turned  his  thoughts  and  his  foot- 
steps westward,  and  coming  here,  gave  his  attention 
to  farming  two  years.  He  then  entered  the  busi- 
ness world  by  accepting  a  position  as  clerk  for 
Carlisle  Burbage.  He  was  with  him  one  j-ear  in 
that  capacitj'  and  then  bought  an  interest  in  the 
firm.  He  was  in  partnership  with  his  old  employer 
six  years  and  then  for  a  like  period  was  with  Fos- 
ter Carrill,  who  bought  the  original  firm  out.  Mr. 
Anderson  then  bought  out  Carrill  and  ran  the 
business  six  years  himself.  He  Hnall3'  took  a  part- 
ner in  the  person  of  Charles  O.  Marsh,  in  1887. 
They  are  conducting  a  fine  business  with  marked 
financial  success,  as  they  have  here  a  neatly  fitted 
up,  well-ordered  store,  stocked  with  the  best  of 
goods.  Mr.  Anderson  built  his  present  commodi- 
ous and  handsome  residence  in  187G  and  erected  a 
large  barn  in  18110.  As  before  mentioned,  besides 
carrying  on  an  extensive  general  merchandise  trade, 
he  has  other  interests  to  look  after,  having  a  valu- 
able farm  on  which  he  raises  a  good  deal  of  stock. 
May  5,  1870,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage  of  our 
subject  with  Miss  Eliza  1).  Stebbiiis,  who  h.as  been 
to  him  all  that  a  true   helpmate  can   be,  tilling  in  a 


M2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


perfect  measure  the  position  of  wife,  companion  and 
friend.  Mrs.  Anderson  was  born  July  15,  1851, 
and  is  the  motlier  of  nine  cliildren,  of  whom  seven 
are  livintc, — Warren,  Ray,  Nora,  Gu3',  Leslie,  Clair 
and  Alma.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  among  the 
most  prominent  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  as  intelligent,  cultured,  hospitable 
people,  stand  high  in  social  circles.  Mr.  Anderson 
is  a  true  Republican  and  uses  his  influence  to  sup-  ^ 
port  the  policy  of  his  party.  He  has  been  promi- 
nent in  the  |)ublic  life  of  his  township  and  county, 
having  served  five  terms  as  a  member  of  the  count}' 
Board  of  Supervisoi's,  representing  Atlas  Township. 

"'"I'S^l'S'l"^ — 


\f  /  USTUS  GklFFETH.  The  many  friends  of 
the  gentleman  above  named  will  be  pleased 
to  see  a  sketch  of  his  life's  labors  in 
this  Albdm,  and  those  who  do  not  enjoy  the 
pleasure  of  his  acquaintance  will  find  ranch  of  in- 
terest in  his  history,  although  space  forbids  us 
to  enter  into  detail  regarding  it.  It  is  doubtful 
if  another  resident  in  Pike  County  has  traveled 
more  extensively,  visited  a  greater  number  of  the 
States  of  the  Union  or  labored  more  assiduously 
than  he.  Beginning  his  career  in  life  at  a  very 
early  age,  he  turned  his  hand  to  various  occupa- 
tions, manifesting  a  willingness  to  undertake  any 
labor,  however  hard,  providing  only  that  it  was 
honest  and  useful. 

Mr.  Griffeth  is  of  Irish  ancestrj'  in  both  lines, 
although  his  parents,  Samuel  C.  and  Esther  (Wil- 
son) Griffeth,  were  born  in  New  Jersey.  His  ma- 
ternal grandfather  Reuben  Wilson,  a  Hibernian, 
fought  in  the  Colonial  Army  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, afterward  removing  to  Clermont  County, 
Ohio,  still  later  to  Indiana,  and  at  last  to  I>ima, 
HI.,  where  he  died.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  born  April  28,  1799,  and  became  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Griffeth  in  the  Buckeye  .State,  her  first 
home  after  marriage  being  on  a  farm  in  Clermont 
County  near  Batavia.  About  1838  they  re- 
moved to  Pike  County,  111.,  settling  on  section  II, 
Salem  Township,  on  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  land. 
There  were  but  few  neighbors  and  these  lived  some 


distance  awu}-,  and  wild  animals,  such  as  deer, 
wolves,  wildcats  and  turkeys,  were  frequently  met 
with.  As  the  father's  circumstances  were  verj'  lim- 
ited he  was  obliged  to  work  hard  to  support  his 
family  and  develop  his  farm,  on  which  very 
slight  improvement  had  been  previously  made.  He 
passed  away  in  1842,  leaving  several  children  to 
the  care  of  their  devoted  mother. 

Mrs.  GriffeUi  ojaintained  her  family  by  spinning 
and  weaving  Rnd  other  work  which  her  hands 
found  to  do,  a  portion  of  the  time  even  carding 
her  own  wool.  She  lived  upon  a  rented  farm, 
which  she  was  finally  able  to  purchase.  She  kept 
her  own  cows  and  walked  one  and  one-half  miles 
to  New  .Salem  to  market  her  eggs,  butter,  etc.  She 
was  a  woman  of  remarkable  strength,  both  of 
mind  and  body,  and  did  her  own  work  and  trans- 
acted her  own  business  until  the  summer  before 
her  demise,  which  occurred  forty-five  years  after 
her  husband's  decease,  on  February  25,  1887, 
when  she  had  reached  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
eight  years.  Mrs.  Griffeth  was  very  highly  thought 
of  by  the  people,  many  of  whom  she  had  assisted 
in  times  of  illness  or  bereavement,  as  she  was  al- 
ways read}'  to  sacrifice  her  own  comfort  to  assist 
those  in  need  of  friendly  offices.  She  belonged  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  no  member 
of  the  society  is  more  lovingly  remembered  than 
"Grandma  Griffeth"  as  she  was  generally  called. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  of  the  surviving  chil- 
dren in  a  family  that  once  numbered  eleven 
brothers  and  sisters.  The  others  who  now  survive 
are:  Samuel  J.,  Mrs.  Caroline  Hughes,  John  D.,  j 
L3-dia  A.  and  James  W.  The  fraternal  band  en- 
joyed but  limited  school  privileges,  but  their  | 
motlier  did  the  best  she  could  toward  giving  them 
educations,  and  made  up  as  far  as  ],ossil)le  by 
home  instruction  for  what  the>-  lacked  in  school  at- 
tendance. 

Our  subject  was  born  March  25,  1825,  in  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  and  was  thirteen  years  of  age 
when  the  family  came  to  Pike  C'ountj-.  His  school 
days  would  not  foot  up  to  more  than  a  ^'car,  and 
imnediately  after  the  removal  was  made  he  was  put  j 
to  work.  He  was  tending  Philli[)'s  P>rry  when  the 
Mormons  emigrated  to  Missouri,  and  he  heli)ed 
to   take  Hiram  Smith   and    his    family  across  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


343 


river.  He  heard  the  men  talking  of  their  fu- 
ture intentions,  and  pointing  to  the  boys,  saj'  they 
intended  to  take  all  such  urchins  and  knock  their 
brains  out  against  the  trees.  The  river  was  very 
high  at  the  time  and  passage  was  made  in  a  flat- 
boat,  manned  by  oars  in  the  hands  of  our  subject 
and  an  older  brother.  The  lads  determined  that 
all  the  Mormons  should  not  reach  the  Far  West 
and  laid  their  plans  to  sink  a  boatload  of  them. 
They  overloaded  their  boat  and  pulled  out  to  cross 
•as  a  stuamcr  was  coming,  but  one  of  the  fattest 
horses  on  board  fell  into  liie  river  and  lightened 
the  boat  sufficiently  to  jsrevcnt  the  catastrophe  for 
which  the  boys  had  planned.  Tlie  lads  w^ere  very 
much  disappointed  and  cared  much  more  for  their 
ill  success  than  for  the  reprimand  they  received  for 
their  supposed  carelessness.  The  wife  of  Hiram 
Smith  was  one  of  their  passengers  and  during  the 
crossing  of  the  swollen  stream  she  sang,  prayed 
and  cursed  the  boys  in  turn. 

Young  Griffeth  worked  out  by  the  day  or 
month,  breaking  prairie  with  an  ox-team  of  seven 
yoke,  and  a  thirty- inch  plow,  and  tlireshing  with 
a  "chaff-pilcr"  machine.  He  also  helped  to  clear 
the  home  farm,  grubbing,  making  rails  and  chop- 
ping cord  wood,  and  worked  .as  a  wood  chopper  on 
the  Illinois  Hiver  one  winter  at  forty  cents  per 
cord.  When  laboring  by  the  month  he  w.as  never 
paid  higher  than  $10.  and  generally  received  but 
$7  per  month  and  was  obliged  to  do  liis  own  wash- 
ing. In  whatever  employment  he  was  engaged 
his  wages  went  to  his  mother,  with  whom  he  made 
bis  home  until  his  marriage,  when  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  old. 

November  i,  1848,  Mr.  Griffeth  took  for  his 
wife  Elizabeth  Conkright,  with  whom  he  lived  hap- 
pily until  .lanuary  27,  1850,  when  she  laid  aside 
the  cares  of  life  to  enter  into  rest.  She  was  born 
in  Kentucky  .January  12,  1826,  and  her  i)arents, 
William  and  Martha  (Bell)  Conkright.  were  also 
natives  of  the  Blue  Grass  Slate.  The  Conkrights 
were  ver^-  early  settlers  in  Pike  County  and  came 
to  Salem  Township  in  1835,  settling  on  section  34, 
■where  the  father  and  motlier  died  many  years 
ago.  Of  the  original  family — the  parents  and  four 
children — not  one  is  now  alive.  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Griffeth   bore  her  husband  Ave  children,  but  two 


of  whom  are  now  living.  These  are  Riley  P. 
and  John  F.  The  former  married  Carrie  Shrigley 
and  lives  in  the  same  township  as  his  father,  iiav- 
ing  a  family  of  four  children;  the  latter  married 
Matilda  Bridgeman  and  they  have  also  four  chil- 
dren;   their  home  is  in  Griggsville  Township. 

After  his  marriage  Justus  Griffeth  settled  on  a 
tract  of  raw  land  on  section  28,  Salem  Township, 
his  dwelling  being  a  log  cabin  which  contained  the 
usual  primitive  furnishings.  He  improved  his 
land,  then  sold  it  and  bought  a  tract  in  Martins- 
burg  Township  near  New  Hartford,  and  subse- 
quently disposed  of  that.  In  1858  he  puichased 
on  section  25,  Salem  Township,  and  made  a  perma- 
nent location.  He  has  added  all  the  improvements 
in  the  way  of  farm  buildings  which  now  stand  upon 
the  estate  and  has  a  home  of  which  any  man  might 
well  be  proud.  He  owns  two  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  fine  land  and  has  a  fourth  interest  in  two 
hundred  and  forty  more.  He  hiis  now  retired  from 
active  work,  enjo^'ing  the  pleasures  of  a  happy 
home,  and  blest  with  an  adequate  store  of  this 
world's  goods  to  enable  him  to  pursue  any  recrea- 
tion to  which  his  tastes  lead  him.  For  eight  3-cars 
he  was  engaged  in  shipping  grain  and  stock  from 
Maysville,  PiltsHeld,  (iriggsville,  New  Salem  and 
Baylis. 

Mr.  Griffeth  led  Miss  Margaret  J.  Kennedy  to 
the  hymeneal  ,altar  March  16,  1860.  That  lady 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  the  mother 
of  one  child,  now  deceased.  She  breathed  her 
l.ast  M.ay  13,  1886,  and  a  year  later,  May  10, 
1887,  Mr.  Griffeth  was  again  married,  his  bride 
being  Mrs.  Mar}'  A.  Kinman,  nee  Cannon. 

The  present  Mrs.  fTriffeth  is  the  daughter  of 
Ephraim  and  Dorothy  (Hunter)  Cannon,  natives 
of  Kentucky  and  Arkansas  respectively,  'fhe  par- 
ents of  both  removed  to  Lincoln  County,  Mo., 
and  there  the  couple  became  man  and  wife.  In 
1832  while  wild  animals  were  still  numerous  in 
Pike  County,  the}'  came  here,  moving  into  a  log 
cabin  where  Pittsfield  now  stands.  Mr.  Cannon 
helped  to  Lay  out  the  county  seat,  served  as  Sheriff 
two  terms  and  was  very  prominent  in  political 
circles  and  numbered  among  the  large  land- 
owners of  the  county.  He  ditd  in  1865  but  his 
I    wife  survived  him  until  1878.    They  were  the  par- 


344 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ents  of  eleven  eliiklren,  the  survivors  being  Mrs. 
Margaret  Troiitner,  Mrs.  Watson,  James  A..  Mrs. 
Griffelb,  Mrs.  .Jane  Goodin,  Henr^-  S.  and  Lewis 
L.  Nearly-  all  the  children  belong  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  of  which  their  mother  was  a  member, 
and  in  the  tenets  of  which   she  instructed  them. 

Mrs.  Griffeth  was  born  December  30,  1836,  in 
Pittsfleld  Township,  and  was  the  recipient  of  a 
tine  education.  She  is  not  only  well  read,  but 
possesses  a  Christian  cliaracter  and  the  useful  at- 
tainraents  which  abundantly  qualifj'  her  for  ber 
position  at  the  head  of  a  liousehold.  When  sev- 
enteen years  of  age  she  was  united  in  marriage 
with  T.  .7.  Kinman,  a  brave  and  loyal  citizen  who 
entered  the  army  as  a  member  of  Company  K, 
Ninet3'-ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  rose  to  the 
rank  of  Second  Lieutenant  and,  like  many  gallant 
comrades,  laid  down  his  life  on  the  altar  of  his 
country,  being  killed  in  the  charge  upon  Yicks- 
burg.  May  22,  1863.  His  wife  bore  him  four  chil- 
dren— Martin  L.,  Lizzie  C,  AUie  and  Susie.  The 
son  is  now  married,  has  one  child  and  lives  in  Mis- 
souri; the  oldest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  Ellet 
Goddard  and  the  mother  of  one  child,  her  home 
being  in  Arkansas;  Susie  is  living  in  Indianapolis, 
being  the  wife  of  A.  D.  Higgins,  and  the}'  have 
one  child. 

Mr.  Griffeth  has  served  as  School  Director  twelve 
years  and  Assessor  one  j'ear,  and  in  the  latter  of- 
fice proved  most  efficient.  He  Las  alwa3's  taken 
an  earnest  interest  in  politics  and  has  been  active 
in  county  affairs  since  1846,  nearly  always  being 
sent  as  a  delegate  to  conventions  or  acting  as  a 
member  of  the  Central  Committee.  During  the 
border  troubles  before  the  admission  of  Kansas, 
he  traveled  through  Missouri  in  a  wagon,  and  al- 
though he  talked  abolition  he  never  suffered  harm. 
He  now  votes  the  Republican  ticket,  but  years  ago 
was  a  Whig.  Mrs.  Griffeth  belongs  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church  and  her  husband  aids  her  in  support- 
ing the  good  work  which  is  promulgated  by  the 
society.  Square  dealing,  good  fellowship  and  manly 
worth  characterize  Mr.  Griffeth  in  all  his  sentiments 
and  actions  and  make  him  one  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous figures  in  the  neighborhood. 

Mr.  Griffeth  has  alwa^-s  had  an  ardent  love  for 
hunting  and    has    made    excursions    to   Arkansas, 


Missouri,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Wis- 
consin and  Minnesota,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  sport, 
on  fifteen  different  occasions  having  left  this  State 
for  that  jjurpose.  He  is  a  capital  off-hand  shot, 
and  enjoys  recounting  his  experiences  in  field  and 
forest,  thus  living  over  the  pleasant  hours  s|)ent 
in  his  favorite  recreation.  On  New  Year's  Day, 
1870,  he  and  the  late  Thomas  Grej-  killed  a  black 
bear,  which  weighed  over  five  hundred  pounds,  in 
the  swamps  of  Mississippi.  The}'  caught  the  ani- 
mal in  a  steel  trap  that  weighed  forty  pounds  but 
Bruin  broke  loose,  and  after  following  him  three 
hours  they  shot  him  dead,  eight  bullets  piercing 
his  body  before  a  vital  spot  was  reached.  They 
brought  the  animal  home  and  exhibited  it  on  the 
public  square  at  PittsfiehL 

Mr.  Griffeth  has  been  quite  a  traveler,  having 
voyaged  over  ten  thousand  miles  on  the  ocean, 
twice  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  visited  two 
cities  in  Old  Mexico  and  more  than  half  of  the 
Stales  in  the  Union.  In  1856  he  made  a  trip  to 
California  by  the  water  route,  spent  some  months 
in  prospecting,  but  returned  home  before  the  year 
had  expired. 


'>^^:^^^i^^^^^<-^ 


^ .,  LBERT  SEVIER  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
iOJLJ!  and  progressive  young  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  Calhoun  County  who  are  materi- 
ally contributing  to  its  prosperity.  He  is  very 
successfully  conducting  bis  farming  interests  in 
Hamburg  Precinct  where  he  bas  a  good  farm.  He 
is  a  native  of  Pike  County,  this  State,  where  his 
birth  occurred  March  15,  1855.  and  is  a  son  of  John 
A.  and  Amelia  A.  Sevier.  His  father  is  dead  and  his 
mother  is  now  living  in  Missouri.  When  he  was 
nine  years  old  he  came  with  his  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family  to  Calhoun  County,  111. 
The  family  settled  in  Belleview  Precinct  and  lived 
there  a  number  of  years  until  the  mother  returned 
to  Missouri,  some  years  ago.  Mr.  Sevier  was  bred 
to  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  having  a  natural  liking 
for  that  calling,  adopted  it  as  his  own  when  he  ar- 
rived at  years  of  discretion.  He  was  quite  well 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  this  county,  ami 
started  out  on    his  career  well   equipped    mentally 


Mm 


SAMUEL  CLARK. 


i 


n"-^  SAMUEL  CLARK 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


349 


and  physically  for  the  work  before  him.  He  owns 
one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  acres  of  land  in  Ilain- 
buio;  Precinct  and  already  has  it  under  very  good 
tillage  and  supplied  with  necessary  im|)rovenients. 
He  stands  well  among  his  fellow  farmers  in  this 
commuiiity.and  by  his  straight-forward  manner  and 
even  dealings  has  tiie  confidence  of  all  with  whom 
he  comes  in  contact,  his  word  being  considered  as 
good  as  a  bond. 

December  2,  1875,  Mr.  Sevier  contracted  a  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  E.  Freesmeyer,  a  daughter  of 
Rotger  Freesmeyer,  of  whom  a  sketch  ap|)ears  in 
this  Album.  Mrs.  .Sevier  w.as  born  in  this  county 
May  18.  1856.  In  their  wedded  life  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sevier  have  been  blessed  l\v  the  birth  of  seven  chil- 
dren of  whom  the  following  is  the  record:  Kotger 
was  born  November  21,  187G;  Mar\'  E.,  March  22, 
1878;  Charles  A.,  March  3.  1880;  Josephine,  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1882;  Anton,  November  23.1883;  Charles, 
January  27,  1886  and  Sarah  H.,  April  11,  1888. 


r:^  AMUEL  CLARK.  A  striking  illustration 
of  the  force  of  industrj-  in  a  man,  of  the 
benefit  of  small  means  carefully  saved,  and 
of  the  power  which  an  upright  life  exerts 
upon  the  character  and  conduct  of  others,  is  fur- 
nished b_y  the  gentleman  of  whom  this  biographical 
review  is  written,  and  whose  i)ortrait,  together  with 
that  of  his  good  wife  will  be  noticed  on  the  oppo- 
site page.  Jlr.  Clark  rose  from  an  humble  position 
to  one  of  influence,  simply  by  the  constant  exercise 
of  frugality,  industrj-  and  persistence,  and  can  now 
look  back  upon  a  career  of  honor  and  a  life  whose 
standard  of  dutj'  has  been  the  faithful  discharge  of 
even  the  smallest  duties  in  a  truthful,  honest  spirit. 
Mr.  Clark  is  one  of  the  large  landowners  of  Pike 
County,  his  possessions  amounting  to  nine  hundred 
and  fortj'  acres  in  Kinderhook  Township,  all  but 
forty  acres  of  which  has  been  acquired  by  his  own 
hard  labor  and  strict  attention  to  his  financial  affairs. 
The  entire  estate  is  fenced  and  the  greater  part  is 
under  cultivation.  There  are  four  dwelling  houses 
on  the  land,  the  one  occupied  by  the  jjroprietor 
being   a    two-story    structure    16x44    feet    on  the 


ground,    with  an  "L"   16x16  feet  and  a  kitchen 

16x16  feet  and  but  one  story  in  height.  Three 
well-built  barns  afford  shelter  for  In.rses  and  fod- 
der, while  granaries,  stock-sheds  and  all  other 
necessary  and  convenient  buildings  are  properly 
disposed  upon  the  land.  Mr.  Clark  generally  has 
about  seventy  head  of  cattle,  fifty  of  hogs  and 
twelve  of  horses,  but  devotes  himself  largely  to  the 
cultivation  of  the  cereals  which  are  so  productive 
in  this  section. 

In  the  State  of  New  Jersey  Samuel  Clark.  Sr., 
father  of  our  subject,  opened  his  ejes  to  the  light 
of  daj-.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  A'irginia,  where 
he  married  Elizabeth  Shinn,  a  native  of  West  Vir- 
ginia. In  182'J  they  came  with  tlieir  family  to  this 
Stale  and  made  a  settlement  in  Pike  Countj'  on 
se(;tion  3,  Kinderhook  Townslu'i).  There  Mr.  Clark 
built  a  log  house  which  was  afterward  replaced  by 
a  more  modern  structure,  and  set  himself  to  con- 
tinue the  improvements  which  were  very  slight 
when  he  arrived.  He  continued  to  reside  there 
until  called  hence  September  26,  1862.  His  good 
wife  |)assed  away  in  1875.  Their  family  consisted 
of  eight  children,  the  record  of  the  brothers  and 
sisters  of  our  subject  being  as  follows:  Amos  died 
in  Virginia  when  two  years  old ;  Phebe  breathed 
her  last  in  Missouri:  Obediah  <lied  in  1848;  Levi 
passed  away  in  1830;  Hester  Ann  lived  until  1880, 
when  she  joined  the  silent  majority;  Asa  is  now 
living  in  JIarion  Count}',  Mo.;  Elizabeth  died  in 
1833. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  September  23, 
1826,  and  his  birthplace  Harrison  County,  "\V.  Va. 
He  was  the  youngest  child  in  the  parental  family 
and  was  three  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  this 
State  with  his  parents.  He  attended  school  in  the 
Greencastle  schoolhouse.  a  log  building  which  was 
furnished  with  puncheon  seats,  desks  and  floor.  He 
remained  an  inmate  of  his  parents'  household  until 
his  marriage,  when  he  and  his  wife  became  the 
homekeepers  and  his  [larents  lived  with  them  until 
called  from  time  to  eternity.  The  first  land  owned 
by  our  subject  consisted  of  forty  acres  given  hini 
bj-  his  father,  and  by  dint  of  diligence  and  assidu- 
itj-  he  has  gained  his  present  high  standing  among 
the  landowners  and  .agriculturists  of  this  part  of  a 
great  commonwealth. 


350 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


In  1851  Mr.  Clark  was  united  in  niariiage  with 
Emma,  daiiwliter  of  Isaiali  and  Nancj'  (Robey) 
Sliinn.  This  amiable  and  efficient  young  lady  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  spent  her  early  life  in  her 
native  State.  The  congenial  union  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  seven  children,  of  whom  we  note 
tlie  following:  Henrietta  A.  married  Thomas  H. 
Snodgrass,  their  home  being  in  the  same  township 
as  our  subject's;  Francis  V.  married  R.  W.  Gay  and 
tlieir  hortie  is  in  Delano,  Ca!.;  Sabra  E.  married 
John  T.  llavner  and  lives  in  Pl.ainville,  this  Slate; 
IMiiinie  S.  still  lingers  under  the  parental  roof ;  Cyrus 
is  deceased;  Florence  N.  married  Sherman  Havner 
and  their  home  is  in  Plainville;  Arthur  S.  was  mar- 
ried September  25,  1890,  to  Minnie  Gaines,  and  at 
present  is  dwelling  in  the  parental  home. 

The  first  Presidential  ballot  east  )iy  Mr.  Clark 
was  for  Zachary  Taylor  and  he  was  subsequently 
identified  with  the  Republican  party  until  a  few 
years  since,  when  he  became  in  sympatiiy  witli  the 
Union  Labor  movement.  He  was  at  one  time  a 
candidate  for  Representative  on  the  Union  Labor 
ticket  and  carried  the  partj^  vote  but  was  defeated 
by  opposing  political  elements.  He  was  also  a  can- 
didate for  Township  Treasurer  on  the  same  ticket. 
He  has  served  as  Township  Supervisor  and  as  Road 
Commissioner,  in  each  position  having  endeavored 
to  carrj-  out  the  wishes  of  the  people  in  so  far  as 
was  consistent  with  the  general  good.  Mr.  Clark 
is  also  active  in  the  capacity  of  School  Director. 
In  his  religious  views  he  is  a  Unitarian. 


^M= 


^^  HARLES  LEE  AVOOD.  Perhaps  no  better 
(|(  representative  of  the  agricultural   commu- 

^^^'  nity  of  Hamburg  Precinct,  Calhoun  County, 
can  be  found  than  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice,  and  it  may  be  doubted  if  the  entire  county 
contains  a  more  public-spirited,  intelligent  and 
efficient  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  Mr.  Wood  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  1 ,  having  a  good  es- 
tate of  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  contains 
some  rather  unusu.nl  features.  In  common  with  other 
first-class  farmers  he  keeps  stock  of  good  grades, 
among  them  being  Poland-China  hogs   and  Jersey 


cattle.  The  improvements  which  he  has  made  upon 
his  land  include  many  conveniences  and  all  neces- 
sary buildings.  .Seventeen  acres  are  devoted  to 
the  growth  of  apple  trees,  the  varieties  included  in 
the  orchard  being  Ben  Davis,  Roman  Beauty-,  Wil- 
low  Twig,  Huntsman's  Favorite,  Missouri  Pippin 
and  Maiden  Blush.  This  orchard  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  features  in  the  landscape,  and  Jlr. 
Wood  finds  both  pleasure  and  profit  in  it. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jonathan  and 
Anna  (Schooley)  Wood,  the  father  a  n.ative  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  mother  probably  of  New  Jer- 
sey. They  were  early  settlers  in  Madison  Countj', 
111.,  their  home  for  many  years  being  in  Alton, 
where  Mr.  Wood  carried  on  his  trade  of  a  cooper. 
He  died  when  our  subject,  the  only  son,  was  about 
four  years  of  age.  The  widow  with  her  family  sub- 
sequently came  to  Calhoun  County,  making  her 
home  in  Hamburg,  where  she  breathed  her  last  in 
June,  1858.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Chui'ch  and  carefully  instilled  the  principles  of  right 
living  into  the  minds  of  her  offspring. 

The  natal  day  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  we 
write,  was  August  24,  1849,  and  his  birthplace 
Madison  County.  Most  of  the  years  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  passed  on  a  farm,  and  he  has 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  sinc(^  he  w.as 
old  enough  to  bear  a  part  therein.  He  atlendud 
the  early  public  schools  of  the  county,  and  had  not 
the  advantages  afforded  young  men  at  the  jiresent 
time,  but  being  desirous  of  keeping  himself  well  in- 
formed, he  has  made  good  use  of  the  means  af- 
forded by  the  public  press  to  extend  his  knowledge. 

In  1874  Mr.  Wood  settled  on  his  present  farm, 
and  set  up  a  home  of  his  own,  being  married  in 
November,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Swarnes.  This  good 
woman  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows  until  May  24, 
1881,  when  she  was  called  hence.  .She  was  the 
mother  of  four  childrLUi,  but  the  only  one  now  liv- 
ing is  Anna.  Charles,  Alma,  and  an  infant  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Wood  was  again  married  October  28, 
1883,  having  won  for  his  companion  Meliie  A. 
Hooker.  This  lady  was  born  in  Jackson  County. 
Mich.,  her  parents  being  William  and  Harriett 
(Rcxford)  Lane,  under  whose  carefid  training  she 
acquired  an  excellent  knowledge  of  those  attain- 
ments which  would  lit  her  for  the   duties  of  wife 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAriUCAL  ALBUM. 


351 


and  mother,  and  make  her  a  useful  member  of  so- 
ciet\'.  She  is  a  consistent  nicnil)er  of  the  IJaptist 
Church,  wiiile  her  step-daughter,  Anna  Wood,  be- 
longs to  tiie  Methodist  p]piscopal  Cluircli. 

The  enterprises  which  are  promulgated  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  the  citizens  in  this  part  of  our 
great  commonwealth  find  a  friend  and  supporter  in 
Mr.  Wood.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is 
identified  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  at  Hardin. 
As  a  School  Director  he  has  endeavored  to  advance 
thecauseof  education,  am\  his  services  were  credit- 
able to  himself,  and  useful  to  the  community.  The 
entire  family  occupy  leading  positions  in  tiie  so- 
cial circles  of  this  section,  and  have  a  large  num- 
ber of  friends  who  are  most  hospitably  entertained 
under  tlie  roof  of  Mr.  Wood,  and  are  equally  anx- 
ious to  entertain  the  family  in  their  own  homes. 


-^^ 


OSEPH  HARVEY  is  numbered  among  the 
practical  and  progressive  farmers  of  Pike 
County-,  occupying  a  beautiful  home  in 
Griggsvilie  Township.  His  estate  consists 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres  of  well-tilled 
land,  upon  which  may  be  seen  the  various  improve- 
ments expected  of  a  man  of  enterprise,  including  a 
comijlete  line  of  farm  buildings,  modern  in  design 
and  substantial  in  construction.  Tiie  residence  is 
an  attractive  building,  sulliciently  commodious  to 
answer  every  purpose,  and  arranged  with  a  view  to 
the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  occupants. 

Before  outlining  the  life  history  of  our  subject, 
it  will  not  be  amiss  to  note  some  facts  regarding 
the  ancestral  history.  The  Harveys  were  first  rep- 
resented in  this  country  by  John,  who  was  of  pure 
English  blood,  and  emigrated  to  Virginia  just  be- 
fore the  Revolution.  He  fought  in  the  Colonial 
Army,  and  afterward  drew  a  pension  for  his  ser- 
vices. He  married  a  lady  who  was  born  in  tiie  Old 
Dominion,  and  some  years  later  removed  with  his 
family  to  Clermont  County,  Ohio.  This  was  early 
in  the  history  of  the  Buckeye  State,  with  the  pio- 
neer development  of  which  the  Harveys  were  closely 
identified.  The  next  in  the  direct  line  of  descent 
was  Joseph  Harvey,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and 


roared  a's  a  farmer.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  Wright, 
who  belonged  to  one  of  the  liist  families  of  the 
State  and  was,  like  himself,  born  not  far  from  Bull 
Run.  A  few  years  after  their  marriage,  Joseph 
Harvey  and  iiis  wife  accompanied  his  parents  to 
tiie  Buckeye  State. 

The  removal  was  made  very  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  pioneer  labor  was  taken  up  in 
the  heavy  forests  of  Clermont  (bounty.  Mr.  Harvey 
literallj'  hewed  out  a  home  from  the  wilderness, 
clearing  a  large  tract  of  land  which  had  been  cov- 
ered with  heavy  limlier.  and  making  of  it  a  well- 
improved  farm.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  a  local  minister  in  the  Methodist  Church, 
societies  of  which  he  lielped  to  organize.  He  died 
when  seventy-four  years  old.  He  had  been  twice 
married,  his  first  wife  having  died  when  a  little 
past  middle  life.  His  second  companion  survived 
him,  d^'ing  but  a  few  yeavs  ago,  when  more  than 
four-score  years  of  age.  Both  wives  belonged  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  were  good, 
whole-souled  women.  Joscpii  Harvey  and  his  fa- 
ther before  him  belonged  to  the  Whig  party. 

John  W.  Harvey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  is 
the  next  on  the  genealogical  tree.  He  was  the  old- 
est of  nine  children  born  to  his  jiarents,  eight  of 
whom  lived  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  and  two 
still  survive:  Joseph,  Jr..  of  Abingdon,  this  State, 
and  Robert,  of  Iowa,  both  now  old  men.  John  W. 
Harvey  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1805,  reared  and 
educated  in  Ohio,  and  brought  up  to  the  hardest 
kind  of  farm  labor.  After  he  reached  man's  estate 
he  married  Nancy  Jenkins  who  was  living  in  the 
same  county,  and  was  born  there  or  in  New  Jer- 
sej^  in  1807.  Her  parents,  John  and  Catherine 
(\'aughan)  Jenkins,  natives  of  New  Jersej^  settled 
in  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  and  died  there  at  the  re- 
spective ages  of  sixty-four  and  seventy-four.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jenkins  bore  their  part  in  the  pioneer  de- 
velopment of  Clermont  County,  and  helped  to  or- 
ganize the  churches  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
faith  in  that  section. 

For  some  years  after  their  marriage  John  W. 
Harvey  and  his  wife  continued  to  reside  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  but  in  1839  they  came  with  their 
famil3'  to  Illinois.  Their  journey  was  performed 
in   the   customary   manner   with   teams    and   they 


352 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


caijipeil  out  b}'  the  way.  The}'  reached  PiUe'C'oiHity 
in  the  fall  and  settled  on  section  23,  Giiggsville 
Township,  on  an  eighty-acre  tract  that  was  slightly 
improved.  The  section  was  but  sparsely  settled, 
Griggsville  was  but  a  hamlet,  and  the  many  con- 
veniences now  to  be  found  here  were  unknown. 
The  active  lives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  were  com- 
pleted at  their  home  here,  although  neither  died  on 
the  homestead.  Mr.  Harvey  breathed  his  last  in 
Polk  Countj',  Wis.,  in  1876,  and  his  wife  in  Kan- 
sas, near  Coffey ville,  in  1878.  Both  were  lifelong- 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
possessed  the  virtues  of  the  true  believer.  Mr. 
Harvey  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Republican, 
and  \ery  positive  in  his  sentiments  on  political 
matters.  ' 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  is  the 
first-l)orn  in  a  family  which  includes  five  brothers 
and  four  sisters.  All  are  still  living,  all  married,  and 
all  except  our  subject  have  reared  families.  Joseph 
Harvey  first  saw  the  light  in  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  August  2,  1827.  He  was  quite  young  when 
his  parents  returned  to  Clermont  County,  which 
was  his  home  until  twelve  years  old,  when  the  fam- 
ily came  to  this  State.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  Pike  County,  and  most  of  the  years 
that  have  passed  have  been  spent  on  the  homestead 
of  which  he  is  now  the  owner.  The  farm  is  well 
stocked  with  Poland-China  swine  of  a  high  grade, 
which  were  introduced  into  this  county  by  his  fa- 
ther. John  W.  Harvey  was  also  much  interested 
in  the  advancement  of  the  breeds  of  horses,  and 
was  recognized  as  an  authority  on  equines.  The 
son  of  whom  we  write,  inherits  much  of  his  father's 
love  for  horses  and  olh(^r  good  stock,  and  a  visitor 
to  his  home  is  sure  to  see  tine  animals  upon  the 
farm. 

In  Newburg  Township  some  years  since,  the  rites 
of  wedlock  were  solemnized  between  Joseph  Har- 
vey and  Martha  A.  ^^'ade.  The  bride  was  born  in 
Vandalia.  this  State,  December  14.  1824,  to  Rich- 
ard and  Nanc}'  (Hays)  Wade,  natives  of  Kentucky 
and  North  Carolina  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wade  were  married  in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  and 
subsequently  made  their  home  in  Vandalia,  later  re- 
moving to  the  American  Bottoms,  Madison  County. 
About  1828  iliey  settled    in  Griggsville  Township, 


this  count}',  on  Government  land  wliicli  Mr.  Wade 
improved.  There  Mrs.  AVade  died  in  1838.  Mr. 
Wade  afterward  removed  to  Newburg  Township, 
where  he  married  a  second  wife,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-eight  years.  Politicall}'  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  then  a  Republican,  and  religiously,  an  active 
Methodist. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  received  the  most  care- 
ful attention  from  her  devoted  mother,  and  later 
from  her  step- mother,  aided  by  her  father.  She  is 
kindly  in  disposition,  capalile  in  womanly  attain- 
ments, and  a  Christian  in  character,  and  is  well  liked 
by  all  who  know  her.  She  belongs  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  which  her  husband  also 
attends.  Mr.  Harvey  never  fails  to  vote  the  Repub- 
lican ticket.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  have  no  chil- 
dren, but  are  the  foster  parents  of  two  girls — Mary, 
who  is  still  with  them,  and  Martha  J.,  now  the 
widow  of  Moses  A.  Br^'ant,  and  living  .at  Raylis. 


(^  IMLLIAM  FLETCHER.  One  of  the  com- 
\/\///  fortable  rural  homes  of  Barry  Township 
}y^  Pike  County,  is  that  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  is  one  of  the  eldest  native-born  citizens 
of  the  township.  He  has,  however,  not  yet  [)assed 
middle  age,  having  been  born  September  17,  184i>. 
During  his  boyhood,  deer  and  other  species  of  wild 
game  were  still  plentiful  near  his  home  and  all  the 
surroundings  indicated  the  newness  of  the  settle- 
ments. He  attended  the  pioneer  schools,  the  first 
to  which  he  went  being  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
from  his  heme.  As  there  was  no  road  leading  to 
it  he  followed  a  trail  made  by  blazed  trees. 

The  schoolhouse  was  built  of  logs  and  all  its 
furniture  was  of  the  most  primitive  description. 
The  scholars  occupied  benches  made  by  splitting 
logs,  hewing  one  side  smooth,  and  inserting  wooden 
pins  for  legs.  A  board  laid  on  pins  inserted  in 
the  walls  in  either  side  of  the  house  served  as  a 
desk  for  the  larger  scholars  to  write  on,  and  was 
the  only  article  of  the  kind  in  the  room.  One  of 
the  early  recollections  of  our  subject  is  of  a  journey 
made  iiy  his  parents  to  their  oUl  Kentucky  home, 
to  which  they  traveled  witli   a   team,   taking  their 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  AIJU'M. 


353 


cooking  utensils  'along  and  camping  by  tlie  way. 
Tliey  were  accompanied  by  their  three  ciiihhen 
and  he  of  whom  we  write  enjoyed  the  trip  as  only 
a  careless  active  clilhl  might. 

ilr.  Kletclier  remained  witli  his  parents  until  his 
marriage,  llien  bought  the  farm  he  now  owns  and 
occupies  and  estaliiislied  liis  own  liome.  He  had 
begun  to  assist  his  father  in  farm  woric  at,  an  early 
age  and  was  tlierefore  well  acquainted  witli  all  that 
goes  to  make  up  a  model  farm.'  The  marriage 
rites  lietween  himself  and  Rliss  Mary  J.  Boulware 
were  celebrated  June  17,  18G1.  Mrs.  Fletcher  is  an 
estimable  woman,  devoted  to  the  interest  of  her 
husband  and  children,  kindly  in  her  intercourse 
with  her  neighbors  and  rejoicing  in  the  esteem  of 
those  about  her.  She  is  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren— ^'ernon,  Elida,  Robert,  Olive.  Daniel,  Cliarles 
and  I'earl.  Mr.  Fletcher  votes  the  Republican 
ticket.  He  is  a  reliable  citizen,  is  well  read  and 
intelligent  and  possesses  excellent  habits. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  in  Jlontgomerj'  Count}-,  Ky., 
where  he  located  when  the  Indians  were  more 
numerous  than  the  whites.  He  superintended  the 
improvement  and  clearing  of  the  farm,  the  labor 
being  performed  b}'  the  slaves  wiiom  he  held. 
There  his  son  Robert,  father  of  our  suliject,  was 
born  and  reared,  remaining  with  his  parents  until 
he  iiad  reached  years  of  maturity.  He  then  came 
to  Illinois,  locating  in  Barry  Township,  Pike 
County,  and  buying  a  tract  of  timber  land  on  sec- 
tion 5.  He  was  very  industrious,  possessed  of 
good  judgment  and  so  prospered  in  his  worldly 
affairs.  He  purchased  other  land  from  time  to 
time  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  lie  owned  six 
hundred  acres  which  is  now  divided  among  his 
heirs.  He  passed  away  in  18G8,  having  lived  to 
see  the  couutr}-  around  him  develop  from  a  wild- 
erness into  a  well  settled  region,  the  home  of  a 
wealth}'  community. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Spottsyl- 
vauia  County,  Ya.,  and  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  M.  Boxley.  Her  father,  William  Boxley, 
was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  became  a  pioneer 
in  Adams  County,  111.  After  improving  a  farm 
there  he  came  to  Pike  County,  where  he  improved 
another  tract  of  laud,  afterward  selling  it  and  mak- 


ing his  final  location  in  ISarry  Township.  The 
mother  of  our  sul)ject  brcatlied  her  last  on  the 
homestead  in  .March,  188G.  having  survived  iier 
husband  some  years.  She  had  reared  six  children — 
William,  Charles.  Sarah,  Henry,  Rosy  and  Lois,  all 
of  whom  are  still  living. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Fletcher,  Christina  (Pulhun  ) 
Boulware,  was  born  near  Mt.  Carmel,  Wabash 
County,  this  State,  November  26,  1813.  Her  father, 
Thomas  PuUam,  was  born  in  the  Old  Dominion  and 
her  grandfather,  Benjamin  I'ullam  was,  so  far  as  is 
known,  a  native  of  the  same  State.  The  latter  re- 
moved to  Kentucky  in  an  earl}-  day,  spending  the 
remainder  of  his  life  there.  Thomas  Pullam  was 
still  a  boy  when  the  removal  took  place  and  he 
grew  tcj  manhood  at  the  new  home,  whence  he 
went  to  Indiana.  In  the  Iloosier  State  he  married 
Nancy  Decker  who  was  of  German  ancestry  but 
born  in  Indiana. 

jNIr.  Pullam  removed  to  Illinois  about  1815, 
being  one  of  the  earl\-  settlers  of  the  Territory.  In 
1829  he  journeyed  from  his  former  location  to 
Pike  County,  driving  his  stock  and  bringing  his 
household  goods  and  family  with  a  team  and 
wagon.  As  was  the  common  custom  with  travelers 
through  a  new  country  the  little  family  camped 
by  the  way  doing  their  own  cooking.  Mr.  Pullam 
located  in  what  is  now  Barry  Township,  there 
being  then  no  villages  where  Barry  or  Pittsfield 
stand,  and  Atlas  being  the  county  seat.  He  bought 
a  tract  of  land  which  included  Ijoth  prairie  and 
timber,  cleared  and  improved  it  and  resided  thereon 
until  his  death.  His  wife  survived  him  a  few- 
years. 

Miss  Christina  Pullam  was  in  her  sixteenth  year 
when  her  I'arents  came  to  Pike  County,  whither 
she  accompanied  them.  Two  years  later  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  Daniel  Boulware,  who  was  born  in 
the  Old  Dominion,  accompanied  his  parents  to  Mis- 
souri and  thence  came  to  this  county  about  1828. 
He  locateil  on  a  tract  of  land  where  he  built  a  log 
cabin,  splitting  the  puncheon  for  the  floor  and  the 
boiirds  for  the  roof,  which  was  held  in  place  b}' 
poles.  The  land  belonged  to  a  man  in  Massachusetts 
and  after  some  years  Mr.  Boulware  found  hira  out 
and  purchased  the  farm. 

He  made  it  his  home  some  years,  improving  a 


354 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


large  tract  and  erecting  substantial  frame  buildings 
of  various  iciiids.  After  reariiio-  bis  family  he 
moved  into  Barr}',  wliere  he  lived  retired  until  his 
death,  July  31,  1885,  at  the  age  of  eightj'-one  years. 
His  good  wife  had  learned  to  card,  spin  and  weave, 
and  used  to  make  the  cloth  used  in  the  family.  She 
vividly  recalls  the  time  when  that  was  the  common 
custom  of  the  houselieepers,  and  when  various 
kinds  of  wild  game  supplied  the  tables  of  the 
pioneers.  3Ir.  and  Mrs.  Boulware  had  nine  sons 
and  six  daughters,  twelve  of  the  children  being 
still  alive.  They  were  carefully  reared  by  their 
estimable  parents,  whose  earnest  wish  it  was  that 
they  might  become  useful  and  honored  members  of 
society. 


"^'^=j!^ 

'"•^S 


=^^=- 
^1*=^^ 


\Y7AMES  a.  ROBERTS,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Martinsburg  Township,  was  born  in  Pike 
County,  May  18,  1846.  He  attended  the 
old-fashioned  log  schoolhouse  in  the  winter, 
and  as  soon  as  his  strength  would  [lerrait  began  to 
bear  a  share  in  farm  work  in  the  summer.  When 
but  seventeen  years  old  he  began  working  for  him- 
self, soon  buying  an  interest  in  one  hundred  acres 
of  land  on  section  4,  Pleasant  Hill  Township.  He 
farmed  that  place  ten  years,  then  purchased  two 
hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  on  sections  33  and  34, 
Martinsburg  Township,  together  with  eighty  acres 
on  section  4.  He  now  owns  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  acres  all  told,  the  greater  portion  of  which  he 
personally  conducts. 

Mr.  Roberts  began  his  life  work  with  very  small 
means,  having  but  a  quarter-interest  in  the  one 
hundred-acre  tract,  but  has  made  money  in  his 
chosen  vocation.  He  has  made  manj'  of  the  im- 
provements on  both  places  which  he  owns,  carries 
on  farming  on  an  extensive  scale  and  raises  quite 
large  numbers  of  stock.  In  the  latter  branch  of 
business  he  has  given  the  most  of  his  attention  to 
sliecp-raibing,  and  now  has  seven  hundred  head  of 
the  fleecy  animals.  He  is  building  a  modern 
residence  which  will  cost  at  least  $1,600,  and  has 
already  \n\t,  up  good  barns,  granaries,  etc. 

December    20,    1877,    Mr.    Roberts    led    to   the 


hymeneal  altar  Miss  Mary  V.  Ric'hardson,  an  in- 
telligent Christian  woman  who  was  born  in  this 
county  December  8,  1859.  Her  father,  Luke  Rich- 
ardson, was  an  early  settler  here.  A  few  months 
after  his  marriage  Mr.  Roberts  settled  where  he  now 
lives.  His  home  is  brightened  b}'  the  presence  of 
two  children — Maude  S.  and  Lloyd — and  he  and 
his  wife  have  suffered  the  loss  of  one.  Mrs.  Roberts 
belongs  to  the  Christian  Church  which  the  other 
members  of  the  family  attend.  Mr.  Roberts  was 
brought  up  to  believe  in  Democratic  principles  but 
is  now  independent  in  politics.  He  is  a  well-informed 
man,  particularly  in  matters  which  have  a  bearing 
upon  agriculture,  has  a  manly  character  and  is  well 
regarded  by  his  fellow-men. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  David  and  Laviua 
(Pool)  Roberts,  whose  life  is  sketched  in  the 
biography  of  Palmedus  Roberts  on  another  page  of 
this  Album.  Both  were  Christians,  aiming  to  ful- 
fill every  duty  owed  to  their  offspring  and  their 
fellow-men,  and  the  mother  was  especialh'  devoted 
to 'her  children  who  owe  much  to  her  counsel  and 
care.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
David  Roberts,  Sr.,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  came 
to  this  State  in  1841  and  spent  h's  last  days  with 
the  son  who  bore  his  own  name.  He  was  of  English 
parentage. 


\|/^_^  A.YES  COLVIN,  a  member  of  the  Pike 
County  Board  of  Supervisors,  representing 
Hardin  Township,  is  influential  and  promi- 
nent in  its  public  and  political  life.  His 
business  is  mixed  farming,  and  he  has  a  jiroductive 
and  well-stocked  farm,  located  on  the  rich  bottom 
lands  of  Honey  Creek,  in  the  afore-mentioned  town- 
ship. 

Isaac  Colvin,  his  father,  is  a  native  of  [Highland 
Count}-,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  in  1822  and  was 
reared  to  the  life  of  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Illinois 
in  1  848  and  settled  on  section  21,  Hardin  Town- 
sliip,  where  he  took  part  in  the  pioneer  labors  that 
have  ma<le  this  township  what  it  is  to-da}-.  He 
was  married  in  this  township  in  1850  to   Catherine 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


355 


Forbes  nee  Hayes,  a  native  of  Highland  Count3', 
Oliio,  where  she  was  born  in  1815.  They  became 
the  parents  of  two  children,  our  subject  and  Isabel 
.lane,  now  Mrs.  AVilliam  Caley  who  lives  on  sec- 
tion 21,  of  this  township  and  is  the  niotliei'  of  five 
children. 

Hayes  Colvin  was  born  August  4,  1851,  in  the 
pioneer  home  nf  his  parents  on  liie  section  where  he 
now  resides.  lie  received  liis  education  in  the  old 
lo.y  sclioolhouse  with  its  primitive  furniture  of  slab 
benches,  wliere  there  were  no  black-boards  or  other 
conveniences  sucli  as  the  niodeiii  pupil  enjo^'S.  lie 
remained  at  home  and  helped  his  father  on  the 
farm  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  of  age.  lie 
then  began  for  himself,  by  managing  his  father's 
farm  until  he  was  twenty-six  3-eai'S  old.  After 
marriage  he  settled  on  his  present  farm  and  has 
made  his  home  here  ever  since.  He  has  one  hun- 
dred and  twent\-  acres  of  land  lying  along  Honey 
Creek  of  which  eighty  acres  are  highly  improved, 
and  the  rest  is  in  timber.  lie  carries  on  mixed 
farming,  raising  grain  and  standard  grades  of  stock, 
and  lins  aliout  Hl'ty  head  of  Southdown  sheep.  He 
is  succeeding  well  in  his  enterprises  and  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  solid  men  of  his  township. 

December  27,  1877,  Mr.  Colvin  and  Miss  Susan 
J.  Dinsmore  were  united  in  matrimon3'.  Mrs.  Col- 
vin is  the  eldest  child  of  Marshall  and  Martha 
(January)  Dinsmore,  natives  respeetivel}'  of  Scott 
and  Greene  Counties,  this  State,  and  she  was  born 
on  the  25th  of  August,  1855,  in  Hardin  Town- 
ship where  she  received  her  education  in  the  public 
schools.  Her  father  came  to  this  county  about 
1838  and  was  one  of  its  pioneers.  He  married  here 
and  estabished  a  home  in  Hardin  Township.  In 
18-19  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  return  by  the  Nicaragua  route  in 
1851.  At  his  death,  March  2,  1890,  an  old  pioneer 
of  the  county  passed  to  his  reward.  His  widow  is 
still  living.  She  is  the  mother  of  four  children. 
Of  tiie  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colvin, 
five  are  now  living,  namely:  Esther  Pearl,  who  is 
eleven  years  old;  C^eorge  E.,  eight  years  of  age; 
Edith  six  years,  Howard  four  years,  and  Bessie 
two  years. 

Mr.  Colvin  is  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Jiis 
township,  and  his  hand  is  felt  in  various  enterprises 


for  pushing  forward  its  best  interests.  As  a  man 
who  is  well  gifted  mentally,  who  possesses  a  firm 
and  decided  character  and  sound  common  sense 
he  is  invaluable  .as  a  civic  ofllcial,  and  is  often  called 
upon  to  hold  offices  of  responsibility  and  trust.  He 
has  been  School  Director  of  this  district  for  six 
years.  Previous  to  his  election  to  that  office  he 
was  Township  Trustee  of  Hardin  for  a  like  length 
of  time,  and  was  Highw.ay  Commissioner  for  five 
years.  He  was  elected  to  represent  Hardin  Town- 
ship on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  in  the 
month  of  April,  1890,  .and  is  giving  entire  s.atis fac- 
tion to  men  of  all  parties  in  his  discharge  of  the 
duties  thus  devolving  u|>on  him.  He  has  always 
been  prominent  in  politics,  is  an  advocate  of  the 
Democratic  party,  and  has  frequently  been  a  dele- 
1  gate  to  countv  conventions.  He  and  his  wife  are 
among  the  foremost  people  in  religious  circles,  and 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church  at  Independ- 
ence. Mr.  Colvin  was  a  Deacon  of  the  society  in 
Clover  District,  and  was  also  Treasurer  of  the 
same. 


^  OHN  WARD  occupies  a  good  position  among 
the  practical,  skillful  farmers  of  Pike  County, 
^^  who  are  prosperously  carrying  on  their  vo- 
f^l/  cation  and  while  so  doing  are  materially  con- 
tributing to  the  welfare  of  this  section  of  the  State. 
He  has  a  large  and  well  ordered  farm  finel}'  located 
in  Atlas  and  Pleasant  Vale  Townships,  his  home 
lying  on  section  36,  of  the  latter  place. 

Mr.  Ward  was  horn  in  Alleghan3'  Count3-,  Md., 
.lunc  17,  1816.  His  father,  Samuel  Ward,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia.  He  was  a  son  of  Abijah  Ward, 
who  was  a  millwright  and  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 
Samuel  Ward  married  Mary  House  in  Maryland. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Andrew  House  who  vvas  a 
native  of  that  State,  and  w.as  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
lution. He  died  in  Ohio  whither  he  had  gone  in 
earl3'  pioneer  times.  His  wife  died  in  Adams 
Count3'  at  the  advanced  age  of  nearly  ninety  3cars. 
She  was  a  woman  of  strong  constitution  and  never 
took  a  dose  of  medicine  in  her  life.  After  mar- 
riage the  |)arenls  of  our  subject  settled  among  the 
pioneers  of  Columbiana  Count3',  Ohio,  where  tbey 


356 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


remained  about  eleven  years.  During  the  next 
eleven  j'ears  they  were  residents  of  Knox  County, 
Ohio,  whence  they  came  to  Pike  County,  III., 
in  1844  and  located  on  section  36,  Pleasant  Vale 
Township,  making  their  home  in  a  log  house.  The 
same  year  while  on  a  trip  to  Qaincy  to  buy  land 
Mr.  Ward  was  thrown  from  his  horse  and  killed, 
and  his  community  lost  thus  one  of  its  practical, 
hard  working  pioneers.  His  widow  survived  him 
many  years,  her  death  occurring  when  she  was  about 
eighty  years  old.  The}'  were  the  parents  of  the 
following  twelve  children,  eight  sons  and  four 
daughters :  Cornelius,  Andrew,  Abi jah,  John,  James, 
Samuel,  Isaac,  Christopher  C,  Racliael,  Elizabeth, 
Susannah  and  Mary  Jane.  They  were  all  reared  to 
manhood  and  womanhood,  married  and  reared  fam- 
ilies of  their  own,  and  five  of  them  are  now  living, 
Andrew,  John,  Samuel,  Christopher  C,  and  Susan- 
nah. 

John  Ward  was  reared  on  a  pioneer  farm  in 
Ohio,  and  received  his  education  in  Columbiana 
and  Knox  Counties,  Ohio,  where  he  attended  school 
in  a  log  bouse,  which  was  lighted  by  greased  paper 
pasted  over  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  old  log  house. 
Mr.  Ward  remained  with  his  parents  after  he  had 
attained  manhood  and  undfrtook  the  management 
of  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  about  twenty-five 
years  old.  He  subsequently  worked  out  liy  the 
month  and  also  farmed  as  a  renter  until  about  1  868, 
when  he  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  on  section  10,  Pleasant  Vale  Township.  Two 
years  later  he  sold  it  advantageously  and  bought 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  acres,  the  most  of  which 
is  in  Atlas  Township  except  forty-five  acres  which 
are  in  Pleasant  Vale  Township  where  liis  residence  is, 
and  here  he  has  lived  ever  since.  He  has  worked 
with  a  will  and  his  labors  have  been  guided  bj-  clear 
discernment  and  by  good  business  al)ility,  so  that 
success  has  met  his  efforts.  He  has  added  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  to  his  original  purchase  and  now 
has  five  hundred  and  sixty-live  acres  of  exception, 
ally  fprlile  and  valuable  farming  land,  of  which  he 
h.as  cleaieil  a  good  portion  and  now  has  in  cultiva- 
tion two  hundred  and  fifty  acres. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  started  out  in  life 
witli  no  other  capital  than  a  stalwart  heart  and 
guod  muscles  and  he  had  to  endure  many  privation? 


and  to  sacrifice  much  before  he  attained  prosperity. 
Many  a  day  he  has  worked  hard  all  d.ay  for  fifty 
cents  and  then  had  to  take  his  ])ayment  in  provis- 
ions as  he  was  not  able  to  get  any  money.  When 
he  first  came  here  wolves,  deer,  turkeys  and  other 
wild  animals  were  very  plenty,  and  he  has  killed 
many  a  deer.  He  was  at  one  time  a  great  bee  hun- 
ter and  once  found  nine  feet  of  honeycomb  in  one 
tree  from  which  he  procured  many  gallons  of  de- 
licious honey.  He  has  always  been  a  very  hard 
working  man  and  there  is  not  a  farm  between  New 
Canton  and  Ambrose  Creek  upon  which  he  has  not 
slacked  wheat,  for  a  distance  of  nine  miles  up  and 
down  the  bluff  road  and  he  has  the  reputation  of 
being  the  fastest  wheat  stacker  in  the  county.  He 
has  stacked  from  three  to  four  hundred  bushels  of 
wheat  in  one  day  and  his  stacks  have  been  known 
to  stand  twoj'ears  before  threshing  when  the  wheat 
would  be  found  to  be  .as  good  as  new  wheat.  Mr. 
Ward  follows  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father  and 
grandfather  as  regards  his  politics  and  is  a  true  Re- 
publican. His  forefathers  were  all  Methodists,  but 
he  is  a  meml)er  of  no  church  though  he  is  a  man 
of  strictly  ui)right  habits,  whose  course  in  life  has 
won  him  the  honor  and  esteem  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. He  has  been  .School  Director  in  his  town- 
ship and  has  ever  done  his  best  to  advance  its 
interests. 

Mr.  Ward  was  married  in  1842  to  Rhoda,  daugh- 
ter of  Isaac  and  Elizabeth  Enrow.  She  was  born 
in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  in  181G  in  the  pioneer  home 
of  her  parents  and  was  there  reared.  She  received 
her  schooling  in  the  same  school  that  Sir.  Ward  at- 
tended in  Knox  County.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  Maryland  and  her  mother  of  Ireland.  The  for- 
mer died  in  White  County,  111.,  and  the  latter  in 
Ohio.  IMrs.  Ward  had  one  brother  and  one  sister, 
five  half-brothers  and  a  half-sister,  her  father  hav- 
ing married  a  second    time. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ward  have  been  born  thirteen 
children  of  whom  four  died  young  and  one  son 
died  at  the  age  of  nineteen  years.  Those  living  are 
Liicinda,  wife  of  James  Frances,  of  Pleasant  Vale 
Township;  Noah,  of  Ple.asant  Vale  Township,  who 
married  Mary  Alice  Drumonds;  Lyman  and  Juliet 
twins;  Sarp.h  E.,  wife  of  C.  E.  Lame,  a  resident  of 
Pittsrteld;  Harry  L.,  who    lives    at   home   with  his 


!l 


<y^ 


'^.i:^/^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


359 


parents  and  M.ary  E.  wife  of  Joseph  Diickwoitb,  of 
Pleasant  Vale  Township.  Lyman  who  lives  in 
Pleasant  "\'ale  Township,  inanied  Sarah  Decker, 
anil  .Juliet  married  Newton  .1.  Miller,  of  Atlas 
Township.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  had 
four  great-grandciiildren  and  twenty-one  grand- 
children. 


\f  OHN  C.  STArPFEK.  a  wealthy  and  popu- 
lar young  agriculturist  and  stockman  on 
section  9,  Fairmount  Township,Pike  Count}', 
is  the  owner  of  a  vahialile  farm  that  em- 
braces four  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  good  farm- 
ing land.  He  a  remarkably  practical  man  and 
one  who  certainly  understands  the  art  of  wooing 
Uame  Fortune  successfulh'.  He  has  lived  here  all  his 
life  and  is  closely  associated  witli  every  improvement 
and  public  feature  of  the  place,  and  is  universally 
conceded  to  be  a  valuable  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Mr.  Stanffer's  birth  occurred  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  section  18,  August  7.  18.55.  He  is  the 
youngest  living  child  of  John  and  Sarah  (Hilyard) 
Stauffer,  both  of  whom  are  dead,  the  father  having 
passed  to  his  final  resting  place  April  25,  1885,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  The  mother  breathed 
her  last  November  5,  1882,  after  attaining 
her  sixty-eighth  year.  The  father  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  of  German  descent.  He 
was  quite  young  when  his  parents,  Jacob  and  Nancy 
(Leighty)  Stauffer,  moved  to  Ohio,  where  they 
lived  for  some  3'ears  in  Fayetteville.  Later  they 
moved  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Beverl}'  Township, 
Adams  County,  and  there  the  grandparents  of  our 
subject  died.  John  Staufifer  after  reaching  man's 
estate  was  married  in  Fairmount  Township  and 
continued  ever  afterward  to  make  his  home  there. 
He  was  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  that  com- 
prised fifteen  hundred  acres  of  fine  land  all  under 
excellent  cultivation. 

Our  subject  was  carefully  reared  in  this  count}-, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  schools  here  and 
in  the  college  at  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  and  for  a  time 
devoted    his    attention  to    teaching.     He    married 


Miss  Sarah  Josephine  Reed,  who  was  born  in  Elk- 
horn  Township,  Brown  County,  this  State,  June  1, 
1864.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elias  and  Celesta 
(Rogers)  Reed,  natives  of  Delaw.are  and  Ohio,  re- 
spectively. Mr.  Reed  died  December  1,  1881;  he 
w.^s  a  wagonmaker  by  trade,  and  a  prominent  man 
in  his  community.  He  was  a  good  man  and  one 
largely  interested  in  I'lililic  affairs.  His  wife  is  now 
living  at  the  age  of  sixty -one,  and  makes  her  home 
with  her  youngest  daughter,  Clara,  in  the  old  home- 
stead in  Brown  County.  She  is  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  has  many 
warm  friends.  Of  the  ten  children  born  of  her 
marriage,  only  four  are  living  at  the  present  lime, 
viz.:  George,  Eugenia,  Sarah  J.  and  Clara. 

Mr.  Stauffer  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  Mrs.  Stauffer  of  tiie  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  former  is  held  in  the  highest  possible 
esteem  in  commercial  circles  and  has  several  times 
been  called  upon  to  fill  olticcs  of  public  trust.  In 
whatever  position  he  is  placed  his  energy  and  up- 
rightness are  conspicuous,  while  his  business  ability 
has  won  for  him  the  admiration  and  respect  of  the 
commercial  world.  We  invite  the  reader's  atten- 
tion to  his  portrait,  which  appears  on  another  page. 


^^-v,  IIARLES  H.  RENOVD  is  the  owner  of  a 
fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acies 
if)  situated  on  section  32,  Montezuma  Town- 
ship, but  is  now  practically  living  a  retired  life, 
his  land  being  rented  to  his  son.  He  is  descended 
from  one  of  the  early  New  England  families,  prob- 
ably founded  in  Colonial  days.  His  father,  Stephen 
Renovd,  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1788,  and  by 
trade  was  a  cooper,  but  after  following  that  occu- 
pation for  man}'  years  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming.  In  his  native  State  he  married  Miss  Let- 
tie  Donelson,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
1792,  and  there  continued  to  reside  until  1829, 
which  year  witnessed  their  removal  to  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.  Eight  years  were  there  passed  and 
in  1837  they  emigrated  westward,  locating  in  Pike 
County, III., where  .Mr.  Ucnovd  entered  lai  d  in  Mar- 
tinsburg  Township.     Subsequently  he   relumed  to 


360 


PORTRAIT  AND  HIOGRAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


the  Empire  Slate,  but  after  a  sliort  time  we  find  iiim 
engager!  in  staging  in  Scioto  County,  Ohio,  wht^re 
he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1843.  Returning  in 
that  year  to  Illinois,  he  located  in  Detroit  Township, 
Pike  County,  where  he  carried  on  farming  until 
1855.  when  he  spent  another  season  in  staging  in 
Ohio.  The  succeeding  year  he  worked  for  our 
subject,  after  which  he  purchased  property  in 
Henry  County,  111.,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
after  the  breaking  out  (>f  the  late  war.  In  18G4  he 
purchased  the  farm  now  owneil  by  his  son  Charles, 
an<l  settling  thereon  the  following  spring  he  car- 
ried on  farming  until  his  death  in  1866.  His  vvife 
long  survived  him,  dying  in  1881.  Their  family 
once  numljered  ten  children,  but  only  three  are  now 
living. 

In  Fairfield,  Conn.,  on  the  Gth  of  February, 
1820,  Charles  Rcnovd  was  born  but  when  a  lad  of 
nine  summers  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  New 
York,  where  in  the  common  schools  he  acquired  a 
good  English  education.  With  the  desire  to  be- 
come self-supporting  he  left  the  parental  roof  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  in  the  Empire  Stiite 
le.'irned  the  cooper's  trade,  by  which  he  made  his 
start  in  life.  That  continued  his  means  of  se- 
curing a  livelihood  until  1837, when  he  accompanied 
his  father  to  Illinois.  He  earned  his  first  mone}-  in 
the  West  by  working  as  a  farm  hand  near  Lincoln, 
receiving  $21  for  three  months  work.  Believing  it 
would  be  more  profitable,  he  then  abandoned  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  worked  at  his  trade  in  Mil- 
ton, manufacturing  pork  barrels  for  Richard 
Robinson.  The  following  season  he  was  employed 
in  Atlas,  after  wiiich  he  returned  to  Milton  and 
secured  a  iiosition  as  stage  driver,  which  business 
occupied  his  time  and  attention  until  the  succeed- 
ing spring.  We  next  find  him  in  Genesee  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  engaged  in  staging  until  1842,  but 
the  attractions  of  the  West  again  called  him  to 
Illinois  and  for  two  or  three  years  he  was  employed 
in  the  manufacture  of  barrels  for  Jonathan  Fryze, 
of  Detroit  Township. 

In  the  spring  of  1843  Mr.  Renovd  made  a  trip 
to  Coshocton  County,  Oliio,  where  he  was  joined  in 
wedlock  with  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  George 
Wicken,  who  was  a  native  of  England  and  a  cooper 
b^-  trade.      Mrs.  Renovd  was  born  on   tlie  5th  of 


January,  1824,  and  died  on  the  5th  of  March, 
1865.  Ten  children  had  been  born  of  their  mar- 
riage  and  with  one  exception  all  are  yet  living. 
George,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  residing  in  Pearl 
Township,  married  (Jueen  Boren,  by  whom  he  has 
seven  children;  Caroline  is  the  wife  of  Robert  A. 
Foreman,  of  Carroll  County,  Mo.,  and  unto  them 
have  been  born  four  children;  Mary,  wife  of  David 
Wood,  of  Pike  County,  is  the  mother  of  four  chil- 
dren; Eliza  is  the  widow  of  William  Riddle,  who 
died  leaving  one  child;  Robert,  of  this  county, 
married  Maria  Coats  and  five  children  grace  their 
union;  Marcia  is  the  wife  of  William  Deemer,  of 
Pearl  Township,  and  their  family  numbers  four 
children;  Richard,  the  next  youoger,  is  single; 
Charles,  who  wedded  Allie  Johnston  by  whom  he 
has  one  child,  is  living  in  Montezuma  Township; 
Stephen,  who  completes  the  family,  married  Ella 
Smith,  and  makes  his  home  in  this  county. 

On  October  14,  1865,  Mr.  Renovd  was  again 
married,  the  maiden  name  of  his  wife  being  Lorena 
Duff,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Lucinda  (Thacker) 
Duff,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  the  Lat- 
ter of  Indiana.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in 
Illinois  and  until  1823  they  resided  in  Sangamon 
County,  whence  they  came  to  Pike  County  in  1825, 
locating  in  ^Montezuma  Township.  Mr.  Duft"  was 
then  in  very  limited  circumsta-.ces,  having  hardly 
the  necessaries  of  life.  He  made  the  journey  to 
this  county  in  an  ox  cart  and  underwent  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  which  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  pioneer.  At  length  he  sold  his  farm  and  in 
1833  removed  to  Jacksonville,  where  he  engaged 
in  staging  for  a  year  when  he  returned  to  his  home 
in  this  county'.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Detroit 
Township  in  1859.  and  the  death  of  his  wife  oc- 
curred the  succeeding  year.  He  had  by  industry 
and  good  management  acquired  some  (jroperty  and 
in  later  years  he  was  surrounded  Ity  all  of  the  com- 
forts and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  The  family 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duff  numbered  eight  children, 
three  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Mrs.  Renovd  was  born  in  Sangamon  County, 
October  20,  1823,  and  was  a  babe  of  six  months 
when  her  parents  came  to  this  county.  Her  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  a  log  schoolhousc  and  her 
father  made  rails  to  pay  her  tuition.     She  was  first 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


3(31 


married  in  Febrn.irj',  1843,  becoming  the  wife  of 
William  Riddle,  a  native  of  Pennsjlvania.  In 
I.Sj2  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California,  where  his 
death  occurred.  There  were  six  children  born  of 
that  marriage  liut  all  are  now  deceased. 

Mr.  and  ^Slrs.  Renovd  liave  spent  their  en- 
tire married  life  on  the  farm  which  is  now  their 
luinie.  As  before  stated  it  comprises  three  lum- 
drod  and  twenty  acres  of  richly  cultivated  land 
and  has  all  the  improvements  necessary  to  a  model 
farm  of  the  nineteenth  centurj'.  He  takes  a  jnst 
pride  in  its  splendid  a[ipcaranee  an<l  equipments  .as 
well  he  may,  for  it  stands  as  a  monument  to  his 
thrift  and  enterprise.  Mr.  Renovd  is  a  worth}' 
citizen  who  in  the  interest  of  the  public  has  done 
not  a  little.  He  was  formerly  a  Whig  in  political 
sentiment  but  at  its  organization  joined  the  Repub- 
lican party,  of  whicli  he  is  a  stalwort  supporter.  He 
has  served  as  School  Director,  a  position  which  his 
son  now  occupies,  and  his  wife,  a  worthy  lad}-,  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  From  East  to 
West,  from  North  to  South,  Mr.  Renovd  has  trav- 
ersed this  countr}'.  Born  in  Connecticut,  when  a 
babe  he  was  a  passenger  on  lioard  the  first  steam- 
boat ever  constructed;  his  bo^diood  days  were 
spent  in  New  York  where  he  saw  the  first  railroad 
ever  built;  he  has  traveled  across  the  plains  of  the 
West  to  California,  returning  by  way  of  the  Isth- 
mus of  Panama  and  New  Orleans,  and  Ohio  and 
lUinoisdiave  furnished  him  homes  in  his  mature 
years. 

—^ ^^-#" ^— 


^OHN  M.  SEANEY,  M.  D..  a  well-known, 
skillful  physician  of  Barry,  is  not  only  con- 
ducting his  profession  with  success,  but  is 
I  also  interested  in  agriculture  and  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  valuable  farm  in  this  township.  He 
was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  August  5,  1849. 
His  father,  Thomas  Seaney,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  place,  and  a  son  of  David  Seane}',  who  was 
also  born  in  Delaware.  The  latter  was  a  farmer  and 
followed  his  occupation  all  his  days,  spending  his 
entire  life  on  his  native  soil. 

Thomas    Seanej',     was    reared   on    his     father's 
farm  and  inherited   the  old  homestead   which    his 


grandfather  had  developed  from  the  wilderness 
and  there  the  whole  of  ins  life  was  passed.  He 
married  Mary  Molloston,  a  native  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  and  she  resides  on  the  home  farm  in  Kent 
County.  Thoy  were  the  parents  of  the  following 
four  children:  John  M.,  Elizabeth,  Molleslon  and 
Thomas. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  liiography  is  writ- 
ten was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  and  was 
given  fine  educational  advantages.  He  pursued 
excellent  courses  of  study,  both  at  AV^yoming  Semi- 
nary and  Felton  Academy  in  Kent  County,  and 
when  about  eighteen  years  of  age  beg.an  to  utilize 
his  knowledge  by  teaching.  He  was  thus  engaged 
for  four  jears.  and  during  that  time,  being  very 
anxious  to  enter  the  medical  profession,  he  having 
a  decided  taste  in  that  direction,  he  commenced  to 
study  that  he  might  attain  his  end.  Robert  Har- 
gardine  was  the  preceptor  and  after  receivina'  care- 
ful instruction  from  !iim  our  subject  attended 
medical  lectures  at  the  University  at  Philadelphia, 
one  of  the  most  noted  institutions  of  the  kind  in 
the  country,  and  from  there  he  was  graduated  with 
a  thorough  preparation  for  the  duties  of  the  new 
life  upon  which  he  was  .about  to  enter.  In  the 
month  of  November  following  his  graduation,  he 
opened  an  office  in  Philadelphia,  and  i)racticed 
there  until  his  visit  to  Ross  Count}',  Ohio,  in  April, 
1877,  when  he  removed  to  Kinderhook  to  practice 
with  Dr.  Penick. 

Our  subject  was  associated  with  that  gentleman 
until  1881,  when  he  located  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  resides.  He  has  since  given  much  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits  and  has  in  Barry  Township  a 
choice  farm  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  which 
is  finely  cultivated  and  is  in  every  way  sul)stan- 
tially  improved.  He  has  been  equally  successful  in 
both  vocations,  h.as  placed  himself  high  in  the  ranks 
of  the  medical  men  of  Pike  County  and  is  classed 
among  its  most  intelligent  and  practical  farmers. 

Dr.  Seaney  and  Miss  Lois  Fletcher  were  united 
in  marriage  September  1,  1878.  Mrs.  Seanev  is  a 
woman  of  fine  personal  character  and  of  great 
worth,  ."iud  the  Doctor  owes  to  her  administration 
much  of  the  attractiveness  and  comfort  of  a  i.-ozv 
home.  Mrs.  Seaney  i.s  a  native  of  this  tovvnship  and 
a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Nancy  Fletcher.  For  her 


362 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


parentul  history  see  sketch  of  William  Fletclici', 
vvliiuh  maj-  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume. The  greatest  grief  of  the  wedded  life  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been  in  the  death  of 
their  little  daughter  Mary,  at  the  age  of  three 
months. 

As  we  have  seen  the  Doctor  stands  well  profes- 
sionally, and  as  a  man  of  irreproachable  character 
and  high  principles,  possessing  true  public  spirit, 
and  one  who  is  honorable  and  true  in  all  his  relations 
with  others  he  has  i)roved  to  be  a  valuable  acquisi- 
tion to  the  citizenship  of  this  community  where 
both  he  and  his  wife  are  greatly  esteemed  for  their 
personal  qualities. 


IIARLES  MEISENBACH,  who  is  classed 
among  the  keen,  substantial  business  men  of 
yj  Pike  C'ount3',  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Pearl  Township  with  whose  mercantile 
interests  he  is  closely  identified  and  he  is  active  in 
the  administration  of  its  public  affairs.  He  was 
born  in  Seheiderhoche,  Province  of  Rhine,  Prussia, 
November  11,  1834.  His  parents,  Daniel  and  Fran- 
ceska  (Hagen)  Meisenbach,  were  also  born  in  that 
province. 

Daniel  Meisenbach  was  a  farmer  and  tanner  by 
occupation.  Wishing  to  improve  his  condition  he 
came  to  the  United  Sates  in  the  fall  of  1849,  em- 
barking at  Havre  de  Grace,  France,  with  his  family 
and  landing  in  New  York  on  the  28th  of  October. 
He  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  this  country. 
He  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  six  sons  and 
three  daughters,  allof  whom  were  born  in  Germany 
except  the  youngest. 

Our  subject  was  a  bright,  active  lad  of  fourteen 
wiien  he  accompanied  his  father  and  mother  to 
America.  He  remained  in  St.  Louis  till  the  fall  of 
1857,  when  he  came  to  Bedford,  Pike  Counlj^ 
where  he  engaged  in  bl.acksir.ilhing.  In  the  spring 
of  1859  he  moved  to  Bee  Creek  Post-offlce,  in  the 
southeastern  corner  of  Pike  County,  and  here  he 
has  ever  since  resided.  In  1871  he  abandoned  his 
trade  to  give  his  attention  to  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness and  to  speculating.     In  the  month  of  August, 


1882,  with  his  son  he  opened  a  store  at  Pearl  Station, 
which  his  son  has  operated  successfully  since.  Mr. 
Meisenbach  has  met  with  more  than  ordinary  suc- 
cess in  his  various  enterprises.  He  started  in  life 
without  a  dollar,  but  liy  industry,  wise  economy 
and  perseverance  he  has  accumulated  a  valuable 
estate.  He  has  invested  his  money  very  judiciously 
and  is  now  an  extensive  land-owner.  He  has  two 
hundred  and  fifty  nine  acres  in  Calhoun  Count}-  aud 
farms  and  timber  land  containing  eight  hundred  aiid 
fifteen  acres  in  Pike  County,  all  of  which  is  paid 
for.  His  credit  stands  high  in  financial  circles  as 
he  owes  no  man  a  dollar.  He  has  served  as  Post- 
master of  ]')ee  Creek  for  sixteen  years  and  he  has 
held  the  important  and  responsible  office  of  Treas- 
urer of  the  township  eighteen  3'ears,  proving  him- 
self in  both  capacities  to  have  fine  qualifications  for 
civic  life.  He  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  poli- 
tics, was  formerly  a  Republican  but  is  now  an 
earnest  advocate  of  the  Union   Labor  party. 

October  11,  1857,  our  subject  and  Caroline 
Lange  were  united  in  matrimony,  and  have  here 
one  of  the  most  desirable  homes  in  the  community, 
where  comfort  and  hospitalit}- reign  supreme.  Mrs. 
Meisenbach  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and 
came  to  the  I'nited  States  with  her  parents  in  1848. 
They  landed  at  New  Orleans  and  settled  near  St. 
Louis.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meisenbach  have  had  seven 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy.  The  otiiers 
are:  William  H. ;  Charles  D.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven  years;  Louisa,  Albert  E.,  and  Julia  C. 


~o*o-^g^^^-.o*o.. 


OATHANIEL  DUNHAM  is  one  of  the  mc 
'   prosperous    farmers    and    stock-raisers 
J   Griggsville    Township,    Pike   County,  ai 


most 
of 
[lii^tig  uriggsvuie  iownsnip,  riKe  t;ounty,  and 
occupies  a  good  place  among  the  intelligent,  pr.ac- 
tical  men  who  have  aided  in  the  upbuilding  of  that 
county.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Will- 
iam Dunham,  who  is  thought  to  have  been  a  native 
of  Maryland.      His  fatlier  was  an  Englishman. 

William  Dunham  grew  uj)  on  a  farm,  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Chane}'.  who  was,  like  him- 
self, a  native  of  jNIaryland,  her  parents,  like  the 
Dunhams,  having  come  to  this  country  about  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


365 


lime  of  the  Revolution.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunham 
lived  in  Maryland  and  Ohio  until  about  1845,  and 
then  in  their  old  age  came  to  Illinois  and  puiehased 
a  small  farm  in  Griggsville  Township,  and  Mr. 
Uuiiliam  finall}'  died  here  at  the  age  of  three-score 
and  ten  years.  His  wife  survived  him  some  years, 
and  then  she  too  died  at  the  same  place  in  this 
township  on  section  17,  at  an  advanced  age.  Both 
were  active  members  of  the  United  Brethre.i 
Church  and  were  very  religious  people.  They  had 
a  very  large  family  of  children,  of  whom  Lewis, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the  eldest. 

Lewis  Dunham  was  born  in  Maryland,  Septem- 
ber 12,  1802,  and  died  at  his  home  in  New  Salem 
Township,  September  14,  1866.  He  had  passed  his 
early  life  in  his  native  State  and  had  received  his 
education  there.  It  is  thought  that  he  was  mar- 
ried in  Ohio,  and  there  he  began  life  as  a  farmer 
and  cooper.  He  made  his  home  in  that  State  until 
1844,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  in  the  month  of 
April.  Three  years  later  he  settled  on  land  of  his 
own  in  New  Salem  Township,  and  was  there  suc- 
cessfully engaged,  and  from  a  poor  man  became 
comparatively  wealthy,  and  improved  a  valuable 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  was  a 
useful  citizen  of  the  township,  and  was  an  active 
and  conscientious  worker  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church.  He  was  known  for  his  truthfulness,  hon- 
esty and  other  fine  tr  lits  of  character,  which  won 
him  the  esteem  of  the  communit}^  He  was  a 
sound  Democrat  and  had  held  some  of  the  local 
offices. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  in  her  maiilen 
days  Sarah  A.  Nelson,  and  she  was  a  native  of 
Maryland.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Elisha  and 
Mary  (Stringer)  Nelson,  who  were  also  natives  of 
Maryland  and  are  thought  to  have  come  of  Scotch 
ancestry.  They  were  farmers  and  lived  after  mar- 
riage in  Maryland  and  Harrison  County,  Ohio, 
until  1842,  when  they  came  to  Illinois,  and  lived 
and  died  on  the  farm  thej'  owned  in  New  Salem 
Township,  Pike  Count}'.  They  were  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  Churcii  for  many  years.  Their 
daughter  Sarah  was  reared  in  Maryland,  and  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  husband,  whom  she  survived 
several  years,  finally  dying  when  [last  eighty  years 
of  age.    She  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  United 


Brethren  Church.     She  was  the  mother  of  nineteen 
children,  of  whom  nine  are  now  living. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio, 
February  14,  1834,  and  came  to  Hlinois  with  his 
parents.  He  attained  his  majority'  in  New  Salem 
Township,  and  began  to  farm  on  his  own  account 
at  that  time.  His  success  as  a  shrewd,  practical, 
energetic  farmer  has  been  great,  and  he  is  now  the 
owner  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
Griggsville  Township,  located  on  sections  7,  8, 
17  and  18,  with  liis  residence  on  the  latter,  'i'lie 
homestead  is  a  good  and  fine!}'  improved  farm, 
supplied  with  buildings  of  a  neat  and  substantial 
order,  and  with  every  appurtenance  for  car  ying  on 
farming  so  as  to  produce  the  b(!St  results.  He  has 
paid  great  attention  to  stock-raising,  and  h.as  made 
a  speci.alt}'  of  high  grade  horses,  from  the  sale  of 
which  he  has  made  much  mone}'. 

Mr.  Dunham  was  married  in  Martinsburg  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Kiser.  She  was  born  in  Warren 
Count}',  Ind.,  May  3,  1838,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Eliza  J.  (Foreman)  Kiser,  natives  re- 
spectively of  Virginia  anrl  Ohio.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Indiana,  and  after  marriage  lived  on  a  farm 
not  far  from  Danville.  In  1844  thej- came  to  Pike 
County,  III.,  settled  in  Ncwburg  Township,  and 
later  in  Martinsburg,  where  Mr.  Kiser  died  in  tlie 
fall  of  1860  when  about  three-score  j'ears  of  age.  He 
came  to  this  count}' a  poor  man,  but  purchased  and 
improved  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  good 
land  while  he  lived  here,  though  he  had  been  all 
his  life  a  cripple  from  white  swelling.  He  was 
possessed  of  remarkable  energy,  was  a  hard  worker 
and  a  good  manager.  He  was  a  member  in  high 
standing  of  the  United  Brethren  Church,  with 
which  his  wife  is  still  connected.  She  is  living,  at 
the  venerable  age  of  seventy-five  j'ears,  and  is 
making  her  home  with  her  son  John  in  Milton. 

Mrs.  Dunham,  our  subject's  wife,  is  the  second  of 
her  mother's  children,  and  was  young  when  her 
parents  came  to  Illinois.  She  is  the  mother  of 
seven  children,  of  whom  two  are  deceased — David 
M.  and  Nicholas,  who  died  young.  The  others 
are  :  Daniel,  a  farmer  of  New  Salem  Township,  who 
married  Martha  ,1.  Wood;  William  11.,  a  farmer 
on  section  7,  of  this  township,  who  married  Eliza- 
beth Aber;  Lewis  O.,  in  Aurora  County,  Neb.,  who 


364 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


married  Anna  McCla}';  Charles  E.,  who  is  at  home 
with  his  parenis  and  assists  in  working  the  farm  ; 
Orpha  J.,  the  wife  of  Stanton  M.  Kennedy,  a  farmer 
in  this  township.  Mt.  Dunham  and  his  farail}'  are 
vahied  members  of  the  United  Brethren  Church, 
and  are  very  highly  thouglit  of  in  Griggsville 
Township  and  the  surrounding  county,  where  they 
are  well  known.  Mr.  Dunham  takes  an  intelligent 
interest  iu  polities  and  uses  his  influence  in  favor 
of  the  Democratic  [)artv.  Mr.  Dunham  is  a  trustee 
of  the  Westficld  United  Brethren  College,  of  Clark 
County,  111. 


AMUEL  BRAKEFIELD  was  for  many 
jears  an  honored  and  well-known  resident 
of  Pike  County,  where  he  acquired  wealth 
through  his  operations  as  a  skillful  farmer 
and  stock-raiser,  he  having  a  large  and  valuable 
farm  and  other  property  in  Griggsville  Township, 
making  his  home  in  the  city  of  Griggsville  during 
the  latter  part  of  his  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  Novem- 
lier  27,  1824,  and  was  there  reared  and  educated  by 
good  parents  till  the  removal  of  the  family  to  the 
State  of  New  York.  His  father  and  mother,  Charles 
and  Mary  Brakefield,  were  natives  of  Kent,  Eng- 
land, coming  of  old  English  stock  of  the  better 
class.  After  their  marriage  and  the  birth  of  the 
most  of  their  family  they  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania  about  1823. 
They  spent  the  latter  part  of  their  lives  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  dying  there  when  past  fourscore 
years.  They  were  honest,  hard-working  people  of 
Christian  character,  and  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church. 

He  'of  whom  we  write  was  the  youngest  of  the 
familj',  and  his  birth  occurred  witliin  a  year  after 
his  parents  had  arrived  in  America.  lie  was  about 
twenty-four  years  old  when  he  came  to  Illinois  in 
1847,  and  coming  thus  in  the  opening  years  of  a 
stalwart,  vigorous  manhood,  the  most  of  his  active 
life  was  passed  here.  He  first  purchased  land  on 
section  27,  in  Griggsville  Township,  and  became 
the   owner  of  a  very  large  estate,   which  was  well 


improved  and  was  put  under  fine  cultivation  by  our 
sul)ject  and  his  brother  .Tames,  with  whom  he  owned 
it  in  partnership  for  a  time,  subsequently  becoming 
the  proprietor  of  the  whole,  amounting  to  seven 
hundred  acres  of  land  and  several  city  lots.  For 
some  time  after  first  coming  to  the  county,  he  and 
his  brother  successfully  carried  on  the  manufacture 
of  brooms,  and  had  later  purchased  land  together 
in  one  of  the  finest  farming  localities  in  thecount3^ 
Mr.  Brakefield  was  a  hard-working  man,  possessed 
of  sound  common  sense  and  gooil  business  qualities, 
which  were  important  factors  in  bringing  about  his 
prosperous  circumstances  and  making  him  one  of 
the  mone3-ed  men  of  the  county.  He  was  a  pillar  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  man}'  years  and 
assisted  in  the  management  of  its  affairs.  He  was  a 
sound  Republican  iu  politics,  but  was  not  an  office- 
seeker,  though  he  held  some  of  the  local  township 
oflices.  As  an  honest  business  man,  as  a  Christian 
gentleman,  as  a  devoted  husband,  loving  father  and 
kind  neighbor,  no  man  stood  higher  in  the  com- 
munity than  he,  and  his  death  cast  a  sliadow  of 
gloom  over  the  people  of  this  town  and  vicinity, 
amongst  whom  he  had  lived  so  many  years. 

Our  subject's  career  was  brought  to  a  close  under 
peculiarly  sad  circumstances,  he  having  met  instant 
death  at  G:30  a.  m.  June  13,  1874,  by  a  passenger 
train  running  upon  him  while  be  was  driving  a 
team  to  a  wagon,  and  crossing  the  Wabash  Railroad 
within  the  city  limits  of  Griggsville.  The  engine 
struck  the  wagon  with  such  force  as  to  throw  Mr. 
Brakefield  upon  the  pilot  and  he  was  carried  several 
rods  and  mutilated  in  a  most  shocking  manner, 
receiving  many  gashes  and  cuts  and  his  neck  and 
limbs  being  dislocated. 


^RANCIS  M.  LYNN  is  a  native-born  citizen 
of  Calhoun  County,   and  is  a   worthy  rep- 
■'A^  resentative  of  its  citizenship.     He  has  Ijeen 

as.sociated  with  its  educational  affairs  ever  since  his 
early  manhood,  and  as  an  intelligent,  progressive 
teacher  occupies  a  high  place  in  his  profession. 
He  is  also  identified  with  the  agricultural  interests 
of    this    region    and    has    a   good    farm    in  Carlin 


J= 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


3G5 


Precinct  wliich  was  his  father's  honu'Stead  in 
pioneer  times,  bis  fatlier  being-  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  part  of  the  count}'. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Carlin  Precinct,  October 
19,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Mary  (Maiipin) 
Lynn.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  or 
North  Carolina  and  his  mother  of  ^'irginia.  His 
grandfather  Maupin  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812  and  fought  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  settled  in  Calhoun 
Count}'  early  in  the  '40s,  permanenlly  locating 
on  the  farm  on  section  31.  Carliu  Precinct,  which 
is  now  the  home  of  their  son  of  whom  we  write. 
Mr.  Lynn ,  energetically  set  about  the  work  of 
developing  Lis  land,  and  was  busily  engaged  in  iis 
improvement  till  death  cut  short  his  useful  career 
in  1856  and  removed  from  our  midst  a  valued 
pioneer.  His  widow  survived  him  only  a  few 
years,  when  she  too  passed  awa}'.  The}^  were  the 
parents  of  five  children,  of  whom  four  are  living: 
Lewis,  in  Chautauqua,  Kan. ;  Mar}',  the  wife  of  R. 
E.  Bennett,  in  Belleview  Piecinct;  Francis  M. ; 
and  Marlitia,  wife  of  Oeorge  W.  Luraley,  in  Carlin 
Precinct. 

Francis  M.  r>ynn  was  reared  amid  tiie  inliuenees 
of  pioneer  life  in  Carlin  Precinct  and  was  bred  to 
the  life  of  a  farmer.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  county,  and  always 
fond  of  books  and  a  close  student  he  became  well- 
fitted  for  a  teacher  and  entered  upon  that  pro- 
fession in  1874.  He  has  taught  every  consecutive 
year  but  one  since  that  lime  and  is  one  of  our  most 
popular  and  successful  educators. 

Mr.  Lynn  has  a  finely  cultivated  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  five  acres,  and  here  hr.  has  a  home 
where  comfort  predominates  and  which  is  the  center 
of  the  true  hospitality  that  '■  welcomes  the  coming 
and  speeds  the  parting  guest."  Our  subject  is  a 
man  of  a  thoughtful,  well-trained  mind  and  a  fine 
character,  and  he  is  always  courteous  and  kindly  in 
his  relations  with  all  who  come  in  contact  with 
him.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  representative 
citizens  of  Carlin  Precinct  and  enjoys  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  the  business  community.  He  is 
earnestly  interested  in  politics  and  gives  his 
allegiance  to  the  Republican  party.  His  public 
spirit  is  unquestioned,  as   he  always  endeavors  to 


promote  the  best  interests  of  his  native  county 
materially,  morally  and  socially.  He  is  a  member 
in  good  standing  of  the  Methodist  Elpiseopal  Church. 
He  has  served  one  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  with 
fairness  and  to  the  complete  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned. 

iMr.  Lynn  was  married  October  20,  1872,  to  Mary 
Barkiey.  a  native  of  Calhoun  County  and  a 
daughter  of  .loliu  and  Charity  (Mill)  Barkiey,  early 
settlers  of  this  part  of  the  State,  botii  of  whom  are 
now  deceased.  A  happy  married  life  has  brought 
to  our  subject  and  his  wife  seven  children,  of 
w'hom  one  is  deceased — Chester  O.  The  others  are 
Nellie  L.,  Mellie  E.,  Georgiana,  Lewis  M.,  Francis 
W.  and  Jesse  U.  Mrs.  Lynn  departed  this  life 
March  25,  1886. 


^^ 


HRISTOPHER  APPLETON,  of   Pittsfield. 


L-alers  in  live  stock  in  Pike  County.  He 
owns  many  acres  of  choice  land,  has  two  finely 
improved  farms,  and  is  a  man  of  wealth  and  consid- 
eration in  this  community.  He  is  of  English  birth 
and  antecedents.  He  was  born  in  the  great 
metropolis  of  London.  December  12.  1818,  and  is  a 
son  of  Christopher  and  Elizabeth  (Hewitson) 
Appleton.  His  father  was  a  moderate  farmer  in 
the  old  country,  and  emigrated  to  America  with  his 
family  and  located  in  Bedford  County,  Pa.  The 
parents  of  our  subject  continued  to  live  in  that 
part  of  Pennsylvania  the  remainder  of  their  days, 
the  father  dying  November  10,  1857,  and  the 
mother  October  2G,  1873.  They  were  the  parents  of 
fourteen  children. 

Christopher  Appleton  was  but  eight  months  old 
when  his  parents  brought  him  to  this  country, 
therefore  he  has  known  no  other  home  but  this,  and 
having  been  bred  under  American  institutions  and 
educated  in  the  schools  of  this  country  he  is  as 
loyal  and  patriotic  a  citizen  as  if  he  were  a  native 
of  the  soil.  He  was  principally  educated  in  Bedford, 
Pa.,  and  remained  an  inmate  of  the  parental  house- 
holil    till    he    reached  hfs  twentieth  year.      He  then 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


started  out  into  the  world  as  a  traveling  salesman 
for  a  marble  firm,  and  continued  thus  engaged  for 
eight  3'ears.  From  1865  to  1872  lie  was  employed 
in  the  huckstering  business,  and  besides  selling 
buttvjr  and  eggs  handled  wool  and  fur  quite  exten- 
sively. 

In  1872  our  subject  began  dealing  in  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs,  feeding  and  raising  them  for  a 
number  of  years  and  carrying  on  farming  quite 
successfully.  He  now  owns  two  good  and  well- 
improved  farms  which  comprise  five  hundred  acres 
of  land  of  superior  quality,  on  whic^h  are  placed  ex- 
cellent buildings,  and  they  have  every  appliance 
for  carrying  on  agriculture  after  the  best  methods. 
Politicall3',  IMr.  Appleton  is  rather  conservative, 
but  in  State  matters  he  votes  with  the  Democrats. 
He  is  a  member  of  Pittsfield  Lodge,  No.  95,  I.  O. 
O.  F.  In  him  the  Baptist  Ciiurch  finds  one  of  its 
most  valued  and  active  members,  he  being  one  of 
its  Deacons.  He  is  a  man  of  far-seeing  fore- 
thought, of  keen  business  qualifications,  and  while 
he  understands  well  how  to  manage  his  affairs  ad- 
vantageonsl}'  he  is  always  square  and  upright  in  his 
dealings,  and  his  honesty  and  integrity  have  never 
been  questioned. 

Mr.  Appleton  has  not  been  without  the  assistance 
of  a  good  wife,  who  has  shared  his  laliors  and  has 
been  an  important  factor  in  bringing  about  their 
prosperity.  Their  marriage  was  solemnized  De- 
cember 11,  1845.  Mrs.  Appleton  was  formerly 
Charlotte  Stinnett  and  is  a  native  of  Virginia.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Joel  jNI.  Stinnett,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Appleton  have  one  daughter 
— Anna — the  wife  of  John  S.  Sedberry,  of  Pittsfield 
Townsliip,  HI. 


FNTON  DIRKSMEYER.  Among  the 
sturdy  German-American  citizens  of  Cal- 

i  i  houn  County  who  have  labored  long  and 
1^;^  well  in  connection    with   the  development 

of  this  section,  is  the  gentleman  above  named,  who 
resides  on  section  19,  Hamburg  Precinct.  Coming 
herewith  but  little  means  in  1850,  he  sought  em- 
l)loyment   at   any   honorable    labor  which   he  wan 


able  to  perform,  and  finding  work  labored  so  ar- 
duously and  hoarded  his  resources  so  carefully 
that  in  a  few  years  he  was  able  to  buy  property  and 
establish  himself  as  an  agriculturist.  From  year 
to  year  he  manifested  the  same  industry'  and  fru- 
gality by  means  of  which  he  secured  his  first  cap- 
ital and  placed  his  affairs  on  a  more  substantial 
basis. 

Mr.  Dirksraeyer  is  a  Prussian,  born  July  22, 
1822,  in  the  kingdom  which  takes  iirecedence 
among  the  states  of  the  German  Empire.  His  par- 
ents, Joseph  and  Eva  (Paulmeyer)  Dirksmeyer, 
were  natives  of  the  Fatherland  and  occupied  a  farm 
upon  which  our  subject  spent  his  early  life.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education  in  his  native  language  and 
since  he  came  to  America  has  acquired  a  fair  knowl- 
edge of  English.  During  the  Revolution  in  Baden 
Mr.  Dirksmeyer  served  in  the  Prussian  Army.  The 
land  beyond  the  sea  offered  attractions  to  him  which 
led  to  his  departure  from  his  native  clime  in  1850, 
on  board  a  sailing  vessel,  which  sot  out  from 
Bremen  and  after  a  voyage  of  nine  weeks  an- 
chored at  New  Orleans. 

Mr.  Dirksmejer  came  direct  to  Calhoun  County, 
HI.,  where  he  first  found  work  as  a  wood  chopper 
and  lumberman,  doing  most  of  his  choijping  for  $1 
per  cord.  He  w.is  engaged  in  these  employments 
about  two  years,  after  which  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land  on  section  13,  Hamberg  Precinct,  and  made 
his  home  there  for  a  number  of  years.  About 
twenty  years  ago  he  settled  on  the  farm  he  now 
owns  and  operates,  which  consists  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  whose  fertile  soil  has  been  carefully 
and  intoUigentl}'  tilled  and  which  has  been  supplied 
with  every  needed  improvement. 

Realizing  the  worth  of  a  faithful  companion, 
Mr.  Dirksmeyer  won  for  his  wifeThakla  Abeln,  to 
whom  he  was  married  in  1854.  Twelve  children 
came  to  bless  the  happy  union.  William,  Mary,  Jo- 
so|ili,  John,  Sophia,  August,  Anton,  Anne  and 
Frank  are  living;  John  H.,  Ilenr}'  and  Peter  are 
deceased.  Marj'  is  now  the  wife  of  E.  Meyer,  and 
Sophia  of  M.  Kellc.  The  wife  and  mother  passed 
away  in  1881.  leaving  behind  her  the  memory  of 
an  industrious  and  useful  life. 

Mr.  Dirksmeyer  is  a  believer  in  and  a  supporter 
of    the    [irinciples    laid    down   b}-   the   Democratic 


vyu^^^^t^  ^.  ^dt.^^-^  /^.^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


369 


party,  and  molds  his  life  according  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Catholic  Churcli,  to  which  he  belongs. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director  and  is  now  Road 
Coniniissioner  of  Hamburg  Precinct.  He  is  justly 
classed  among  the  public-spirited  and  leading  Ger- 
man citizens  of  the  county  and  has  won  the 
goodwill  of  his  acquaintances. 


1 


SJSAAC  S.  BERREY,  M.  D.  An  excellent  stand- 
ing among  the  professional  men  in  Calhoun 
Count3'  is  held  bj'  the  gentleman  above  named, 
who  is  now  located  in  Batchtovvn.  From  that  thriv- 
ing place  his  reputation  extends  over  a  wide  terri- 
torj",  and  the  demands  for  his  professional  services 
take  him  some  distance  from  his  home.  He  is  a 
native  of  Richwoods  Precinct,  and  is  still  quite  a 
young  man,  his  natal  day  having  been  October  17, 
IS.'je.  He  possesses  a  collegiate  education,  and  be- 
fore he  began  his  medical  studies  had  iiis  mind  so 
drilled  that  he  was  able  to  advance  rapidly  in  his 
comprehension  of  the  profession.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  one  of  the  best  medical  schools  in  the 
country  and  during  the  3ears  which  have  passed 
since  that  time,  has  taken  advantage  of  every  op- 
portunity to  further  increase  his  knowledge,  and 
add  to  his  practical  skill. 

The  paternal  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia  as  far  back  as  the  family  record 
extends.  His  grandfather,  Lawson  Borrey,  was 
born  in  Culpeper  County,  reared  in  his  native 
State,  and  removed  to  Missouri  in  1836.  He  had 
learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper,  and  after  locating  in 
the  West,  continued  to  give  his  attention  to  it  but 
also  improved  some  land.  He  bought  property  in 
Ralls  County,  built  a  home  and  lived  there  until 
1846  when  he  breathed  his  last.  He  had  married 
Elizabeth  Somers,  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Bar- 
bara (Sauers)  Somers,  natives  of  Germany,  whose 
last  years  were  spent  in  Page  County,  Va. 

James  Berrey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  one 
of  ten  children  born  to  his  parents.  His  natal  day 
was  November  4,  1821,  and  his  birthplace  Page 
County,  Va.  He  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Missouri,  the  removal  be- 


ing made  with  a  team  to  the  Ohio  River,  thence  on 
a  steamer  to  Hannibal,  Mo.,  and  by  teams  to  the 
new  home  twent^'-five  miles  distant.  At  that  time 
the  county  was  sparsel}-  settled,  but  few  improve- 
ments had  been  made  and  all  of  the  surroundings 
were  of  the  most  primitive  nature.  Young  Berrey 
began  his  labors,  working  bj'  the  daj-,  but  finally 
advanced  to  yearly  engagements,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage rented  land  for  a  time.  He  then  bought 
eighty  acres  living  thereon  until  1852,  when  he 
sold  and  came  to  Calhoun  County,  111.  Purchas- 
ing a  tract  of  timber  land  in  Riciiwoods  Precinct, 
he  built  a  log  house  and  at  once  began  the  work  of 
improvement.  He  lived  upon  the  homestead  until 
1883,  when  he  rented  it  and  removed  into  Batch- 
town,  where  he  had  built  the  house  he  now  occu- 
pies. 

The  marriage  of  James  Berrey  and  Emil}'  J.  Sco- 
bee  was  solemnized  in  April,  1845.  The  bride  was 
born  in  Ralls  County,  Mo.,  February  2,  1825.  Her 
father,  Robert  Scobee,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and 
her  grandfather,  John  Scobee, was  probably  a  native 
of  the  same  State.  The  latter  became  a  pioneer  of 
Ralls  County,  Mo.,  buying  land  about  twenty-five 
miles  from  Hannibal.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Berrey 
was  reared  to  farm  life,  and  followed  it,  spending 
his  last  years  in  Missouri.  He  married  Lydia 
Turner,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Anna  Turner,  and 
a  native  of  Culpeper  County,  Va.  That  lady  did 
all  her  cooking  by  a  fireplace  during  the  early 
j-ears  of  her  married  life,  and  also  manufactured 
the  greater  part  of  the  cloth  used  in  the  family, 
having  been  taught  to  card,  spin,  and  weave.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  James  Berrey  are  the  parents  of  five  liv- 
ing children — Robert,  Isaac,  Lizzie,  Mary,  and 
Alice;  and  have  lost  four — Andrew,  Jane,  Abner 
and  Lydia.  Both  [)arents  are  devout  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  Berre}'  received  his  early  education  in  the 
stone  schoolhouse  of  Batchtown,  and  further  ad- 
vanced his  knowledge  by  attendance  at  McKendiee 
College  in  Lebanon,  111.  He  taught  one  term  at 
the  Nicholas  schoolhouse  in  Riciiwoods  Precinct. 
During  his  youth  when  not  attending  school  he 
assisted  his  father  in  operating  the  farm.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years  he  turned  his  attention  to 
the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  the  winter  of  1878-79 


370 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


attended  lectures  at  the  Missouri  Medical  Col- 
lege at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  During  tlie  winter  of  1881- 
82,  he  was  again  present  there,  and  was  graduated 
in  March,  1882.  He  at  once  began  practice  in  the 
precinct  of  which  he  is  a  native,  locating  on  a  farm 
which  he  carried  on  in  connection  with  his  profes- 
sional duties  until  1887.  He  then  took  up  liis 
abode  in  Batchtown,  and  devoted  himself  entirely 
to  his  growing  practice.  He  is  successful  in  diag- 
nosing and  treating  diseases,  and  is  a  very  popular 
member  of  society,  as  well  as  of  his  profession. 

At  tlie  home  of  Joseph  and  Harriet  Bell,  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct,  September  15,  1880,  Dr.  Bcrrey 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Obedience, 
daughter  of  the  host  and  hostess.  The  bride  is  a 
refined  Christian  woman,  and  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  happy 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  chil- 
dren— Marquis  Otto,  Ruth  Ulu,  Rosa,  and  Mary 
Josephine.  Ruth  Ulu  and  Mary  Josephine  are  de- 
ceased. The  Doctor  is  a  candidate  for  Coroner  of 
Calhoun  County  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  is 
prominent  in  the  ranks  of  that  party.  His  portrait 
is  presented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


WfclLLIAM  B.  JAMES,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Pike  County,  makes  his  home  in  Atlas 
Township,  where  he  enjoys  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  the  entire  community.  He  was  born 
in  the  village  of  Scawbc^',  Lincolnshire,  England, 
August  22,  1811.  His  fatlier,  Thomas  James,  was 
born  in  the  same  village,  August  10,  1783.  His 
father  who  was  also  named  Thomas,  was  a  native  of 
that  village,  where  he  spent  his  entire  life.  He  was 
a  mason  by  trade,  and  accumulated  a  little  prop- 
erty. He  was  a  member  of  the  old  established 
Church  of  England. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Ills  birth,  and  learned  of  his  father  the  trade 
of  a  mason,  whicli  he  followed  all  his  life  in  his 
birthplace,  where  he  died  January  27,  1849,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-one  years.  lie  was  a  consistent  mernber 
of  the  Church  of  England    He  was  married  in  early 


manhood  to  Saloma  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  the 
village  of  Ashby-Cum-Fenby,  Lincolnshire,  March 
20,  1791.  She  died  in  1871  in  her  eightieth  year. 
She  was  the  mother  of  thirteen  children,  of  whom 
ten  grew  to  maturity,  namel}':  our  subject,  George, 
Joiin,  Henr^-,  Hannah,  Sarah,  Thomas,  Amaziah, 
Joseph,  and  Maria  The  mother  belonged  to  tlie 
Churcii  of  England.  Her  father,  William  Rey- 
nolds, was  a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  where  he  was 
engaged  as  a  farmer,  owning  and  occupying  a  farm 
of  about  fifty  acres  of  land,  and  he  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy  years.  He  was  a  strict  member  of  the 
Church  of  England.  He  and  his  good  wife  reared 
a  family  of  six  children. 

The  gentleman  of   whom  these  lines  are  written, 
passed  his  early  life  in   his  pleasant  English  home, 
and  there  learned  the  trade  of  a  mason  of   his  fa-        i 
ther.     After  attaining    manliood   he    went   to   the 
town  of  Hull  and  worked  for  his  uncle   iu   a   slioe       ' 
store  for  about  one  year.     Returning  to  his  native 
village  he  worked    tliere  as  a  mason   until   lie   was 
thirty  years  old.     He  then  went  back  to  Hull    and       I 
clerked  in  the  store  ten  months.     We  next  hear  of 
him  in  York,  England,  where  he  engaged   in   busi- 
ness for  himself  as  a  shoe  dealer.     He  conducted 
the  store  there  about  ten   months,  when  he  became 
insolvent  and  had  to  give  up  business.     He    went       i 
back  to  Scawbey  and  resumed  work  as  a  mason,  and       i 
carried  on  his  trade  there  until  1852.    In  that  year 
he  made  a  new  start  in  life,  and  coming  to  America 
in  the   month   of  April  he  made  his  waj-  to  this 
State,  and  settled  on  one  hundred  and  twenty  aeies 
of    land    in    Martinsburg    Township,  this  county, 
whicli  when  he  jHU'chased  it  was  unimproved.     He 
built  a  little  one-story   frame   house,   and  actively 
went  to  work  to  develop  his  land,  which  he  cleared 
and  improved  into  a  good  farm.     He  was  unaided 
in  ills  pioneer    labors,  and    had    to   work   hard   to 
bring  his  place  to  its  present  state  of  cultivation.       [, 
He  made  his  home  on  it  until  the  summer  of  1884, 
when  he  retired  to  his  present  home  at  Summer  Hill, 
where  lie  is  living  iu  the  enjoyment  of  tlie  fruits  of 
his    early  industry,  with  his    daughter,    Elizabeth 
Shaw,    and  is  surrounded   by  every  comfort  that 

filial  love  can  devise.  { 

a 
He  has   been    twice   married.     On   the   10th    of 

March,  183U,  he  was  wedded  to  Ellen  Jackson,  who 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUJI. 


371 


was  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England  in  1813.  Sliedied 
of  constimption  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven  years, 
leaving  two  children :  Thomas  died  when  young; 
and  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Shaw).  Ilis  second  marriage, 
which  was  celebrated  April  1 1,  1842,  was  with  Anna 
Toi)ham,  who  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England. 
They  had  two  children,  Thomas  who  died  leaving  a 
widow  and  three  children;  and  Henry,  who  died 
young.  Mrs.  James  departed  this  life  April  12, 
18b4,  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years. 

Mr.  .lames  has  borne  an  honorable  part  in  the 
administration  of  public  affairs,  and  has  been  a 
prominent  factor  in  promoting  the  social  and  re- 
ligious life  of  Martiusburg  Township.  He  is  a 
true  and  consistent  member  of  tlie  Congregational 
Ciiurch,  and  in  politics  is  a  follo^ver  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  While  a  resident  of  Martiusburg 
Township  he  served  as  Collector,  School  Trustee 
and  Director. 


ON.  BENJAMIN  DODGE  BROWN  was 
^i  for  many  years  a  prominent  and  widely- 
'  known  citizen  of  Pike  County,  with  whose 
interests  he  was  closely  identified  from  pio- 
neer daj's.  He  was  an  early  settler  of  Barry  Town- 
ship, which  at  his  death,  August  3,  1887,  lost  one 
of  its  most  valued  citizens. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Wenham,  Essex  County, 
Mass.,  February  22,  1804,  and  was  a  son  of  William 
and  Anne  (Dodge)  Brown.  He  went  to  Vermont 
with  ilis  parents  at  tlie  age  of  fifteen  years  and  as  he 
was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children,  he  soon  after 
left  home  to  seek  his  own  living.  He  went  to  Bur- 
lington and  there  met  a  Mr.  Twing,  a  millwriglit 
from  Barre,  and  he  accompanied  him  home  and 
learned  of  him  his  trade.  He  was  naturally  a  fine 
mechanic  and  became  a  master  workman  before  he 
was  of  age.  He  earned  good  wages  and  ns  he  was 
industrious  he  wisely  saved  up  his  money,  and  be- 
came independent,  having  the  wherewithal  to  buy 
a  farm  from  iiis  father. 

Shrewdly  foreseeing  that  in  a  new  State  like  Illi- 
nois there  would  be  many  openings  for  a  man 
of  his  skill  and  ability,  he  determined  to  try  life  in 


the  West,  and  in  1833  he  came  to  Illinois,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  they  having  previously  lived 
for  two  years  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  Soon  after  coming 
here  Mr.  Brown  crossed  the  river  into  Missouri, 
and  built  a  mill  at  Louisiana  and  another  at  St. 
Louis.  During  the  time  he  lived  there  he  bought 
a  farm  svhich  is  now  included  in  the  city  of  Barry, 
and  includes  Diamond  Hill.  He  settled  here  in 
1839,  and  devoted  a  part  of  his  time  to  his  trade 
and  the  rest  of  it  to  farming  for  some  years,  and 
finall}'  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  car- 
ried that  on  with  great  success,  building  up  a  large 
trade  and  he  subsequently  entered  into  the  banking 
business,  and  was  prospered  financially  at  that. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  cal- 
ibre and  business  capacity,  whose  honorable  and 
upright  dealing  won  him  a  high  place  in  the  busi- 
ness circles  throughout  the  count}-  for  which  he  did 
much.  He  represented  it  in  the  Legislature  of 
1841-42  and  was  always  active  in  everything  that 
tended  to  advance  its  welfare.  His  widow  sur- 
vives him  and  a  sketch  of  lier  life  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  work. 

No  words  of  ours  can  render  full  justice  to  the 
life  and  character  of  our  subject  so  well  as  the  fol- 
lowing beautiful  and  eloquent  tribute  paid  to  his 
memory  by  his  friend  and  companion,  Dr.  A.  C. 
Baker,  at  the  funeral  services  held  August  5,  1887: 

My  Friends: — We  are  met  to  render  the  last  du- 
ties to  one  who  has  long  been  a  landmark  in  this 
communit}'.  A  long,  useful,  active  and  honorable 
life  is  ended,  and  it  is  meet  that  such  a  life  should 
not  close  without  a  tribute,  however  feeble. 

It  is  right  that  I  should  give  an  explanation,  per- 
haps an  apology,  for  proposing  to  undertake  this 
task.  Some  years  since,  in  anticipation  of  the  event, 
Mr.  Brown  informed  me  how  he  wished  his  funeral 
to  be  conducted.  That  it  should  be  at  his  house,  so 
that  if  the  weather  should  be  fair  his  friends  and 
neighbors  could  gather  under  the  spreading 
shade,  and  that  I,  his  old  friend,  would  s.a}-  a  few 
words  before  he  started  on  his  last  journe}-.  I 
promised  that  if  life  and  health  were  spared  me  I 
would  make  the  effort,  and  1  am  here  to  try  and  re- 
deem lay  pledge. 

Of  our  long  aiul  close  friendship,  and  of  his 
kindness  to  me  and  mine,  I  will  not  trust  myself  to 
speak. 

Benjamin  D.  Brown  was  born  February  22,  1804, 
in  Wenliam,  Essex  County,  Mass.  He  was  tiie  son 
of  William  and  Anne  Brown.     He  lived  in  Massa- 


372 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cliusetts  until  after  the  War  of  1812,  when  his  par- 
ents removed  to  tlie  town  of  Hillsboro,  N.  IL  After 
four  j'ears  residence  they  removed  to  Vermcnit, 
leaving  their  son  Benjamin  in  New  Hampshire.  Af- 
ter some  years  he  rejoined  his  parents,  and  in  his 
sixteenth  year  went  to  Burlington,  Vt..  to  seek  h's 
fortune  and  never  resided  utider  the  parental  roof 
afterwards. 

fie  was  married  in  1831  to  Miss  Mary  Kclhim,  of 
Barre,  Vt.,  a  daugliter  of  Ciiarles  and  Rebecca 
Kellum,  and  two  years  afterwards  removed  to  Pike 
County,  III.  He  first  settled  iu  the  town  of  Atlas, 
and  in  1831)  came  to  Barry,  where  be  has  since  re- 
sided. 

When  he  left  the  paternal  roof  to  seek  his  for- 
tune, he  found  employment  at  $10  a  month  carry- 
ing mortar  to  builii  a  mill.  Here  was  a  turning 
point  in  his  career.  On  this  I  will  dwell  a  few 
moments.  All  of  us  who  know  him  can  picture  to 
ourselves  the  strong,  active,  accommodating  lad, 
ready  for  anything,  with  an  eye  quick  to  see  and  a 
hand  prompt  to  execute.  This  quality  soon  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  master  millwright,  who 
look  him  as  an  apprentice.  A  life-long  friendship 
was  established,  and  as  soon  as  he  became  of  age  a 
])artnership  was  formed,  the  beginning  of  a  pros- 
perous career. 

A  word  to  the  boys :  Some  boys  would  have  re- 
mained hodcarriers  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
Good  habits,  good  nature,  energy  and  industry 
were  the  levers  that  lifted  Mr.  Brown — tliese  and 
nothing  more. 

As  soon  as  he  began  to  earn  money  for  himself, 
his  first  thought  was  to  provide  for  olliois.  His 
father  wns  a  day  laborer,  with  a  large  family.  With 
his  first  savings  he  bought  a  farm  on  the  banks  of 
Lake  Champlain,  at  once  changing  the  condition  of 
his  parents  from  that  of  poverty  to  that  of  inde- 
pendent tillers  of  the  soil.  This  having  been  ac- 
complished he  started  for  the  West  in  company  with 
one,  the  loving  partner  of  his  joys  and  sorrows 
who,  full  of  j'pars  and  honors,  is  yet  here. 

Upon  our  friend's  long  and  eventually  success- 
ful career  as  farmer,  merchant,  miller  and  legisla- 
tor, I  do  not  propose  to  dwell,  but  will  allude  to  a 
misa;)prchension  that  exists  in  the  minds  of  the 
community,  at  least  in  those  whose  memory  does 
not  go  back  more  than  twenty  years.  There  is  an 
impression  that  he  was  an  unusually  fortunate  man, 
that  good  luck  attended  every  undertaking  iu 
wliich  he  was  engaged,  and  to  this  is  attributed  his 
success  in  life.  Tliere  was  never  a  greater  mistake. 
Once  by  fire,  once  by  a  great  commercial  crisis,  he 
was  brought  to  the  verge  of  ruin,  the  last  time  since 
passing  his  fiftieth  year.  But  like  a  valiant  soldier, 
undisma3ed  b}'  disaster,  with  undaunted    courage. 


he  fouglit  anew  the  battle  of  life  and  secured  the 
ample  competence  that  has  cheered  his  dei  lining 
years  and  increased  the  happiness  of  others. 

From  one  point  of  view  he  was  a  fortunate  man; 
fortunate  that  he  almost  entirelj'  escaped  the  in- 
firmities and  afilictions  that  too  often  render  a  long 
life  a  burden.  Until  the  last  his  vigorous  form 
needed  no  staff  for  a  support,  his  hearing  was  fair, 
his  sight  good,  and  that  ever  kindly  smile  and  gen- 
ial grasp  (wlio  can  ever  forget  it)  was  ever  the 
same  as  in  years  gone  by. 

I  shall  now  speak  of  my  friend's  religious  life  in 
theory  and  in  practice.  His  views  were  almost  iden- 
tical with  those  of  Judge  Storey,  another  high- 
minded  and  whole-souled  man,  of  whom  his  son 
so  feelingly  speaks: 

"He  believed  that  whatever  is  sincere  and  honest 
is  of  God  ;  that  as  the  views  of  any  sect  arc  but  liu- 
man  opinions  susceptible  of  error  on  every  side,  it 
behooves  all  men  to  be  on  their  guard  against  ar- 
rogance of  belief;  that  in  the  sight  of  God  it  is  not 
llie  truth  or  falsity  of  our  views,  but  the  spirit  in 
which  we  believe  that  is  alone  of  vital  importance." 

!So  much  for  his  religious  theory.  I  shall  now 
speak  of  his  practical  religion. 

Luke,  10th  cliapter,  25-27  verses. 

In  the  summer  of  1849,  two  weary,  footsore 
travelers  stopped  and  drank  at  the  well  before  me 
and  then  sank  down  unable  to  continue  their  jour- 
ney. When  ]\Ir.  Brown  returned  to  the  house  his 
attention  was  directed  to  them.  Their  history  was 
about  this:  They  were  young  college  graduates  who 
had  made  their  way  to  St.  Joseph,  hoping  to 
work  a  passage  to  the  land  of  gold;  but  when  there 
they  found  that  book-learning  was  not  in  demand, 
no  one  but  a  graduate  of  an  ox-driving  academy 
seemed  acceptable,  anfl  they  could  find  no  work.  In 
addition  to  this  they  were  both  suffering  from  an 
attack  of  bilious  fever.  After  consultation  with 
one  who  has  ever  bec^i  ready  to  assist  him  in  all 
works  of  benevolence  he  took  them  into  his  house, 
provided  comfortable  beds,  and  personally  waited 
on  them  throughout  their  illness.  When  lliey  were 
able  to  travel  he  sent  them  to  the  Illinois  River, 
with  money  enough  to  carry  them  to  where  he 
thought  they  could  get  employment. 

I  give  this  as  a  specimen.  In  my  long  acquaint- 
ance with  him  1  never  brought  any  case  of  distress 
to  his  knowledge  to  which  he  did  not  respond,  and 
I  can  truly  say  that  he  iiad  more  of  the  good  Sa- 
maritan in  his  nature  than  any  man  I  ever  knew, 
with  one  exception — an  eminent  surgeon  whose  op- 
portunities are  endless;  as  his  career  of  usefulness 
h.as  not  closed  I  may  not  name  him.  'J'rue  religion 
is  visiting  the  widow  and  the  fatherless. 

I  am  aware  that  metaphj'sical  theologians  tell  us 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


373 


that  such  acts  as  these,  unless  coupled  with  certain 
conditions  not  laid  down  in  tlie  text,  are  of  no 
avail  to  the  (Jeer  and  will  meet  with  no  reward. 
It  maj'  be  so.  I  am  not  a  metaphysical  thcoloj^ian. 
Mr.  Brown  was  not  a  metaphysical  theologian,  and 
I  am  sure  never  desired  or  exiiecled  any  reward. 
I  am  oiilj'  gliul  to  think  such  deeds  were  done.  'I'his 
is  all  I  propose  to  say  aliout  the  theory  and  practice 
of  reliiriou  as  illustrated  in  the  life  of  Beiijauiin  D. 
Brown. 

Mr.  Brown  was  ever  a  liberal  ijiver.  and  emi- 
nently a  public-spirited  citizen.  During-  the  dark 
days  of  the  war  he  contributed  to  the  support  of  the 
families  of  those  who  were  risking  and  losing  their 
lives  ill  their  country's  cause  with  a  liberal  hand, 
not  considering  he  was  dealing  out  charity,  hut  ex- 
ercising a  blessed  privilege.  The  cause  of  temper- 
ance ever  found  liim  an  earnest  advocate  and  a 
generous  contriljutor.  And  I  will  say  in  passing, 
if  he  was  ever  intolerant  it  was  indolence  and  in- 
temperance that  excited  his  indignation;  but  on  the 
least  sign  of  reformation  was  ready  to  assist  and 
uphold  the  unfortunate  in  their  eflforts. 

As  for  more  enduring  memorials,  as  long  as  the 
Barry  library  shall  improve  the  knowledge  and  en- 
large tlie  intellect  of  the  rising  generation,  as  long 
as  our  fountain  shall  send  forth  its  graceful  spray  to 
bend  in  the  breeze  and  glitter  in  the  sun  light,  and  as 
long  as  those  lie  has  assisted  to  an  education  and 
lives  of  usefulness  are  on  the  stage  of  action,  so 
long  will  he  be  gratefully  remembered.  He  was  a 
dutiful  son,  a  kind  brother,  a  liberal  relative,  a  hos-  . 
pliable  neighbor,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  a 
philanthropist  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

But    I    think    1   hear  you   say,   "What  of  your    | 
friend's  vreak  points;  surely  he  had  them.     Did  he 
not  have  his  frailties  and  tollies;  did    he   cot,  like 
others,  do  things  that  he  ought  not  to  do,  and  leave 
undone  those  things  he  ought  to  have  done?" 

It  may  be  so  and  it  m,ay  be  there  was  a  time 
when  I  could  see  them  plainlj'  and  distinctlj'.  But 
I  am  an  old  man.  For  twenty  3-ears  m}'  sight  has 
been  growing  dim.  I  brought  no  magnifying  lens 
to  searcth  for  his  failings.  Others  may  have  seen 
them  to  the  end;  to  me  they  have  long  been  invis- 
ible to  the  naked  eye. 

I  come  now  to  speak  of  the  closing  scenes  of  his 
long  and  useful  life,  and  how  he  met  the  inevitable 
hour.  For  manj'  j'ears  Mr.  Brown  shrank  from  the 
idea  of  death,  not  from  a  fear  of  the  hereafter,  but 
because  his  surroundings  were  i)le:isant  and  he  dis- 
liked to  leave  them.  After  he  had  attained  his 
eightieth  year  all  this  changed.  He  was  still  wil- 
ling to  live,  but  at  the  same  time  felt  ready  to  die. 
When  his  summons  came  he  met  it  not  like  one 
who  meets  an    unwelcome   messenger  calling  from 


social  joys  ore  j'et  the  feast  is  ended — not  like 
a  benighted  traveler  lost  in  the  mazes  of  a  dismal 
forest,  fearing  that  every  step  will  plunge  him  into 
some  horrible  abyss,  listening  with  pallid  cheek 
and  palpitating  h?art  for  the  footstei)S  of  some 
grim  monster  with  whom  he  fears  to  grapple, 
but  as  the  nervou.s  invalid  wearied  with  a  long  and 
restless  daj',  listens  to  the  footsteps  of  the  good 
doctor,  sure  to  come  at  bed  time,  and  with  soft 
touch  and  gentle  voice  administer  the  sweet  obliv- 
ious antidote,  to  be  followed  by  a  night  of 
sweet  repose.  So,  calm  as  summer  evening's  latest 
sigh  that  shuts  the  rose,  he  sank  to  rest. 

But  the  last  words  must  be  spoken,  and  1  close; 
for  now  with  slow  and  solemn  tread,  with  saddened 
hearts  and  sober  sorrow,  but  with  no  passionate 
grief,  thus,  oh!  kind  heart,  we  bear  thee  to  the 
equal  grave,  your  journey  ended  and  your  labors 
passed.  Oldest,  kindest,  truest,  dearest,  best  of  all 
friends,  friend  that  I  soon  must  follow,  hail  and 
farewell! 

■>   •>^^4<-   ^- 


sl^        MLLIAM  WHEELER  was  during  his  life 
A\  ,  ///    a  prominent  citizen  of  Pike   County,  and 


^mi 


^st/  one  of  its  leading  farmers  and  stock-nds- 
ers.  owning  and  occipying  for  many  years  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  desirable  estates  in  all  Pe;  rl 
Township.  The  AVheeler  famil}'  came  from  ster- 
ling patriotic,  fighting  stock  and  some  of  its  mem- 
bers were  among  the  heroes  of  three  wars. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  w-as  born  March  7, 
1823,  in  Kentucky,  and  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  and 
Mary  (McCarter)  Wheeler.  His  father  was  born 
in  Virginia,  June  4,  1782,  and  was  a  son  of  John 
Wheeler,  who  was  also  a  Virginian  by  birth.  He 
was  a  personal  friend  of  George  Washington  and 
was  a  gallant  soldier  in  the  Revolution  for  four 
j'ears.  His  brother  Joseph  also  took  part  in  that 
war  and  was  noted  for  his  prow-ess  and  high  cour- 
age. He  was  frequentl^^  called  upon  by  Washing- 
ton when  he  desired  a  brave  and  cautious  man  to 
undertake  a  perilous  enterprise.  It  is  related  that 
atone  time  the  General  told  him  to  pick  off  a  l>rit- 
ish  officer  who  was  viewing  and  spying  the  camp. 
The  distance  was  great,  but  Joseph's  superior 
marksmanship  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  he 
leveled  his  rifle  and  laid  the  offender  low.  Three 
d.aj's  after  this    incident  brave  Joe   Wheeler   was 


374 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


shot  by  the  enemy  and  Washington  thus  lost  one  of 
his  best  soldiers.  The  General  personally  superin- 
tended his  funeral.  The  Wheeler  family  migrated 
from  Virginia  to  Kentucky  in  1790,  where  John 
Wheeler,  the  Revolutionary  hero  died. 

Benjamin  Wheeler  was  of  Welsh  descent.  He 
passed  the  early  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  Vir- 
ginia and  in  Kentucky,  whence  he  moved  to  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  in  1825.  In  1832  he  made 
another  move  and  for  two  years  was  located  in  Rush 
County,  Ind.  In  1834  he  came  still  further  west- 
ward and  in  this  county  his  pilgrimage  was 
brouglitto  a  close  by  his  death  July  26,  1840.  Ills 
wife  did  not  long  survive  him  but  departed  this 
life  on  the  14tli  of  the  following  Octolier.  They 
had  made  their  home  on  the  line. of  Pike  and  Cal- 
houn Counties,  and  were  respected  by  the  pioneers 
among  whom  they  had  settled.  Four  sons  and 
three  daughters  were  the  fruit  of  their  marriage, 
namely:  John,  Cyrus,  Benjamin,  AVilliam,  Eliza- 
beth, Elinor  and  Ann. 

AVilliam  Wheeler,  of  whom  these  lines  are  an  ac- 
count, early  gained  a  good  knowledge  of  a  farmer's 
life,  as  ho  was  reared  on  a  farm  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  His 
marriage,  which  was  one  of  the  most  important 
events  of  his  life  was  celebrated  October  12,  1843, 
when  he  and  Miss  Matilda  Battershell,  joined  hands 
and  hearts. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Wheeler  located  on  his 
homestead  on  section  32,  Pearl  Township,  wliich  his 
father  had  entered.  He  was  a  busy  worker  possess- 
ing energy,  thrift  and  shrewdness  to  an  unusual 
degree  and  he  was  accordingly  prospered.  lie  be- 
came one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  the  township,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  death  owned  about  six  hundred 
acres  of  land.  When  he  and  his  bride  first  began 
their  wedded  life  he  had  but  $8  in  mone^'  and  from 
that  humble  beginning,  he  made  all  that  he  had  b_y 
his  own  exertions.  For  some  ten  years  he  was  profit- 
ablj'  engaged  in  milling.  His  death,  January  17, 
lS7r;.  was  a  serious  blow  to  the  interests  of  his 
t(jwn!-hii),  and  of  the  county  at  large,  and  his 
memory  is  still  cherished  as  that  of  one  who  was 
instruraentpl  in  aiding  the  development  and  pro- 
moting the  growth  of  this  section  of  the  country. 
He  was  prominent  socially  and  in  public  life,     He 


was  a  leading  Mason  and  he  often  assisted  in  the 
management  of  civic  affairs,  serving  as  Supervisor 
to  represent  the  township  on  the  County  Board  and 
holding  other  offices  of  trust. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  to  him  a  true  help- 
mate and  comi)anion  an<l  he  owed  to  her  much  of 
his  success  in  life.  She  was  born  in  Clark  County, 
Ky.,  May  10,  1827,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Nancy  (Pearsall)  Battershell,  who  came  to  Pike 
County-  in  1832,  wilh  teams.  They  settled  near 
Milton  where  Mr.  Battershell  entered  land.  The 
subsequently  moved  to  Spring  Creek,  where  he 
died  at  a  ripe  age,  while  his  venerable  wife  still  sur- 
vives and  is  eighty-five  years  old.  He  served  in 
the  Black  Hawk  War,  going  with  a  company  from 
Milton.  He  was  both  a  blacksmith  and  a  farmer 
His  father,  John  Battershell,  was  a  son  of  Freeman 
Battershell  who  was  a  German.  Mrs.  Wheeler's 
mother  is  a  venerated  member  of  the  Christian 
Church  to  which  her  husband  also  belonged.  Mrs. 
Wheeler  is  also  a  member  of  that  church  and  her 
dail}-  life  is  guided  by  its  principles.  She  is  the 
mother  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  seven  grew 
to  maturity.  Washington  Warren  mairied  Eliza 
Miller;  Nancy,  wife  of  Michael  Fisher;  Matilda, 
wife  of  John  Calvin;  Amanda,  wife  of  Thomas 
Borrowman;  Dora  E.,  wife  of  George  Williams; 
Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Swift  Crowder;  Laura  W.,  wife 
of  Walter  Turnbolt. 


-5-^#=^«;s=f-M— 


r/  EWIS  C.  JOHNSON,  one  of  the  County 
Commissioners  of  Calhoun  Count}-,  is  a  na- 
,j  live  of  this  part  of  the  State,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  its  public  life  and  as  one  of  its  enterprising 
and  prosperous  farmers  and  stock -raisers.  His 
airi'icullural  interests  are  centered  in  Belleview  Pre- 
cinct, where  he  has  an  attractive  home  on  section 
15.  He  is  a  son  of  one  of  the  |)ioneers  of  the 
county  and  was  born  November  24,  1853,  in  his 
father's  pioneer  home.  His  parents,  James  and 
Melinda  ( Arney )  Johnson,  were  natives  respectively 
of  Illinois  and  Virginia.  Thej'  came  from  Randolph 
County,  111.,  to  Calhoun  County  early  in  the  '50s 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  settled  on  the  farm  in  Belleview  Precinct,  which 
is  now  ocoupied  In-  our  subject.  They  were  among 
the  eailiest  to  locate  here  and  in  the  busy  years 
that  fdllowed  Mr.  .Johnson  developed  a  good  farm 
of  which  he  vvas  a  resident  until  his  death,  January 
5,  1888.  His  widow  who  is  now  seventy  years  old, 
makes  her  home  with  lier  son,  our  subject,  and  is 
one  of  the  oldest  pioneers  living  in  this  i)art  of  the 
county.  She  and  her  husband  settled  iicre  in  the 
woods,  and  much  of  h's  prosperity  was  due  to  ber 
active  co-operation  in  his  work  m"  building  up  a 
home.  Mr.  Johnson  was  a  true  and  consistent 
Christian  and  a  member  of  the  Methoilisl  Episco- 
pal Church.  He  favored  all  things  which  would  in 
anj'  wa}-  enhance  the  religious,  social  and  material 
status  of  his  precinct  or  count}-,  and  in  him  his 
community  had  a  representative  pioneer  and  an 
honorable  citizen,  lie  was  twice  married,  but  of 
the  five  children,  born  to  him  and  iiis  first  wife, 
only  one  is  now  living,  John  R.  who  is  a  resident  of 
Adams  County,  this  State.  By  his  second  marriage 
with  the  mother  of  our  subject  he  became  the 
father  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Lewis  is  the 
only  survivor. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  the  humble  log  cabin 
that  fonned  the  earl}-  home  of  his  parents,  which 
his  lather  subsequently  replaced  by  the  present, 
commodious  and  substantial  residence,  in  which  the 
son  now  resides.  He  was  reared  here  amid  the 
primitive  scenes  of  jjioneer  life  and  was  early  set 
to  work  to  assist  his  father  in  developing  his  farm. 
He  thus  gained  a  fine  practical  knowledge  of  agri- 
culture in  its  various  branches  that  has  been  useful 
to  him  in  his  after  career  as  a  farmer  and  stock- 
grower.  His  education  was  conducted  in  tlie  pub- 
lic scliools  of  his  native  county  and  he  has  since 
supplemented  it  liy  reading  and  by  close  observa- 
tion. He  is  the  proprietor  of  two  hundred  and 
seventj' acres  of  land  that  is  unsurpassed  in  point 
of  fertility  and  cultivation,  and  is  well  supplied 
with  neat  and  well-ordered  buildings,  and  first  class 
farming  machinery. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  been  very  fortunate  in  his  mar- 
ried life,  as  when  he  wedded  Miss  Louvadia  jSIc- 
Bride,  January  1,  1881,  he  secured  a  wife  who  has 
been  to  him  a  useful  helpmate  and  a  true  companion. 
Mrs.  Johnson  is  also  a  native  of   Calhoun    County, 


and  she  is  a  daughter  of  John  McBride  of  Belleview 
Precinct.  Of  tlie  children  born  to  them  only 
one  remains,  Bessie  L.  Henry  C,  Lewis  E.  and 
Arthur  F.  were  victims  of  diphtheria,  tlieir  parents 
being  called  upon  in  the  short  space  of  eleven  days 
to  give  their  loved  ones  up  to  that  dread  disease. 
Mr.  Johnson's  career  as  a  farmer  and  as  a  civic 
official  has  been  such  as  to  reflect  credit  on  the  citi- 
zenship of  this  his  native  county.  His  fellow-citi- 
zens, recognizing  his  practicability  and  the  w-orth 
of  his  character,  have  called  him  to  i)ublic  life. 
He  has  served  as  School  Director  and  Townsliip 
School  Trustee  and  is  still  an  incumbent  of  the  lat- 
ter office.  In  the  month  of  November,  1889,  he 
was  elected  Count}'  Commissioner  for  a  term  of  two 
years  to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  ilie  death  of  a  for- 
mer commissioner,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  say 
that  he  is  discharging  the  obligations  imposed  upon 
him  in  this  important  office  with  fidelity  and  so  as 
to  secure  the  best  interest  of  his  county  as  far  as 
he  (jossibly  can.  In  politics  he  stands  among  the 
Democrats  of  the  community  and  socially  he  is 
identified  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 


\ll^^  ENRY  L.  HURT  wlio  is  engaged  in  agri- 
■*  cultural  pursuits  in  the  township  of  Griggs- 
ville.  Pike  County,  comes  from  an  old  and 
'(d)  distinguished  Virginia  family.  The  Hurts 
came  from  England  to  America,  four  brothers  hav- 
ing first  come  to  tliis  countr}-  some  years  prior  to 
the  Revolution.  They  became  early  settlers  in 
King  and  Queen  Counties,  Va.,and  for  many  years 
they  and  their  descendants  were  among  the  F.  F.  V's 
and  well  known  among  the  aristocratic  planters 
and  large  slaveholders  of  that  part  of  the  country, 
being  wealthy  and  influential  people  and  office- 
holders, especially  in  the  counties  of  King,  Queen 
and  Madison.  The  paternal  great-grandfather  of 
our  subject,  William  Hurt,  was  born,  lived  and 
died  in  Madison  County,  Va.  He  was  a  rery  promi- 
nent man  there  in  early  days,  although  it  is  thought 
that  his  death  occurred  while  he  was  still  young. 
His  f.ather  had  been  the  first  to  come  from  King  or 
Queen  Counties    into  the  moinitains   of  Madison 


376 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Coiintj-,  where  he  spent  the  reuiainrler  of  his  life  as 
a  hunter,  in  which  he  was  wonderfully  successful. 
He  married  a  Miss  Rose,  a  King's  County  lad}'. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  William 
Hurt,  Jr.,  and  he  died  when  an  old  man  in  Madi- 
son County,  his  death  occurring  in  1842  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three  years.  He  took  part  in  the  War 
of  1812  as  a  local  militia  man.  He  had  served 
througli  the  whisk}^  rebellion,  in  which  he  nearly 
lost  his  life,  a  man  having  attacked  hiui  with  a 
bayonet  (vhich,  coming  in  contact  with  a  button 
did  not  injure  him.  Three  or  four  of  his  uncles 
had  taken  part  in  the  Revolution,  but  he  was  nut 
old  enough  to  serve.  He  married  a  Virginia  lady 
in  Madison  County,  her  name  being  Frances  Car- 
bin.  She  was  born  and  reared  in  Madison  Count}' 
and  came  of  a  wealtliy  family,  which  originated 
in  England.  Mrs.  Frances  Hurt  died  in  her  na- 
tive county  in  the  year  1849  at  the  age  of  three- 
score j'ears  and  ten.  She  was  an  active,  intelli- 
gent woman,  the  mother  of  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters,  of  whom  James,  the  eldest,  is  the  fatlier 
of  our  subject.  All  the  family  lived  to  be  married 
and  have  cliildren  of  tlieir  own,  but  all  are  now 
deceased,  having  died  either  in  middle  life  or  be- 
fore, with  the  exception  of  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject. 

James  Hurt  was  born  in  Shenandoali  Count}', 
Va.,  on  the  30th  of  July,  1800,  and  died  in  Madi- 
son County,  that  State,  on  the  oth  of  January,  1876. 
He  was  only  nine  years  old  when  his  father,  who 
had  previously  been  in  the  iron  furnace  business 
in  Shenandoah  County,  settled  in  Madison  County, 
where  James  grew  to  manhood  and  was  engao-ed 
tiirough  life  as  a  faimer.  lie  made  many  improve- 
ments in  the  hilly  lands  of  Madison  County,  where 
he  spent  all  his  energies  in  making  a  home  and 
rearing  a  family.  He  was  a  Douglas  Democrat,  and 
religiously  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
After  he  became  of  age  he  married,  in  Culpeper 
County,  Va.,  Miss  Sarah  Sisk,  who  was  born  in 
whnt  was  then  Culpeper  County,  but  is  now  Rap- 
pahannock County,  April  1,  1800.  She  died  at  her 
home  in  Madison  County  May  26,  1855.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  Timothy  Sisk,  a  prominent  man, 
wiio  came  of  a  good  family.  He  served  some 
time  when  a   very  young  man  as  a  soldier   in  the 


Revolution  and  was  present  at  the  surrender  of 
Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  He  was  a  small,  athletic 
man  and  was  known  as  "'Little  Tim."  After  tiie 
Revolution  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Jenkins, 
of  a  prominent  and  well-known  family  in  Virginia 
and  the  South  both  before  and  since  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

Our  subject  was  the  only  son  born-  to  bis  par- 
ents that  lived  to  be  of  any  age.  Two  of  his  sis- 
ters were  reared  to  maturity,  one  of  whom  married 
and  had  a  family  but  is  now  deceased.  Mr.  Hurt 
was  born  near  Criglersville,  in  ^Madison  County, 
Va.,  August  21,  1825.  He  was  carefully  reared  by 
pious  parents  and  had  from  boyhood  days  many 
intelligent  ideas  concerning  questions  that  were 
of  great  public  interest,  and  he  was  always  strongly 
in  favor  of  the  freedom  of  slaves.  He  grew  to 
maniiood  on  the  home  farm  and  then  applied  him- 
self to  the  trade  of  a  miller  and  was  thus  engaged 
for  many  years.  In  1856  he  took  anew  departure 
that  had  an  important  liearing  on  his  after  life,  as 
he  then  emigrated  from  his  old  Virginia  home  to 
this  county.  He  was  engaged  in  milling  in  Griggs- 
ville  and  Perry  until  1870,  since  which  time  he 
has  devoted  himself  to  farming,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  success. 

Mr.  Hurt  was  first  married  in  \'irginia  to  Miss 
Almira  Sisk,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Madison 
County  but  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  and  for 
some  years  before  was  a  resident  of  Culpeper 
County.  She  came  to  this  State  with  her  husband 
and  lived  yi  Griggsville  until  her  death,  February 
9,  1870,  at  the  age  of  forty  years.  She  possessed 
a  true  Christian  spirit  and  was  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church.  Our  suliject  was  a  second 
time  married,  taking  as  his  wife  Miss  Elizabeth 
Shaw  who  was  born  in  Manchester,  England,  in 
1825.  She  w.as  a  young  child  when  her  parents, 
John  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Tooey)  Shaw,  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  after  living  for  a  time  in 
New  York  came  to  this  county  in  1833.  Her 
father  bought  new  land  and  later  purchased  Gov- 
ernment land  and  improved  a  large  farm,  on  which 
he  and  his  wife  lived  till  1869,  when  they  both 
died  at  a  ripe  old  age.  They  were  prominent  pio- 
neers of  this  county  and  were  among  the  best  citi- 
zens of  Griggsville,  where   they  built   up   a  good 


JL..Z^ 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


370 


liome.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurt  are  members  in  high 
standing  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Griggsville,  and 
llieir  dail}'  walk  is  guided  by  religious  piineiples. 
Mr.  Hurt  was  formerly  a  Re|)ul)lican,  but  now 
identifies  himself  with  the  Prohibitionists. 

-^-^^—  ^^ 

THOMAS  HUTTON.  Persistent  energy  and 
not  accident  wins  success  in  the  busy 
world.  The  indolent  allow  the  happiest 
opportunities  to  pass  bj-  without  seeing  them  ;  on  the 
otiicr  IkiikI,  the  patient  laborer  makes  opj)ortuni- 
tics  where!)}'  a  desired  result  is  gained. 

'•There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men. 

Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  fortune." 

Unceasing  efforts  have  brought  to  the  gentleman  of 
whom  we  write  and  whose  portrait  is  presented  on 
the  opposite  page,  not  only  an  enviable  reputation 
as  a  valued  citizen  of  Pike  County,  but  a  com- 
fortable competency  for  his  declining  years. 

Mr.  Ilutton  wjs  born  in  Lancastershire,  England, 
December  11,  183G.  and  tliere  received  a  good  edu- 
cation and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  success  he 
has  since  achieved.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
coramenced  to  work  for  his  own  support,  being  for 
five  years  employed  in  a  tannery.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time  he  emigrated  to  the  L'nited  States, 
landing  at  New  Orleans  and  coming  direct  to  Pike 
County  where  his  brother  John  Hutton,  had  lived 
for  a  year  previous  to  his  arrival.  When  our  sub- 
ject reached  the  village  of  Montezuma,  he  not  only 
had  no  money,  but  owed  the  captain  of  the  vessel 
seventy-five  cents  for  his  passage. 

Our  subject  immediately  after  his  arrival  com- 
menced working  for  Josiah  Hoover,  receiving  in 
compensation  for  his  services  $12.50  a  month.  He 
continued  in  the  same  employ  for  a  j'ear,  then 
worked  three  years  for  William  Douglas,  and  later 
for  Edmund  Strawn.  In  1862  he  and  his  brother 
rented  land  and  continued  to  operate  thus  for  four 
years  and  then  bought  a  farm  on  section  11,  near 
Montezuma,  but  at  the  end  of  a  year  sold  out 
and  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  3, 
wliere  they  continued  to  live  until  1870.  Our 
subject  then  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother  and  be- 


gan once  more  to  work  on  farms  for  others.  In 
1874  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  on 
section  33.  improving  it  with  substantial  buildings 
and  in  1884  buihling  a  barn  at  a  cost  of  1650. 

Jlr.  Ilutton  was  married,  August  20,  1890,  to 
Miss  Mary  Douglas,  daughter  of  William  and  Per- 
melia  (Strawn)  Douglas,  the  former  born  in  .Scot- 
land in  1817  and  the  latter  in  North  Carolina  in 
1823.  They  were  married  in  Missouri  in  1841, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  1846.  settling  east  of  Milton. 
They  next  moved  to  section  4,  and  in  1855  settled 
in  Detroit  Township  on  section  33.  Mr.  Douglas 
died  in  1885  and  his  wife  in  1889.  They  were  the 
parents  of  twelve  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
now  living.  Religiously  they  were  members  of 
the  Christian  Church,  of  which  he  was  Trustee  and 
Deacon.  He  was  School  Director  and  Supervisor 
of  Detroit  Township,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  party,  always  taking  a  lively  interest  in 
politics  and  other  public  matters. 

Mrs.  Hutton  was  born  in  Livingston  County, 
Mo.,  October  17,  1844,  but  received  her  education 
in  Jlilton  and  Detroit  Townships  attending  the 
common  schools.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  a  teacher  in  the  ISunday-school,  and 
highly  esteemed  in  the  community  where  she  re- 
sides. Our  subject  applied  for  naturalization  pa- 
pers in  1888  and  received  them  in  1890.  He  is  a 
Democrat  and  possesses  much  inQuencc  both  in  po- 
litical and  business  circles.  Ho  owns  tiiree  hundred 
and  eight3'-six  acres  of  land,  most  of  which  is  well 
cultivated,  and  lives  on  the  old  Douglas  homestead, 
where  he  carries  on  mixed  farming.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  very  popular  and  have  a  host  of  friends, 
who  rejoice  at  their  marked  success. 

flACOB  WINDMILLER,  of  Pittsfield,  is  the 

present    popular  and    able    Sheriff  of  Pike 

County.    He  is  a  fine  representative  of  our 

native-born  citizens,  he  being  the  son    of  a 

!    pioneer  family  in  this   county.     He   was  born    in 

Spring  Creek  Township,  January    3,  1819,   and   is 

!   the  second  son  of  Peter  and    Sevelia    (Applegate) 

1    Windmiller,  natives  respectively'    of   Pennsylvania 


380 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Tennessee.  They  came  to  Pike  Count}-  in 
1830,  and  were  among  tlie  earliest  settlers  of  Spring 
Creek  Township.  Mr.  Windmiller  was  actively  en- 
gaged as  a  farmer,  and  during  liis  residence  in  that 
place  did  mucii  toward  developing  a  good  farm. 
He  subsequently  sold  it  and  bought  another  on 
section  19,  which  is  now  a  part  of  the  town  site  of 
Nebo.  On-that  farm  he  spent  his  last  days,  dying 
in  the  winter  of  1876  at  a  ripe  old  age.  He  was 
a  merchant  as  well  as  a  fanner  and  he  contributed 
his  share  toward  developing  the  agricultural  and 
mercantile  interests  of  Pike  County,  and  at  his 
death  one  of  its  most  wortliy  pioneers  was  taken 
away.  His  wife  and  eight  children,  five  sons  and 
three  daughters,  of  whom  seven  are  still  living,  sur- 
vived him  and  of  them  the  following  is  noted: 
Samuel  died  in  1888;  Jacob  is  our  subject;  George 
AV.  lives  in  Henry  County,  Mo.;  Lucretia  J.  is  the 
wife  of  William  Cragmiles,  residents  of  Henry 
County,  Mo. ;  Sarah  C.  married  William  Yocum, 
of  Pike  County;  Smith  G.  is  a  resident  of  Kansas, 
Margaret  K.  is  the  wife  of  John  Hack,  of  Pike 
County;  John  R.  is  a  farmer  of  Pike  County. 

Jacob  Windmiller  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Pike  Count}'  and  resided  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  twenty-five  years  old.  In  the  fall  of  1870  he 
andJSliss  Mary  S.  Stone  united  their  lives  and  their 
fortunes  in  what  has  proved  to  be  a  happy  wedded 
life.  Mrs.  Windmiller  is  a  daughter  of  Nathan 
Stone,  who  came  to  Illinois  from  Kentucky.  She 
was  born  in  that  State  and  was  a  babe  when  she  ac- 
companied her  parents  to  Pike  County. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Windmiller  settled  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill  where  he  had  found  his  bride,  and  was 
there  engaged  in  general  farming  for  two  3'ears. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  moved  back  to 
Nebo,  and  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  acres  which  he  managed,  and  at  the 
same  time  ran  a  livery  stable  in  Nebo.  He  was  a 
good  practical  farmer  and  a  sound  business  man, 
and  he  carried  on  both  enterprises  with  success  un- 
til 1886.  In  that  year  he  was  elected  to  the  im- 
portant office  of  Sheriff  of  Pike  Count}-  for  a  term 
of  four  years,  and  in  the  fall  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Pittsfield,  assuming  the  duties  of  his  office 
December  6,  1886.  He  .was  eminently  fitted  for 
the  shrievalty  and  his  whole  course  since  taking  the 


position  has  shown  him  to  possess  rare  tact,  cool 
nerve  and  :ound  jucigment,  and  lie  has  always  dis- 
played  the  true  fidelity  of  a  public  spirited  official, 
who  acts  without  regard  to  party  affiliations  or  per- 
sonal feelings. 

Our  subject  is  now  the  nominee  for  another  im- 
portant office  in  his  county,  that  of  Treasurer.  He 
was  nominated  to  that  office.  May  24.  1890,  by  the 
Democrats,  and  this  nomination  is  equivalent  to  an 
election  as  the  county  is  so  strongly  Democratic. 
Mr.  Windmiller  has  held  several  minor  offices 
among  wliicli  was  that  of  Coroner  while  he  was  a 
resident  of  Nebo,  which  position  he  resigned  when 
he  stepped  into  the  Sheriff's  office.  Politically,  he 
isaslanch  Democrat.  Socially,  he  is  prominent  in 
Masonry,  beirg  a  member  of  Pleasant  Hill  Lodiie, 
No.  565,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  also  of  Pittsfield  Chapter, 
No.  10,  R.  A.  M.,  and  Pittsfield  Commandery.  K.T. 

Mr.  Windmiller  is  very  closely  identified  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Pike  County  owning 
two  good  farms,  one  in  Pittsfield  Township  and  the 
other  in  Spring  Creek  Township,  which  are  un<ler 
his  own  supervision  and  which  are  well-stocked 
with  horses  and  cattle.  He  and  his  wife  have  a 
pleasant  cozy  home  and  three  children  complete 
their  household  circle — Lorren  O.,  Lena  15.,  and 
Loral  L.  One  child  is  deceased,  Olaf  E.  who  died 
in  infancy. 

,     OOP     . 


^AMES  M.  PETTY.  But  few  members  of 
the  farming  community  of  Pike  County 
have  been  more  pros|)ered  in  their  calling 
then  our  subject,  who  owns  five  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  of  choice,  well-improved  farming  land, 
and  has  acquired  a  handsome  coiupotenc}'  whereby 
he  is  enabled  to  live  in  retirement  in  one  of  the 
coziest  of  homes  in  the  cit}-  of  Pittsfield.  For  the 
past  twcnty-flve  years  Jlr.  Petty,  besides  carrying 
on  his  agricultural  oi)eralions,  has  been  active  as  a 
veterinary  surgeon,  in  which  profession  he  has  at- 
tained a  high  reput.ation,  not  onl}-  in  his  own  county 
but  in  adjoining  counties  and  different  parts  of  Hie 
State,  and  ho  has  been  called  even  as  far  as  Kaasas 
in  his  capacity  as  a  doctor  of  horses. 

Mr.  Petty  was  born  in  Frankford,  Pike  County, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


381 


Mo.,  November  24.  1827.  His  fatlicr.  Fisher  Petty 
was  a  native  of  Scioto  County,  Ohio.  He  in  turn 
was  a  son  of  Kbenezer  Petty  who  was  a  native  of 
Germany  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers  of 
the   r>iiel<eye  State. 

Fisher  Petty  was  a  tanner  and  currier  by  Ir.ade 
and  diifted  westward  to  Pike  County,  Mo.,  where 
lie  liad  a  tannery  in  operation  for  some  years.  He 
then  eanie  to  Filce  County,  this  State,  and  bought  a 
place  four  miles  south  of  Pittsfield  tlie  county 
seat,  in  1826,  and  he  continued  in  the  tannery  busi- 
ness there  a  number  of  years  and  carried  on  farm- 
ing at  the  same  time,  his  sons  running  the  farm. 
He  married  Sarah  .lackson,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
who  at  the  time  of  their  marriage  was  living  in 
Pike  County,  Mo.,  of  which  lier  father,  Leroy  Jack- 
son, was  a  pioneer.  She  died  before  her  husband  in 
the  year  18,50.  leaving  five  sons  and  f<jur  daughters, 
of  whom  the  following  is  recorded :  Polly  Ann  is 
deceased:  .Terome  John  lives  in  Putnam  County, 
Mo.;  Alvin  of  Pike  County  ;  Leroy,  Lucinda  E.,  Ta- 
bithan  J.,  and  Sarah  E.  are  deceased;  William  T.  is  a 
farmer    in    Martinsburg  Township. 

James  M.  Petty,  of  whon  this  notice  is  written, 
is  the  fourth  child  in  order  of  birth    born    to    his 
parents.     He  was  quite  young  when  the  family  came 
to  Pike   County,    and  ho  received  his  education  In 
its  public  schools.     He  worked  in  his    father's    tan- 
nery and  on  the  farm    until    his  twenty-first  year, 
when  he  married   and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Pleasant 
Township,  and  at  the  same  time  carried  on  the  tan- 
nery   business    and    manufactured    harness    about 
seven  years.     He  subsequently  moved  to  Pittsfield 
'  and  afterwards  to  Martinsburg    Township,    where 
lie  lived  a  number  of  years   and    was   actively  en- 
1  gaged  in  farming  and  stock  raising.      He  was  very 
'  successful  in  that  enterprise  and  still  owns  a  farm 
[  of  five  luindrcd  and  thirty    acres   of  choice,   well- 
I  improved  lanil,  which  he  now  rents  to  his  sons.     In 
t  1889  he  retired  to  Pittsfield,  where    he    has    a  sub- 
;  stantial  residence  on  Jefferson  Street. 
;      Mr.  Petty    was    married    when    he   attained   his 
majority  to  Miss  Susan  E.  Watson  of  H.ardin  Town- 
i  ship,  one  of  his  old  schoolmates,  their  wedding  tak- 
ing place  in  the    month    of  January,    1848.     Mrs. 
Petty  is  a  native  of  Pike  Count}',  and   a  daughter 
of  Nathan   and  Sarah  (Turnbaugh)    Watson,    who 


were  formerly  of  Missouri.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Petty's 
marriage  has  been  abundantly  lilessed  to  them  by 
the  birth  of  fifteen  children,  of  whom  thirteen  are 
now  living:  John  L.,  Isaac  F.,  Nathan  W.,  Robert 
W.,  Mary  J.,  who  married  Samuel  Capps  and  is 
now  deceased ;  Sarah  F.,  wife  of  Edward  Fowler; 
Lucinda  E.,  Thomas  J..  Henry  J.,  George  Benton, 
Charles  E.,  Joseph  A.,  Lillie  M.,  wife  of  Ed  Clay- 
ton;  Rosa  B.,  at  home  with  lier  parents;  Susan  JI., 
wiio  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

Blr.  Petty  is  one  of  the  solid,  influential  citizens 
of  the  county,  and  is  very  highly  thought  of  wher- 
ever known.  He  served  as  Collector  and  Assessor 
while  a  resident  of  Ple.asant  Hill,  and  was  School 
Director  for  two  years.  After  his  removal  to  Mar- 
tinsburg Township  he  was  Assessor  two  terms,  and 
whenever  he  has  held  office  he  has  always  worked 
zealously  for  the  interest  of  the  community.  In 
politics  he  is  independent  as  regards  local  affairs, 
but  in  national  matters  votes  with  the  Democrats. 
He  is  a  fine  specimen  of  our  self-made  men  and  all 
that  he  has  and  all  that  he  is  he  owes  to  his  own 
exertions. 


OHN  FOILES  is  numbered  among  the  old 
settlers  of  Calhoun  Count}-,  his  residence 
here  dating  from  1851.  He  settled  in  the 
)  woods  on  a  small  clearing  and  has  done 
considerable  pioneiu-  labor  in  bringing  his  land  into 
a  good  condition  and  opening  up  other  tracts 
which  he  purchased  from  time  to  lime.  Like 
others  under  similar  circumstances  he  and  his 
faithful  companion  endured  hardships  and  priva- 
tions, but  they  are  now  able  to  enjoy  all  the  com- 
forts of  life,  the  recreations  suited  to  their  taltcs, 
and  such  a  degree  of  rest  as  they  desire.  They 
have  witnessed  much  of  the  gradual  growth  of  the 
count}',  not  onl}'  in  material  prosperity  but  in  civ- 
ilization, and  have  aided  by  their  personal  efforts 
in  elevating  the  status  of  moral  and  intellectual 
life. 

Mr.  Foiles  is  a  descendant  of  an  old  X'irginian 
family  and  in  the  Old  Dominion  he  was  himself 
born,   his    Piatal   dav    being    in    May.    1817.     His 


382 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


father,  Jolin  Foiles,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
State  and  fought  during  the  War  of  1812.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  during  the  childhood 
of  the  boy  and  the  father  subsequentli"  married 
again  and  removed  to  tlie  western  part  of  tlu; 
Slate.  The  parental  family  was  quite  a  large  one 
anct  the  following  are  linown  to  survive:  James, 
Joseph,  John,  Daniel,  Benjamin,  Isaiah,  Amanda, 
Margaret  and  Mahala. 

Our  subject  was  ten  or  twelve  years  old  when 
he  went  from  his  native  county  of  Jefferson  to 
another  part  of  the  Slate,  where  he  attained  to  his 
majority.  He  had  pnictlcally  no  educational  ad- 
vantages but  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits,  taught 
habits  of  industry  and  observation  and  good  prin- 
ciples of  conduct.  In  Ohio  he  contracted  a  mat- 
rimonial alliance  with  Nancy  While,  who  bore 
him  tiiree  children.  One  has  crossed  the  river  of 
deatli,  but  a  son  and  daughter  are  yet  living.  They 
bear  the  names  of  Columbus  and  Harriet,  the  lat- 
ter being  the  wife  of  William   Beecii. 

April  28,  1858,  Mr.  Foiles  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Sarah  Defoor,  who  was  born  in  Cabell 
County,  Va.,  May  14,  1827.  Her  parents  were 
James  and  Nancy  (Cox)  Defoor,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  she  is  of 
French  ancesUy  in  tiie  paternal  line.  She  is  one 
of  ten  children,  of  whom  the  other  survivor's  are 
Benjamin,  James,  Martha  A.  and  Nancy.  Hor 
educational  advantages  were  limited,  as  school 
privileges  were  few  in  the  region  in  which  she 
spent  her  girlhood.  When  in  her  twenty-first  year 
she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Lawrence  Countj', 
Ohio,  where  she  resided  a  number  of  years.  Her 
happ3'  union  with  our  subject  was  blest  by  the 
birth  of  three  children,  but  the  parents  have  been 
called  upon  to  part  with  the  sons — John  and  Lewis. 
Their  daughter  Norah  is  now  the  wife  of  John 
Reed. 

From  the  Buckeye  State  Mr.  Foiles  came  to 
Calhoun  County,  his  first  purchase  of  land  being 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  at  ^5  per  acre.  He 
has  added  to  this  by  subsequent  purchase  until  he 
has  become  the  owner  of  various  tracts  scattered 
throughout  the  count}'.  His  financial  afifairs  are 
on  a  solid  basis  and  he  is  a  sturdy  representative 
of  Ihe  energetic  and  honest  class  to  whom  the  pres- 


ent condition  of  Caliioun  County  is  due.  Mr. 
Foiles  is  a  believer  in  the  principles  laid  down  in 
the  Republican  platform  and  never  fails  to  cast  his 
ballot  on  election  da}'.  Mrs.  Foiles  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  She 
is  an  active  member  of  society,  kindly  in  her  asso- 
ciations with  her  neighbors  and  making  her  influ- 
ence felt  in  the  community.  Mr.  Foiles  enjoys  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-men  in  a  degree  that  will 
cause  many  to  echo  the  wish  that  "Uncle  John" 
maj'  see  the  return  of  raan^'  summers. 

—5- ^ ^— 


AMUEL  H.  SMITH.  Jr.,  one  of  the  enter- 
prising end  active  farmers  of  Spring  Creek 
Township,  is  a  native  of  Pike  County  and 
has  been  a  life-long  resident  here.  He  is 
still  a  comparatively  young  man,  his  natal  day  hav- 
ing been  October  8,  1854,  but  he  has  won  the  re- 
spect of  his  fellow-men  by  his  manly  character  and 
industrious  habits.  His  estate  consists  of  one  hun- 
dreii  and  fifty  broad  acres  of  fine  land  on  sections 
17  and  20,  and  this  has  been  his  home  since  Septem- 
ber, 1881.  It  is  well  improved,  carefull}'  and 
intelligently  handled,  and  is  proving  the  source  of  a 
com  fortable  income. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township, 
was  reared  on  a  farm  and  was  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools.  When  he  had  reached  years  of  ma- 
turity he  began  life  for  himself  as  a  farmer,  renting 
land.  For  one  j'ear  he  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  but  with  that  exception  has  given  his  en- 
lire  attention  to  agriculture.  After  having  tvorked 
as  a  renter  four  years  he  was  enabled  to  purchase 
the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church,  to  which  his 
wife  also  belongs,  and  both  endeavor  to  make  their 
daily  walk  and  conversation  correspond  with  their 
profession. 

The  lad}-  who  sliares  tlio  fortunes  of  our  subject 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emeline  B.  Hollis  and 
became  his  wife  Decpraber  25,  1875.  She  was  born 
on  the  property  now  owned  by  her  husband  and  is 
a  daughter  of  David  and  Mary  C.  (Leggett)  Hollis. 
Her  father  was  born  in  Gibson  County ,Tcini.. April  6 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


383 


1824,  being  a  son  of  Abraham  L.  and  Saiali  (Paine) 
Hollis.  Grandfather  Iloilis  was  a  Baptist  minister 
and  began  tiie  work  of  the  ministry  when  but  six- 
teen years  old.  lie  emigrated  to  Indiana  from 
Tennessee,  thence  to  Missouri,  in  1846  came  to 
Coles  County,  this  State,  afterward  returned  to 
Missouri,  and  finally  died  in  Pii<e  County,  III.  He 
was  twice  married  and  his  widow,  formerly  Rebecca 
Rioliey,  is  still  living. 

David  Hollis  spent  the  most  of  his  early  life  on 
a  farm  and  received  a  good  English  education.  He 
followed  farming  until  18G8,  when  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits,  continuing  them  until  1885. 
He  was  a  verj-  active  and  progressive  citizen,  served 
one  term  as  Count}'  Treasurer,  was  also  Township 
Supervisor,  and  Justice  for  twenty  ^-ears.  He  was 
Postmaster  at  Nebo.  He  belonged  to  the  INIasonic 
and  Odd  Fellows  fraternities  and  was  a  Deacon  in 
the  Baptist  Church  for  forty  years.  His  death  oc- 
curred October  18,  1886. 

The  mother  of  Mrs.  Smith  was  a  native  of  Mis 
souri.  She  died  in  1865  and  in  1870  the  father 
married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Thompson  and  May 
(Simpson)  ISIason.  The  first  wife  reared  four  chil- 
dren: Sarah  M.,  Lewis  T.,  Elizabeth  J.,  and  Bar- 
bara E.  The  second  wife  reared  five  children: 
Anna  L.,  David  P.,  Nellie  M.,  Virgil  M.,  and 
Riley  R. 

Our  subject  and  bis  good  wife  are  the  parents  of 
six  children  who  are  receiving   every  possible  ad- 
vantage and  being  fitted  as  thoroughly  as  parental 
love  can  accomplish  that  purpose,  for  usefulness  in 
future  }-ears.    They  are  named  resijectively  :  Luther 
M..   Lewis  M.,  Ida   M.,  Carrie  M.,  Samuel  W.  and 
Ivan  M. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  December  14, 
I    1819,  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  and  came  to  Illi- 
'    nois  in  1837.     lie   settled   in   Pittsfield,  but  a  few 
J    years    later   married  and    located    in  Spring  Creek 
I    Townsliip.     In  1846    he  entered  bis   first   farm   of 
forty   acres,   where   he   lived   about  twenty  years, 
,    adding  to  it  until  be  owned  two  hundred  acres.    He 
I    then  sold   the    property  and    purchased  an  equal 
j    amount  where  Nebo  now  stands,  all  the  town  west 
I    of  the  main  business  part  having  been  built  on  his 
land.     During  the  last  twelve  years  of  his  life  he 
I    carried  on  a  store  and   he  was  also  Postmaster  and 


Justice  of  the  Peace,  lie  had  begun  his  career 
without  means,  but  by  industry  and  good  habits 
acquired  a  good  financial  standing.  During  iiis 
earl}^  life  he  taught  school.  He  was  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  Masonic  lodge  in  Nebo 
and  he  and  his  wife  were  active  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Pike 
County,  Ohio,  January-  9,  1821,  her  parents  being 
Benjamin  and  Cliarlotte  (Adkins)  Allison.  They 
were  earlj'  settlers  in  the  IJuckeye  State,  whence 
they  removed  to  Indiana  in  1829.  In  1834  they 
came  to  Pike  County,  111.,  locating  four  miles  south 
of  Pittsfield.  Mr.  Allison  was  married  three  times 
and  by  the  various  unions  became  the  father  of 
nine  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Fur- 
ther facts  reganling  the  paternal  ancestors  of  our 
subject  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of  Samuel  H. 
Smith.  Sr.,  on  another  page  in  this  Album. 


-^i 

""==^3 


3[^_o_ 


\||  OHN  SIMON  is  a  worthy  member  of  the 
fanning  community  of  this  county,  and  is 
industriously  pursuing  his  vocation  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  where  he 
tas  a  good  farm  and  a  comfortable  home.  He  is  a 
Bavarian  by  birth  and  was  born  December  21. 
1828.  His  father,  Andrew  Simon,  was  a  farmer 
b}'  occupation  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  Bavaria, 
dying  in  1842. 

Our  subject  attended  school  quite  steadily  in  his 
youth,  and  obtained  a  very  good  education.  When 
not  attending  to  his  books  he  assisted  his  father  on 
his  farm  and  gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  agri- 
culture. In  the  prime  and  vigor  of  a  stalwart 
manhood  he  determined  to  seek  a  better  fortune  in 
the  wonderful  land  of  America,  of  which  he  bad 
heard  much,  than  was  offered  to  him  in  the  land  of 
his  birth,  and  in  1852  he  emigrated  to  this  countr}', 
setting  sail  from  Bremen  and  landing  in  New  Or- 
leans after  a  long  and  tedious  ocean  vo3-age  of 
sixty-five  days.  He  went  directly  to  St.  Louis, 
and  after  staying  a  short  time  there  proceeded  to 
Lincoln    County,   Mo.,  where   ho  was  employed  in 


384 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cliopi)iiig  wood  for  two  years.  After  that  lie 
bought  sixty-nine  acres  of  timber  land,  paying  $100 
for  the  entire  tract.  He  cleared  a  part  of  it  and 
lived  on  it  seven  years,  when  be  sold  it  and  catue 
to  Calhoun  Count3^  After  his  arrival  here  he 
bought  the  place  where  he  now  resides  and  has 
since  been  constantly  improving  it,  until  be  has  it 
in  a  good  condition,  and  from  its  fertile,  well-tilled 
fields  reaps  abundant  harvests,  from  which  he  de- 
rives an  excellent  income.  At  the  time  of  pur- 
chase forty-five  acres  of  the  one  hundred  and  sixtj' 
acres  were  cleared  and  a  log  house  stood  upon  the 
land.  He  has  since  cleared  quite  a  tract  and  has 
erected  a  substantialset  of  frame  buildings,  planted 
a  fine  orchard  and  otherwise  improved   the  place. 

Mr.  Simon  has  been  twice  married.  In  1855  his 
marriage  with  Miss  Barbara  Sclilagh,  a  native  of 
of  Germanj',  took  place.  She  died  in  1881,  leav- 
ing one  child,  Andrew.  In  1882  our  subject  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Borchert,  and  they  have  one 
son,  John  H.  Andrew  is  married  and  has  tliree 
children,  and  lives  in  Gilead  Township. 

Mr.  Simon  is  a  self-made  man,  and  has  done 
well  in  life  by  persistent  and  wisely  directed  labor. 
He  is  a  man  of  sterling  habits  and  is  well  thought 
of  in  the  precinct  where  he  has  made  his  home  so 
many  3'ears.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of 
St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church  and  are  active  in  its 
every  good  work. 


lEV.  ABEL  DUNHAM.  This  worthy  resi- 
dent of  Pike  County  is  spending  his  declin- 
ing years  quietl3'  in  the  little  town  of 
^P  Maysville,  in  Griggsville  Township,  sur- 
rounded b3"  the  comforts  secured  b}^  unremitting 
industry  iu  earlier  life,  and  rejoicing  in  the  respect 
of  those  about  him.  He  has  spent  many  3'ears 
in  ministerial  labor  in  connection  with  the  United 
Brethren  Church  and  has  reaped  a  due  reward  in 
seeing  souls  added  to  the  church.  He  has  ever 
taken  an  active  part  in  all  that  is  of  interest  to  the 
township  and  would  add  to  the  material  prosperity 
or  intellectual  and  moral  status  of  the  people.     His 


histor3'  is  of  interest  as  indicating  the  results  which 
may  be  obtained  b)-  persistent  and  well-directed 
efforts,  and  the  character  which  ma3'  be  formed  by 
a  determination  to  do  righteously. 

For  man3'  years  the  Dunham  famii3'  made  their 
home  in  Maryland.  They  were  of  German  origin. 
Lewis  Dunham,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  cheerfull3'  underwent 
man3'  hardships  and  privations  to  aid  in  securing 
American  liberty.  At  one  time  he  was  so  near 
starvation  that  he  made  a  kind  of  tea  out  of  the 
crisp  pieces  of  his  own  boot  soles  in  order  to  sustain 
his  life.  William  Dunham,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  and  grew  to  ma  iliood  in  the  State 
that  was  the  ancestral  home.  He  married  Miss 
Mary  Chaney,  a  lad3'  of  Scotch  ancestr3',  and  some 
years  later  removed  to  Ohio,  locating  in  the  new 
region  included  in  Harrison  Count3'.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dunham  made  a  home  from  the  unbroken  wilder- 
ness and  lived  there  until  the  members  of  their 
famil3'  were  partly  reared.  In  the  spring  of  1845 
they  removed  to  this  State,  settling  in  what  is  now 
Griggsville  Township,  Pike  Count3',  here  spending 
the  remainder  of  their  natural  lives. 

William  Dunham  died  in  less  than  a  year  after 
his  arrival,  the  date  of  his  demise  being  Sejitember 
15,  1845,  and  his  age  seventy-live  years.  He  be- 
longed to  the  United  Brethren  Church  and  his 
house  was  a  home  for  the  preachers  and  often  the 
scene  of  large  gatherings  when  meetings  were  held 
therein.  He  was  a  personal  friend  of  James  Mc- 
Gaw,  Sewell  Briggs.  Adam  IIesle3',  Alexander 
Briddle,  and  man3'  others  who  were  prominent  in 
the  pioneer  ministr3' in  Ohio.  His  hospitality  was 
unbounded,  the  latch-string  of  his  house  was  al- 
wa3's  out,  and  people  came  and  went  with  perfect 
freedom,  assured  of  a  hearty  welcome  to  a  share  in 
pioneer  fare.  He  was  looked  upon  as  a  prominent  ■ 
factor  in  the  advancement  of  the  church  and  had 
many  friends  wherever  he  lived. 

The  wife  of  William  Dunham  was  a  worthy  com- 
panion, being  a  woman  of  kindly  heart  and  active 
disposition,  ever  ready  when  her  home  duties  were 
attended  to  for  deeds  of  neighborl3'  kindness  and 
activit3'  in  religious  matters.  She  frequently-  made 
loving  appeals  to  large  congregations  for  whose 
.salvation  she  was  desirous  and  her  words    were    lis- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


385 


tened  to  with  great  respect.  Her  death  took  place 
November  2,  1852,  when  she  was  sixty-eight  years 
old.  and  was  universplly  regretted  by  the  members 
of  the  churcli  and  the  neighbors  who  liad  learned  to 
love  her.  She  was  the  mother  of  eleven  children, 
sis  of  whom  reached  manhood  and  womanhood, 
altlioiigh  our  subject  is  tlie  only  one  now  living  to 
tell  the  story  of  the  family. 

Abel  Dunham  first  saw  the  liglit  of  da}-  in  Harri- 
son County,  Ohio,  July  IG,  1819.  He  grew  toman- 
hood  there  and  embraced  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  While  poor  in  worldly  goods  but  rich  in 
detL'rmination,  tirm  principles  and  nffection.  he 
took  a  bride  who  was  willing  and  anxious  to  labor 
by  his  side.  The  marriage  coreraonj-  was  performed 
August  13,  1839,  at  the  liride's  home  in  Franklin 
Township,  Harrison  Count}-.  The  lady  who  then 
became  Mrs.  Dunham  bore  tlie  maiden  name  of 
Rachel  Harden  and  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
Ohio,  March  7,  1816.  She  was  carefully  reared  and 
possessed  the  ilomestic  skill  and  good  judgment 
which  made  her  an  efficient  counselor  and  helpmate 
for  her  husband.  In  1840  she  was  united  with  the 
United  Brethren  Church  and  during  the  ensuing 
years  was  frequently  called  upon  for  exhortations. 
She  was  a  fluent  speaker,  her  spirit  being  in  the 
work,  and  she  exerted  a  wonderful  influence  upon 
her  hearers.  PVjr  some  years  before  her  death  she 
was  an  invalid,  but  her  mind  retained  its  perfect 
strength  and  a  short  time  before  she  breathed  her 
last  she  was  at  her  best,  giving  advice  to  her 
friends  and  bidding  them  farewell.  She  died  with  a 
smile  on  her  face  on  Sunday.  February  28,  1886. 
A  kind  neighbor  and  a  true  Christian,  she  held  a 
warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  those  about  her. 

Ten  children  were  born  of  this  union,  four  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  The  living  are:  Amanda 
T.,  wife  of  Samuel  Moore,  a  farmer  in  New  Salem 
Township;  Isabella  J.,  w-ife  of  Samuel  AVheeler,  a 
farmer  in  the  same  township;  Mar}-  E.,  wife  of 
Hiram  Moore,  a  farmer  in  Griggsville  Township; 
Frances  A.,  wife  of  George  W.  ^loore  who  is  farm- 
ing in  New  Salem  Township;  Joshua  L.,  who  married 
Maria  Hensel  and  operates  a  farm  in  Griggsville 
Township;  Joseph  M.,  who  married  Dora  Kunfz 
and  is  farming  ir.  New  Salem  Township. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  our  subject  had  $1 .01 


in  his  pocket,  he  gave  the  dollar  to  the  officiating 
clergyman  and  after  the  infair  donated  the  cent  to 
a  little  nephew.  He  was  then  ready  with  his  bride 
to  start  out  in  life  in  a  way  more  frequently  seen  at 
that  time  than  at  the  present.  He  began  farming  in 
a  small  way  in  his  native  county,  remaining  there 
until  1845  when  he  removed  to  this  State  to  begin 
a  new  life  in  Pike  County.  He  went  to  work  in 
earnest  and -by  his  good  judgment  and  economy, 
aided  by  the  prudence  and  physical  exertions  of 
his  wi'e,  he  accumulated  over  six  hundred  acres  of 
good  land  in  the  cf)unty  and  other  property  which 
now  furnishes  him  a  flue  income. 

Mr.  Dunham  was  recently  married  in  Newburg 
Township,  Pike  County,  to  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Brown, 
nee  Anderson.  This  estimable  woman  was  horn 
near  Hillsboro,  Highland  County,  Ohio,  August 
23,  1840,  and  grew  to  maturity  there  where  her 
parents  lived  and  died.  In  her  native  county  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Henly  Brown  who  sub- 
sequently removed  to  the  "West  and  died  in  Kansas 
in  the  prime  of  life.  Mrs.  Dunham  was  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  but 
is  now  identified  with  the  I'nited  Brethren.  She  is 
active  in  the  work  of  the  society,  even  taking  a 
part  in  exhortations  to  the  members  for  greater 
faithfulness  and  to  sinners  for  a  change  of  life. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Dunham  was  a  prominent  Aboli- 
tionist during  the  prevalence  of  slavery  and  after- 
ward joined  the  Republican  ranks;  more  recently, 
however,  he  has  connected  iiimself  with  the  Pro- 
hibition party  and  intends  to  devote  his  remaining 
years  to  the  cause  of  temperance.  Ha  is  looked  up 
to  for  prece|)t  and  example  by  a  large  progeny, 
having  over  fifty  grandchildren  and  six  great- 
grandchildren. 


1 .  r 


»/ILLIAM  MYERS.  To  this  gentleman  and 
his  associates  in  the  farming  community 
3,  i  of  Barry  Township,  Pike  County  is  much 
indebted  for  wliat  they  have  done  to  advance  its 
material  interests  as  skillful,  sturdy,  enterprising 
agriculturists.  He  has  a  large  and  well  ordered 
farm  on  which  he  has  placed  one   of   the   pleasant 


386 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


homes  of  tliis  locality,  where  he  is  living  in  retire- 
ment in  the  enjo^'ment  of  his  ample  income. 

Mr.  M^'crs  was  born  .liily  1.5,  1819,  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Pa.  His  fatlier,  Jacob  Myers,  was 
born  in  tlic  same  county  and  was  the  son  of  an- 
other Jacob  Myers,  who  is  thought  to  liave  been  a 
native  of  Lancaster  County,  Vs..  He  removed 
from  there  to  Cumberhind  County  and  settled  in 
West  Pennsboro  Townsliip.  on  a  tract  of  heavily 
timbered  land.  A  stone  house  on  the  place  and  a 
small  clearing  constituted  liic  only  iniiirovements, 
and  there  he  established  liiniself  as  a  lilaclcsmith 
.and  a  farmer,  spending  tlie  remainder  of  his  life 
there.  He  married  Margaret  Marat,  who  also  died 
in  Cumberland  County. 

The  father  of  our  subject  bought  the  old  home 
of  his  father,  and  continued  to  live  in  it  until  1848. 
In  that  year  he  removed  to  this  State,  located  in 
this  county,  and  made  his  home  here  until  death 
rounded  out  his  life  at  tlie  age  of  seventy-six  years. 
The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Lydia  Lyne,  and 
siic  was  a  daughter  of  William  Lyne.  She  w.as  a 
native  of  the  same  county  as  himself,  and  there 
died. 

Our  sul)ject  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  |)lace 
of  ills  birth,  and  continiiefl  to  make  his  home  with 
his  parents  until  his  marriage,  hi  1848  he  came 
to  Illinois  ti-aveling  by  team  to  Wheeling,  and 
thence  by  boat  on  the  Ohio  River  to  Cincinnati 
where  he  landed.  He  had  brought  a  team  with 
him,  and  from  tliat  cit}'  drove  all  the  way  to  Barry. 
After  liis  arrival  in  this  township,  he  rented  land 
one  year,  and  subsequently  bought  a  place  in  Salem 
Township.  Five  years  later  he  purchased  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides.  Tiiere  was  a  small  frame  house 
and  barn  on  the  place  and  the  land  was  quite  well 
imi)rovod.  Heat  once  entered  upon  its  furtlier  im- 
inovcment,  and  has  greatly  increased  the  value  of 
Ids  property  since  it  came  into  his  liands.  He  has 
erected  a  substantial  set  of  frame  buildings,  and 
from  his  finely  cultivated  fields  reaps  ricii  har- 
vests. He  now  h.as  four  hundred  acres  of  as  choice 
farming  land  as  is  to  be  fonnd  in  tliis  count}'.  His 
prosperity  lias  been  great,  as  his  farming  ventures 
have  turned  out  well,  and  he  is  to-day  one  of  the 
moneyed  men  of  that  township.  His  circumstances 
are  such  tiiat  he  can  not  live  in  retirement,  and  be 


is  passing  his  declining  years  amid  the  comforts  of 
his  home  like  the  patriarchs  of  old,  surrounded  hj 
his  children.  He  has  alwa3'S  taken  an  intelligent 
interest  in  politics,  and  has  always  used  his  in- 
fluence in  favor  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  is 
greatly  respected  in  this  locality,  where  so  nianj- 
years  of  his  life  have  been  passed,  and  where  he  is 
well-known  for  his  truthfulness,  uprightness  and 
unyielding  integrit}'. 

Mr.  Myers  was  married  in  1844  to  Jlary  Wike,  a 
native  of  Cumberland  County,  an<l  a  daughter  of 
George  and  Mary  Wike.  She  was  to  him  a  true 
companion,  a  wise  counselor,  and  a  ciieerful  help- 
mats,  and  her  deatli  in  1887  after  a  long  and  peace- 
ful wedded  life  of  more  than  forty  years,  was  a  sad 
blow  to  him  and  liis  family.  She  was  the  mother 
of  five  children,  of  whom  the  following  four  are 
living — Rebecca,  George,  Douglas,  and  William, 
all  of  whom  are  married  and  have  families. 


^OS 
I       re 


'-fJ 


OSEPH  C,  HARRINGTON  is  an  honored 
representative  of  the  native-born  citizens  of 
Pike  County,  who  are  now  active  in  sus- 
taining and  extending  its  farming  and  stock- 
raising  business.  He  makes  bis  home  on  a  small 
but  finel}'  improved  farm  in  Griggsville,  his  birth- 
place, where  he  has  other  landed  interests. 

Mr.  Harrington  was  born  in  this  township,  Jan- 
uary 23,  1838,  and  is  one  of  the  younger  members 
of  the  family  of  Martin  Harrington,  of  whom  see 
biography  on  another  page  of  this  Biograimiic.^l 
Albu.\i.  Our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  en- 
tirely in  his  native  township,  and  lived  with  liis  fa- 
ther until  he  became  of  age.  He  began  life  as  a 
farmer  witli  lus  brotlier  E.  J.  in  18G8,  and  has  since 
been  very  successful  as  a  general  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser.  He  settled  on  the  little  farm  that  he  now 
occupies  on  section  15,  just  outside  of  Griggsville, 
May  20,  1887.  He  possesses  other  farming  lands 
in  this  township,  and  is  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. 

Mr.  Harrington  has  twice  been  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Frances  Wilson,  a  native  of  England, 
who  came  to   America  with  her   parents  who  set- 


t*fc 


I 


.^y:^^^^    IA/^^^^t^^^'^ 


TA^^^xiy 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


389 


tied  in  Perr}-  Township,  Pilie  Countj'.  (For  pa- 
rental history  see  biography  of  W.  11.  Wilson.) 
Mrs.  Harrington  died  after  the  birlli  of  two  chil- 
dren, Jolin  C.  and  Mary  C,  who  are  at  home  with 
tiieir  fatlier..  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  our 
subject  was  married  in  Perry  lo  lier  sister,  Mrs. 
Marj-  Smith  nee  Wilson,  a  native  of  Kngland.  She 
was'quite  young  when  she  came  to  this  county,  and 
here  she  was  reared  and  educated.  She  is  lo  our 
subject  a  devoted  wife  and  a  true  helpmate,  and 
to  her  sister's  children  a  wise  and  tender  mother. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrington  are  people  whose 
dail}'  lives  are  guided  by  Christian  prinpi[)les,  and 
in  them  the  Presbyterian  Church  finds  two  of  its 
leading  members.  ISIr.  Harrington  takes  a  lively 
interest  in  politics,  and  uses  his  influence  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  stockholder  in 
the  Illinois  A^alley  Fair  Association,  and  all  enter- 
prises calculated  to  benefit  the  county  are  cliecr- 
fiilly  and  liberally  supported  by  him  in  true  public 
spirit. 


^ 


^^^ 


hM  ARTIN  HARRINGTON.  Among  the  old 
residents  of  Pike  Count\'  who  have  been 
highly  instrumental  in  its  development 
and  have  at  last  retired  to  spend  the  rem- 
nant of  their  days  in  ease  and  quiel,is  Martin  Har- 
rington. He  has  been  a  continual  resident  of 
Perry  Township  since  1836  and  up  to  the  time 
when  he  retired  from  active  labor  on  account  of 
ago,  was  a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  In 
June,  1870,  he  removed  into  tlie  town  of  Perry 
where  he  is  living  in  peace  with  all  mankind.  His 
life  history  is  worthy  of  imitation  and  we  are  glad 
to  have  the  opportunit}-  to  present  it  and  also  his 
portrait  to  his  many  friends. 

Mr.  Harrington  comes  of  an  old  Massachusetts 
family-  which  has  an  honorable  history  from  the 
early  colonization  of  that  commonweallh.  AVhen 
the  Revolution  began  the  forefathers  of  our  sub- 
ject were  among  the  first  to  volunteer  their  services 
in  the  great  drama  about  to  be  transacted.  Two 
of  them,  Jonallian  and  Caleb  Harrington,  were 
among    the  six  wlio   fell  under   the  first  fire  at  the 


battle  of  Lexington,  and  to  their  memory-  and  tliat 
of  others  whose  blood  was  shed  on  that  sacred  spot, 
a  beautiful  monument  has  been  erected.  .Samuel 
Harrington,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Grafton,  August  3,  1  769,  and  after  growing  to  man- 
hood married  Abigail  Putnam  who  was  born  in  the 
old  Bay  State  Seijtember  15,  1775.  Her  father, 
Zadoc  Putnam  was  nearly  related  to  Gen.  Israel 
Putnam,  the  daring  |)atriot,  whose  name  and  fame 
are  well  known  to  all  readers  of  American  history. 
Zadoc  Putnam's  father  built  the  lirst  wagon  in 
Worcester  Count}-,  Mass..  and  it  is  related  that  over 
two  hundred  men  came  from  long  distances  to  see 
one  pair  of  wheels  follow  anotlier,  so  great  was  the 
novelty  at  that  time. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  lived  and  died  in  tlie 
old  Bay  State,  the  father  passing  away  October  5, 
1802.  while  still  in  the  prime  of  life  and  the 
mother  surviving  until  April,  1871,  and  reaching 
tlie  advanced  age  of  ninety-six  years.  She  came  of 
a  line  of  sturdy  ancestors  who  attained  long  lives 
and  the  vigor  of  the  race  is  inherited  b}-  her  son, 
our  subject.  He  is  one  of  four  children  born  to 
his  father,  his  mother  having  had  otiier  children  by 
her  second  raarriageto  Capt.  David  Trask,  of  Lei- 
cester, Mass. 

Our  subject  wjis  born  in  Worcester  County, 
Mass.,  December  24,  1797,  and  having  lost  his 
father  in  childhood,  was  in  early  life  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources.  He  had  the  true  Yankee  pluck 
and  began  in  earnest  to  make  his  living  by  the 
sweat  of  his  brow.  Until  age  compelled  him  to 
do  otherwise,  he  lived  in  accordance  with  the 
jirinciple  that  "it  is  better  to  wear  out  than  to 
rust  out,"  and  even  since  abandoning  aiduous  toil, 
he  has  not  been  entirel\'  idle.  In  early  life  he  ob- 
tained the  rudiments  of  an  P>nglish  education  and 
lie  has  never  lost  sight  of  the  nuiUiplying  process 
through  which  he  has  obtained  possession  of  a 
splendid  fund  of  information.  He  is  well  versed 
on  local  and  general  matters,  but  the  infirmities  of 
age  prevent  him  from  relating  incidents  with  the 
ease  and  accuracj'  w-hich  he  formerly  possessed. 

The  early  occupation  of  Mr.  Harrington  was  that 
of  a  scj'the-maker,  which  was  in  those  dajs  a  profit- 
able business.  He  became  a  skillful  mechanic  and 
for  sometime  devoted  himself  to  the  making  of  gun- 


390 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


barrels  and  later  worked  as  a  machinist.  He  also 
spent  some  time  in  the  employ  of  .Samuel  and  John 
Slater,  the  first  manufacturers  of  the  spinning  jenny. 
Having  in  whatever  he  undertook  carried  out  the 
principle  of  doing  his  work  as  thoroughly  as  possi- 
ble, Mr.  Harrington  was  prepared  on  emigrating  to 
Illinois  to  become  a  good  farmer,  even  though  lie 
had  not  previously  given  that  occupation  much  at- 
tention. He  first  secured  three  eighty-acre  tracts 
of  wild  land,  soon  had  a  good  farm  and  began  to 
make  money.  He  added  by  subsequent  purchase 
until  he  became  one  of  the  largest  land  owners  in 
the  county,  as  he  iiad  been  one  of  the  best  and  most 
reliable  citizens. 

No  resident  of  the  couiitj'  has  done  more  for 
the  township  and  village  of  Perry  than  Mr.  Har- 
rington, and  the  entire  county  is  indebted  to 
Lira  for  a  fine  example  of  true  manhood  and  up- 
right character.  He  is  some  j'ears  older  than  any 
other  gentleman  living  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
count}',  he  being  ninety-three  years,  and  his  long- 
evity is  largely  due  to  his  good  habits.  He  has 
never  used  tobacco  in  any  form  nor  drank  intoxi- 
cating liquors.  He  is  a  warm-hearted  sympathetic 
man  and  in  convers.ation  becomes  quite  enthusiastic 
over  a  favorite  theme. 

June  22,  1822,  Mr.  Harrington  was  united  in 
marriage  with  !Miss  Mj-ra  Willard,  of  Grafton, 
Mass.,  and  the  same  j'ear  located  in  Amsterdam, 
N.  Y.,  where  Mr.  Harrington  carried  on  his  man- 
ufactures nine  years.  During  this  time  bis  wife 
die.l  while  in  the  prime  of  life,  the  date  of  her  de- 
mise being  1832.  She  was  the  mother  of  three 
children,  one  of  whom  is  now  deceased.  This  was 
Charles  L.,  who  had  been  mining  in  tjie  AVest  and 
was  accidentally  drowned  at  Humboldt  Ba}',  Cal., 
February  22,  1863.  He  was  in  his  fortieth  year 
but  unmarried.  The  living  children  are  Lucy  A., 
wife  of  Frederick  Brimblecorn,  a  farmer  in  Ogle 
County;  and  Josephus  W.,  a  widower  living  a  re- 
tired life  in  California. 

Mr.  Harrington  was  again  married  in  1833  in 
the  Empire  State,  to  Miss  Catherine  Hagaman. 
This  lad}'  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  there 
grew  to  a  noble  womanhood.  She  assisted  her  hus- 
band materially  in  getting  a  start  in  life  after  com- 
ing to  tlie  West,   and  died   at  her   home    in    Perry 


deeply  regretted  by  a  host  of  friends.  She  was  an 
active  member  of  the  Presliyterian  Church  during 
her  entire  mature  life.  Her  demise  took  place 
April  27,  1 87.T.  when  she  wan  quite  advanced  in 
years.  She  was  the  mother  of  five  children  whose 
record  is  as  follows:  Francis  M.  married  Martha 
Dutcher,  of  Pike  County,  Ills.,  ond  is  now  living 
in  Kirkville,  Mo.;  he  is  a  prominent  attorney,  hav- 
ing been  graduated  from  the  Chicago  Law  School, 
and  has  represented  Missouri  in  the  Legis- 
lature eight  jears.  Joseph  C.  a  retired  farmer, 
lives  in  (5riggsville;  his  first  wife  was  Fannie  Wil- 
son and  after  her  death  he  married  her  sister,  Mrs. 
Mary  Smith.  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  James  Whit- 
taker,  a  prominent  farmer  in  Perry  Township. 
John  E.  married  Lucretia  Reynolds,  and  is  a  suc- 
cessful agriculturist  in  Griggsville  Township. 
Sarah  E.  is  the  wife  of  Hon.  William  P.  Browning, 
their  home  being  on  a  farm  near  Memphis,  Mo. 

No  better  record  can  be  shown  of  honorable,  up- 
right and  successful  lives,  than  that  of  the  Harring- 
ton family  and  their  connections  by  marriage.  Our 
subject  and  his  sons  are  Republicans,  sound  and 
reliable,  and  have  been  leaders  in  local  polities; 
nearly  all  the  local  and  State  otfices  have  been  held 
among  the  members  of  the  family. 

TTO  N.  AVELSER  is  an  enterprising  mcr. 
chant  in  Nebo,  Pike  County,  being  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Weiser, 
dealers  in  general  merchandise,  lie  is  proving  as 
successful  in  the  occupation  to  which  he  has  devoted 
himself  for  a  few  years  past,  as  he  had  previously 
done  in  tilling  the  soil.  Mr.  AVeiser  is  of  good 
German  blood  and  manifests  in  his  business  affairs 
the  persistence,  foresight  and  painstaking  industry 
so  characteristic  of  the  race  whence  he  sprung. 
He  is  a  reliable,  stead\'-going  citizen,  interested  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  town  in  which  he  h.as  made 
his  home  and  in  the  welfare  of  the  citizens  of  the 
great  commonwealth  of  which  he  is  a  native. 

Mr.  AVeiser  was  born  April  18,  1860,  at  Beards- 
town,  Cass  County,  reared  amid  the  surroundings  of 
farm  life  and  was  the  recipient  of  a  common-school 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


391 


education.  When  twenty-three  years  old  he  began 
his  personal  career  as  a  farmer,  but  in  November, 
1887,  embarked  in  his  present  business  and  became 
a  resident  of  the  town.  He  has  served  on  the  Town 
Boa'-d  with  efflcienc}'  and  credit.  He  belongs  to 
the  Sons  of  Veterans  and  Modern  Woodmen  and 
finds  some  outlet  for  his  social  and  benevolent 
characteristics  in  the  work  of  the  lodges.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  His  wife  liolds 
membership  in  the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Ciiurch  and 
is  respected  as  a  wortliy  member  of  that  religious 
body. 

The  home  of  Jlr.  Weiser  is  presided  over  by  a 
lady  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Meliseent  J. 
Smith  and  became  his  wife  A[)ril  15.  1S8;3.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  H.  and  Mar\'  ,1.  (Williford) 
Smith,  was  well  reared  and  is  intelligent,  amiable 
and  devoted  to  her  famil3\  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weiser 
have  three  ciiildren — VernaM.,  born  November  13, 
1886;  Bessie  G.,  born  May  6,  1888,  and  John  R. 
born  .June  tO,  1890. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Philip  and  Mar}^  M.  (Lahr)  Weiser  of  the  German 
I^rapire  who  emigrate!  to  the  United  States  about 
1840.  They  sojourned  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  for  a 
short  time,  thence  came  by  boat  to  Beardstown,  111., 
and  entered  land  about  five  miles  south  of  that 
place.  There  Mr.  Weiser  breathed  his  last  in  1854 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  3'ears.  His  widow  sur- 
vived until  November,  188C,and  reached  the  age 
of  eighty-four.  They  had  seven  children,  five  born 
in  Germany  and  two  in  the  United  States.  They 
were  named  Nicholas,  John,  Philip,  Catherine, 
Susan,  Caroline  and  Barbara;  all  married  and  reared 
families. 

John  Weiser.  tbe  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany.  Afier  reaching 
maturity  he  married  Dortha  Musch.  a  native  of  the 
same  province  as  himself,  who  had  accompanied 
her  father,  John  Musch,  to  Cass  County,  this  State, 
about  1842.  On  August  20,  1801,  John  Weiser 
wa.  enrolled  in  Companj'  A,  Twenty-seventh  Illi- 
nois Infantry  and  during  llie  progress  of  tlie  Civil 
War  participated  in  thirteen  momentous  battles, 
together  with  many  skirmishes.  The  most  famous 
of  the  engagements  in  wiiicli  he  took  part  were  Ft. 
Donelson,  Shiloh,  Island  No.  10,  Chickamauga  and 


Lookout  Mountain.  He  received  a  wound  in  the 
right  leg.  Prior  to  the  war  he  voted  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  but  since  that  time  has  been  a  stanch 
Republican.  His  occupation  is  tiiat  of  a  farmer. 
He  and  his  good  wife  have  reared  three  children, 
Louis  P.,  now  living  in  Sharpsburg;  Caroline  C, 
and  Otto  N.;  they  lost  a  son  John  in  infancy. 


-^ 


'■Jir= 


AVID  S.  H.  NEVIUS.  Those  who,  as 
I  boy  or  man,  bore  a  part  in  the  labors  by 
which  Calhoun  County  has  been  shorn  of 
its  primeval  forests,  roblied  of  its  primi- 
tive wildness  and  made  into  a  fruitful  expanse,  are 
certainly  deserving  of  the  respect  and  gratitude  of 
those  who  are  enjoying  the  results  of  their  toil.  A 
record  of  the  principal  events  in  the  lives  of  these 
pioneer  workers  affords  a  pleasing  task  to  the  bio- 
graphical writer,  and  he  therefore  turns  to  the  liis- 
tory  of  David  Nevius  with  delight. 

In  Scotland  many  years  ago  one  David  Nevius 
was  born  and  in  New  Jersey,  not  far  from  the  same 
time,  the  eyes  of  Jane  Vanderveer  opened  to  the 
light.  This  couple  after  reaching  years  of  matur- 
ity, were  united  in  marriage,  making  their  home 
in  New  Jersey  until  1837,  when  they  removed  to 
Illinois.  Their  first  home  in  this  State  was  in  Ma- 
coupin County,  where  they  bought  land  occupying 
it  for  several  years.  Tiiey  removed  ihence  to 
Greene  County,  residing  in  Carrollton  for  a  time, 
and  in  1842  came  to  Calhoun  County.  They  estab- 
lished themselves  on  section  C,  of  what  is  now  Ham- 
burg Precinct,  but  several  years  laterchanged  their 
residence  to  section  5,  Crater  Precinct. 

The  first  purchase  of  land  made  b^-  Mr.  Nevins 
in  this  county  was  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  which  not  a  furrow  had  been  turned,  but  which 
was  covered  with  prairie  grass  and  timber.  While 
his  sons  managed  the  farm  lie  worked  at  his  trade, 
that  of  a  saddler.  He  had  about  $1500  when  he 
came  hither  and  he  waSs  therefore  able  to  give  iiis 
family  a  better  home  than  was  the  case  with  many 
who  developed  raw  land.  Mr.  Nevius  died  in  1854 
but  his  widow  survived  until  1879.  They  held 
membership    in    the  Methodist  Episcopal   Church. 


392 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  AL13UM. 


Their  family  consisted  of  eight  sons  and  daugliters, 
of  whom  three,  Isaac,  Anna  and  John,  are  deceased. 
The  survivors  are  James,  whose  home  is  in  White- 
hall; Sarah,  wife  of  Isaac  S.  Hicks,  living  in  Jack- 
sonville; Georgiana,  wife  of  A.  J.  Kalb,  their  home 
being  in  Quincy;  David  S.  H.,  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice;  and  William. 

The  subject  of  these  brief  paragraphs  was  born 
October  12, 1836,  and  was  therefore  about  six  years 
old  when  he  began  his  residence  in  Calhoun  Count}. 
During  his  early  years  he  attended  the  subscription 
and  later  the  public  schools  of  the  county,  generally 
pursuing  his  studies  in  the  old-fashioned  log  school- 
house  and  passing  to  and  fro  over  a  slightly-trav- 
eled highway,  where  neighbors  were  few  and  far 
between.  As  be  became  old  enough  he  began  to 
participate  in  the  pioneer  work  by  means  of  which 
the  parental  estate  was  brought  to  a  good  condition, 
and  as  occasion  offered  prepared  himself  for  the 
lifework  which  was  before  him.  The  fine  property 
which  he  now  owns  has  been  acquired  by  his  per- 
sonal efforts,  and  the  broad  expanse  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  with  its  excellent  improvements 
and  fertile  fields  is  a  standing  monument  to  his  in- 
dustry and  prudence. 

The  comforts  of  home  which  Mr.  Nevius  thor- 
oughlj-  enjoys  are  due  to  the  efficiency  of  his  wife, 
who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  Luraley.  Their 
marriage  rites  were  solemnized  December  11,  1859, 
and  to  them  eleven  children  have  been  born :  Eva, 
Dora,  Charles  L.,  Edward,  Addie,  Otis,  Molly,  Wil- 
bur, Ray,  George,  and  an  infant  who  died  unnamed. 
Eva  is  now  deceased;  Dora  is  the  wife  of  James 
Foiles  and  Molly  the  vife  of  Lewis  Foiles,  both 
families  living  in  Calhovm  County.  Otis,  a  very 
interesting  young  man  of  twenty-one  years,  was 
stricken  down  with  diabetes  and  his  family  and 
friends  were  called  upon  to  mourn  his  loss  October 
24,  1890. 

Mrs.  Nevius  was  born  March  8,  1841,  in  the 
county  in  which  she  still  lives  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Turner  and  Nancy  (Beaman)  Lumley.  Her  mother 
was  born  in  Greene  County,  this  State,  and  her 
father  was  a  native  of  Tennessee.  The  latter  grew 
to  maturity  in  Greene  County  and  settled  in  Cal- 
houn County  some  time  in  the  '30s,  being  one  of 
the  early  pioneers  of  Silver  Creek,  Carlin  Precinct. 


He  resided  there  until  his  death  in  185G.  Mrs. 
Lumley  survived  until  December  6,  1889.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Mrs.  Nevius 
is  the  second  of  the  five  children  who  survive  from 
her  father's  family-.  The  others  are  L3dia,  wife  of 
William  Rugle;  George  and  Turner,  residents  in 
Carlin  Precinct;  Martha,  wife  of  Robert  McCon- 
nell,  whose  home  is  in  Eelleview  Precinct. 

Mr.  Nevius  and  his  estimable  wife  are  enrolled 
among  the  members  of  Summit  Grove  Jlethodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  Mr.  Nevius  is  iiow  one  of 
the  Trustees  of  the  organization.  He  has  acted  as 
Sunday-school  Superintendent.  In  politics  he  is  a 
tliorougli-going  Republican.  He  is  Road  Commis- 
sioner of  District  No.  2,  and  in  his  oversight  of  the 
public  highways  is  benefiting  the  traveling  public 
and  satisfying  the  resiilents  in  the  district.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nevius  are  active  in  social  circles, 
and  are  enjoying  the  fruits  of  industry  and  well- 
doing in  being  able  to  surround  themselves  with 
all  of  the  comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  of 
life  and  assist  in  all  worthy  enterprises. 


r^-WL*' 


-5^^- 


*i^ 


\TL^  ENRY  FUNK  is  steamboat  agent  at  Hasting's 
Landing  where  he  is  also  prosperouslj'  en- 
gaged in  farming,  owning  and  occupying 
one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Point  Precinct.  He 
is  a  native  of  this  part  of  Calhoun  County,  his 
birth  taking  place  on  the  30th  of  September,  1852. 
His  father,  Cornelius  Funk,  was  born  in  Holland, 
October  1,  1819,  and  was  a  son  of  another  Cornelius 
Funk,  who  was  a  native  and  life-long  resident  of 
that  that  country.  He  was  twice  married  and  had 
eighteen  children  of  whom  three  came  to  America, 
the  father  of  our   subject  and  two  of  his  sisters. 

The  father  of  our  subject  J-ommenced  life  as  a 
sailor  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  and  followed  the 
sea  seventeen  years,  during  which  time  he  visited 
various  parts  of  the  Old  World  and  the  United 
States.  He  was  evidently  favorably  impressed  with 
what  he  saw  of  this  country,  as  in  1848  he  decided 
to  locate  here,  and  left  the  land  of  his  birth  on 
the  16th  of  March  in  the  shi|)  "Alhambra,"  which 
set  sail  from  Antwerp  apd  arrived  at   New  Orleans 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


393 


on  the  3d  of  June.  Tlie  vessel  was  wrecked  on  the 
way  and  the  passengers  were  short  of  provisions 
and  were  obliged  to  live  on  short  rations.  WIsile 
on  that  memorable  vo^-age  Mr.  Funk  m.ade  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  lad^'  to  wiiom  he  vvas  afterward 
mariieil,  Maria  Eva  Bouswiue.  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. 

After  his  arrival  in  this  country,  our  subject  lo- 
cated in  St.  Louis  and  was  there  employed  at  vari- 
ous kinds  of  work  the  ensuing  nine3ears.  Coming 
to  Calhoun  County  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 
he  bought  a  tract  of  timber  and  brush  land  for 
wiiieh  he  paid  -^100.  He  improved  a  part  of  it  and 
after  living  on  it  four  years  sold  it  and  moved  to 
Richwoods  Precinct  where  he  now  resides.  He  has 
a  line  farm  there  of  one  hundred  and  tliirtv-lwo 
acres  located  one  mile  north  of  Batchtown.  He 
and  his  vvife  have  five  children  living,  namely: 
Wilhelmina,  Ileur}',  Joseph,  Maria,  and  Julia  A. 
The  family  are  well  thought  of  in  this  community 
where  the\'  live  and  are  among  the  most  consistent 
members  of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church. 

Henry  Funk  was  the  oldest  son  of  his  parents, 
and  he  w.as  young  when  they  moved  to  Richwoods 
Precinct,  where  he  was  reared  to  man's  estate, 
gleaning  his  education  in  the  local  public  schools. 
He  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm  until  he 
was  twentj^-two  years  old,  when  he  commenced  to 
work  at  the  tr.ide  of  a  carpenter  which  he  pursued 
four  years.  After  that  we  find  him  in  Lincoln 
Count}',  Mo.,  where  he  rented  land  and  continued 
to  reside  until  early  in  1800,  when  he  returned  to 
his  native  county  and  bought  the  farm  he  now 
owns  and  occupies,  including  Hasting's  Landing. 
He  has  here  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  acres  of 
highly  productive  well-tilled  laud,  which  he  is  con- 
stantly improving.  Besides  the  income  derived 
from  his  farming  operations  he  makes  money  from 
his  position  as  steamboat  agent. 

To  the  lady  who  has  assisted  him  in  establishing 
a  neat  and  comfortable  home,  Mr.  Funk  was  wed- 
ded in  1875.  Mrs.  Funk  was  formerly  Susan  Eliza- 
beth Hagen.  She  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
in  1852  and  came  to  America  when  quite  young 
with  her  father  Garrett  Hagen.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Funk  have  seven  children,  whom  they  have  named 
Julia  A,,  Theodore  C,  George  G.,  Ida  J.,  Charles 


J.,  Laurerce  E.;  and  Leo  Anton  who  died  aged 
eighteen  months.  The  family  are  members  in  good 
standing  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  at  Brus- 
sels. Mr.  Funk  is  an  honest,  upright  man  of  good 
repute  and  is  deserving  of  the  success  that  he  has 
mot  during  a  well-spent  life. 


ENRY  HOSKINS  is  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  County, 
his  pleasant  home  being  on  section  29, 
(!^  Pittsfield  Township.  He  is  one  (jf  the  na- 
tive-born citizens  to  whom  the  county  owes  a  debt 
of  gratitude  for  aid  in  the  development  of  her 
material  resources,  and  still  more  for  the  part  borne 
in  the  preservation  of  the  Union  during  the  Civil 
War.  He  entered  the  army  before  he  became  of 
age  and  spent  three  years  in  the  service  of  the 
country,  displaying  the  gallantry  and  ardour  of  a 
true  patriot  and  the  cheerful  o'ledience  of  the  true 
soldier. 

The  first  member  of  the  Hoskins  family  to  locate 
in  Pike  County  was  Isaac  Hoskins,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  who  came  here  from  New  York  in 
1823-24.  He  was  a  native  of  the  Empire  State 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Removing  to  a 
slightly  developed  country  where  Indians  were  still 
numerous,  he  took  up  Government  land  and  bore 
a  goodly  share  of  the  labors  necessary  to  develop 
his  section  of  the  township.  He  endured  privations 
and  hardships,  sometimes  being  annojed  by  the 
thieving  of  the  savages  and  the  prowling  about  of 
wild  beasts.  He  at  one  time  owned  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  or  more  and  fanned  on  quite  an 
extensive  scale  for  the  time.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812.  He  died  at  a  ripe  old  age,  hav- 
ing passed  his  four-score  years  some  time  before  his 
death.     He  belonged  to  the  Christian  Church. 

In  the  large  family  of  the  gentleman  above 
named  was  a  son  .John  who  was  born  near  Alton 
III.,  in  1825  and  from  his  infauc}'  has  lived  in  this 
county.  He  attended  the  pioneer  schools,  acquir- 
ing as  good  an  education  as  the  circumstances 
would  permit  and  developing  the  sturdy  qualities 
s  J  common  to  the  sons  of  the  pioneers.     He  has 


394 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


farmed  quite  extensively  and  is  still  living  in  Alias 
Township.  lie  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  now 
votes  the  I'rohibition  ticket.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Free  Methodist  Church.  In  early  life  he 
married  Elizabeth  liowman,  who  died  in  1844,  cut 
down  in  her  earl}'  womanhood  when  about  twenty 
years  of  age.  She  was  the  mother  of  two  children 
— Henry  and  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Baker.  Her 
father,  Edward  Bowman,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
came  to  this  State  in  1841  and  died  here  when  up- 
wards of  eighty  years  old. 

Henry  Hoskins  was  born  in  Atlas  Township 
December  18,  1842,  and  during  his  boyhood  at- 
tended school  in  the  old  log  house  with  its  [)rimitive 
furnishing,  where  the  teacher  was  secured  by  the 
subscription  method  and  "  boarded  round"  in  the 
families  of  the  patrons.  After  acquiring  his  fund- 
amental education  the  lad  spent  two  terras  attend- 
ing the  Piltsfield  High  School.  August  8,  1862, 
his  name  was  enrolled  in  Company  A,  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Infantry  and  he  was  soon  at  the  front, 
ready  and  anxious  to  display  his  valor  on  the  fields 
of  mortal  combat.  He  first  smelled  the  smoke  of 
battle  at  Magnolia  Hills,  afterward  taking  part 
in  the  battles  of  Champion  Hills,  Jackson,  Black 
River,  and  various  contests  of  the  Vicksburg  cam- 
paign, being  present  during  the  forty-eight  days  of 
the  siege.  Subsequently  3'oung  Hoskins  participated 
in  an  eng.agement  at  Matagorda  Island  and  during 
the  following  campaign  was  on  detached  duty 
most  of  the  time.  He  was  present  during  the  at- 
tacks on  Spanish  Fort  and  Ft.  Blakely,  and  was 
finally  mustered  out  at  Baton  Rouge  in  the  latter 
part  of  July,  18G5,  receiving  his  honorable  dis- 
charge at  Springfield,  ,\ugust  10.  He  was  slightly 
wounded  by  a  piece  of  flying  shell  at  Vicksburg 
and  now  draws  a  pension  of  $14  per  month. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  North  Mr.  Hoskins  settled 
near  his  father,  buying  eighty  acres  of  the  Shinn 
farm,  one  of  the  first  developed  in  the  county.  He 
lived  thereon  two  years,  then  went  to  Southwestern 
Missouri,  but  a  year  later  returned  hither  and 
hoiii.;l;t  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  EI  Dara 
'!\iwnshi|).  He  tilled  the  soil  there  four  years, 
then  sold  his  property  and  bought  two  hundred 
acres  on  sections  29  and  30,  Pittsfield  Township, 
where  he  still  makes  his  home.     Every  acre  of  this 


farm  is  tillal)le  and  is  under  liigh  cultivation,  made 
to  produce  abundantly  of  (irst-class  crops  and 
furnish  pastur.age  for  considerable  stock,  among 
which  are  thirty  head  of  Jersey  cows.  The  estate 
is  am|)ly  sujiplied  with  substantial  outbuildings  and 
made  more  attractive  and  vahialile  b}'  a  fine  brick 
dwelling  of  pleasing  design  and  convenient  arrange- 
ment. 

The  lady  to  whose  housewifel}'  skill  and  refined 
taste  the  neatness  and  order  of  the  home  is  due, 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Bridget  Carnej'  and  be- 
came the  wife  of  our  subject  October  19,  1866. 
This  lady  was  born  in  Count}'  Roscommon,  Ire- 
land, in  1844.  She  possesses  the  social  qualities 
and  ready  wit  characteristic  of  the  race  and  is 
energetic  in  discharging  her  duties.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoskins  have  ten  children  named  respectively,  John, 
Charles,  Kilty,  Elizabeth,  Henry,  Isaac,  Edith, 
Mary.  Ellen  and  Gilbert.  Mr.  Hoskins  is  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party  but  is  somewhat  in- 
dependent in  the  use  which  he  makes  of  the  right 
of  suffrage. 


<<l  li;ILLIAM  HIRST.  Although  not  a  pioneer 
\/\j//  citizen  of  Calhoun  County,  as  the  region 
^\fj  was  quite  well  populated  when  he  came 
hither,  yet  Mr.  Hirst  may  well  be  called  a  pioneer 
farmer  as  he  look  possession  of  a  wild  tract  of  land 
in  Hamburg  Precinct  and  has  reclaimed  it,  making 
of  it  a  productive  and  attractive  piece  of  properly. 
The  life  and  labors  of  Mr.  Hirst  exemplify  in  a 
striking  degree  the  best  traits  in  the  English  charac- 
ter, prominent  among  them  being  the  indomitable 
will  and  persistence  which  have  become  typical  of 
tlie  natives  of  the  little  island  whose  influence  and 
dominion  extends  from  the  rising  to  the  setting 
sun. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
March  11,  1840,  to  Joseph  and  Jane  Hirst  who 
were  of  pure  English  descent.  He  attended  the  pay 
schools  of  his  native  land,  which  correspond  some- 
what to  the  early  subscription  schools  of  this  State, 
receiving  all  his  schooling  before  his  fourteenth 
year.     When  about  eleven  years  of   age  he  began 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


395 


working  in  the  c^itton  factory  in  the  spinning  de- 
partment, spending  a  half  of  each  day  there  and  the 
otlier  half  at  school.  This  was  continued  abonttwo 
years,  when  the  lad  gave  his  entire  time  to  work  in 
a  cotton  factory.  A  year  later  he  found  employ- 
ment in  a  machine  shop  and  for  three  years  worked 
as  an  apprentice  to  a  machinist. 

At  the  early  age  of  seventeen  years  yonng  Hirst 
bade  adieu  to  his  native  land,  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  New  World  of  which  he  had  heard  so 
much.  He  took  passage  at  Liverpool  on  a  sail 
vessel  and  after  a  voyage  of  about  five  weeks 
landed  at  Castle  Garden  and  went  directly  to  Phil- 
adelpliia,  Pa.  Being  ready  to  turn  his  hand  to  any 
honest  labor,  ho  was  soon  engaged  as  a  farm  hand 
near  the  city,  and  after  a  time  became  fireman  on  a 
steam  vessel  plying  between  Philadelphia  and  .Sa- 
vannah, Ga.  About  eight  months  was  consumed 
in  the  run  between  those  two  points  and  then  on 
the  same  vessel  the  young  man  made  a  trip  between 
New  York  and  New  Orleans.  The  vessel  had  left 
the  latter  port  on  the  return  trip  when  she  sank, 
not  far  from  the  southern  metropolis.  'I'he  vessel 
w.as  the  "Minnetonka,"  a  large  sea  going  steam  ves- 
sel. 

Mr.  Hirst  subsequently  acted  as  fireman  on  var- 
ious steam  vessels  plying  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio 
Rivers,  working  in  that  capacity  about  three  years. 
During  the  ensuing  eighteen  months  he  w.as  en- 
gaged in  making  cross-ties  for  railroad  purposes. 
In  the  spring  of  1869  he  settled  on  his  present  es 
tate,  which  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  31  of  the  precinct  before  named.  The 
zeal  and  energy  which  characterized  his  earlier  ef- 
forts in  life  were  brought  to  bear  upon  his  new  en- 
terprise, and  his  well-directed  etforts  ere  long  made 
a  great  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  land. 
From  year  to  year  he  surrounded  himself  with  more 
and  more  of  the  improvements  which  are  desired  by 
all  enterprising  and  progressive  men,  until  bis  es- 
tate became  one  of  great  comfort  and  considerable 
value. 

In  December,  1869,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  William  Hirst  and  Lovina 
Barkley.  The  congenial  union  has  been  blest  by 
the  birth  of  seven  children  who  bear  the  respective 
names  of  Jane,  Aniie,  Nora,  Ada.  Charles,  Mary 


and  Lovina.  Jane  is  engaged  in  the  profession  of 
teaching  and  Anne  is  the  wife  of  John  Campbell. 
Mr.  Hirst  has  become  imbued  with  the  Amer- 
ican spirit,  and  rejoices  in  the  republican  institu- 
tions and  laws  of  the  land  of  his  adoption  which  he 
recognizes  as  affording  better  op|)ortunities  for 
the  poor  man  than  the  land  of  !iis  l)irth.  He  en- 
deavors to  aid  in  promoting  the  good  of  society 
and  is  particularly  interested  in  the  advancement 
of  the  cause  of  education.  Me  has  served  .as  a 
School  Director,  disiilaying  good  judgment  in  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  the  position.  He  is  identi- 
fied with  the  Democratic  party.  He  is  held  in  good 
rciiute  by  his  fellow-citizens  and  it  affords  us  pleas- 
ure to  represent  him  in  this  Album. 


^^ 


I*t»    V»A<w 


ILLIAM  WILSON,  Notary  Public  and  un- 
II  dertaker  in  Kinderhook,  Pike  County,  is 
^^  one  of  the  finest  old  gentlemen  to  be  met 
with  in  the  county.  He  is  cpiite  advanced  in  years, 
his  natal  daj-  having  been  January  19,  1813,  but  he 
has  by  no  means  lost  his  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  section  in  which  he  lives  and  the  movements 
which  take  place  in  advancing  civilization.  He  is 
a  native  of  Frederick  County,  Md.,  and  was  reared 
in  the  Erametsburg  district,  receiving  his  funda- 
mental education  in  the  subscri|)tion  schools  of  the 
town.  He  remained  with  his  mother  until  he  was 
fifteen  years  old,  when  he  became  a  cabinet-maker's 
apprentice,  serving  at  his  trade  five  years. 

At  the  termination  of  his  apprenticeship  young 
Wilson  went  to  Millerstown,  Pa.,  where  he  worked 
as  a  journeyman  about  a  year,  then  changed  his 
location  to  Tiffin,  Oliio.  His  next  change  of  base 
was  to  liis  old  home,  whence  he  went  to  Centerville, 
111.,  sojourning  there  about  six  months  only.  Alex- 
ander, Madison  County,  Ind..  was  next  the  scene 
of  his  labors  for  a  time  and  he  then  became  a  resi- 
dent in  Shelb3'  County-,  Mo.,  where  he  remained 
four  years.  The  accounts  which  Mr.  Wilson  had 
heard  of  Pike  County,  111.,  attracted  him  hither 
and  in  1860  he  located  on  section  33,  Kinderhook 
Township,  and  engaged  in  farming.  He  bought  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  eighty  acres 


396 


POriTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


on  the  section  just  mentioned,  forty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 1.  Pleasant  Vale  Township,  and  forty  on  sec- 
tion 15  of  the  same  township.  The  tract  was 
partially  under  cultivation  and  its  tillage  and  im- 
provement was  advanced  by  Mr.  Wilson  who  made 
it  his  home  seven  years.  In  1870  lie  opened  an 
undertaking  establishment  in  Kinderhook  and  from 
that  date  has  continued  the  business  enterprise. 
He  owns  his  place  of  business  together  with  four- 
teen lots  and  three  dwellings  in  the  town,  and  is 
thus  well  established  financially. 

While  making  his  home  in  Indiana  Mr.  Wilson 
tilled  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  fifteen 
years  and  he  also  served  as  County  Commissioner 
in  the  same  State.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Kinderhook  in  1866  and  has  served 
twentj'-five  years.  He  acted  as  Town  Clerk  one 
year  and  held  the  office  of  School  Director  three 
years.  His  political  adherence  is  given  to  the 
Democratic  party.  His  first  Presidential  vote  was 
cast  for  William  Henry  Harrison.  In  former  years 
he  belonged  to  the  Odd  Fellows  fraternity  and  he 
is  still  a  Mason  identified  with  Kinderhook  Lodge, 
No.  353.  He  has  held  all  the  odices  but  that  of 
Worshiiiful  Master.  He  is  held  in  good  repute  in 
business  and  social  circles  as  a  man  of  honor  in  his 
dealings,  geniality  in  his  associations  and  upright- 
ness of  character. 

The  marriage  rites  between  William  Wilson  and 
Margaret  Colgan  were  solemnized  in  Anderson 
County,  Ind.,  May  31,  1838.  The  bride  was  a  na- 
tive of  that  County  and  has  been  an  efficient  com- 
panion and  loving  mother.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
son there  have  cotne  eight  children,  of  whom  we 
note  the  following:  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  R.  M. 
Murry;  Thomas  S.  gave  his  life  for  his  country, 
dying  at  New  Orleans  while  a  member  of  Company 
II,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry;  James  H.  was 
removed  by  death  when  two  years  old;  Catherine 
E.  is  the  wife  of  Isaac  P.  Wolverton,  tlieir  home 
being  in  Nevada;  IMary  K.  and  William  W.  (twins) 
died  when  two  years  old;  George  W.  and  Ji>hn  W. 
.-ire  ii'-idents  of  Kinderhook. 

Michael  Wilson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
boiii  in  Maryland  and  reared  on  a  farm  which  was 
the  birthplace  of  the  son  of  whom  we  write.  He 
m  irried   Orpba  Grimes  who  was  born  in  the  game 


county  as  himself,  and  beginning  their  wedded  life 
there  the  couple  made  it  their  Irome  until  death. 
Mr.  Wilson  died  in  1815  but  his  widow  survived 
until  1829.  Their  mortal  remains  were  deposited 
side  b}^  side  on  the  old  homestead.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  our  sub- 
ject being  the  second  son  and  third  child.  His 
brothers  are  still  living — Thomas,  residing  in  Rich- 
mond, Ind.,  and  ^Michael  in  Kansas. 


L-^S^^HOMAS  BENTON  GRAY.  Pike  County 
contains  many  attractive  homes,  not  only  ia 
the  thriving  towns  but  in  the  rural  districts, 
and  a  traveler  will  see  many  evidences  of  prosper- 
ity on  the  farms  whose  cultivation  is  the  chief  fac- 
tor in  the  financial  welfare  of  the  citizens.  One  of 
these  fine  estates  belongs  to  the  gentleman  above 
named  and  comprises  two  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
acres  on  sections  27,  28,  33  and  34,  New  Salem 
Township.  The  farm  is  mostlj- improved  land  and 
is  supplied  with  a  complete  line  of  adequate  and 
substantial  outbuildings,  together  with  two  resi- 
dences. The  divelling occupied  b^-  our  subject  and 
his  family  was  erected  in  1886,  at  a  cost  of  over 
*3,000,  and  is  tlie  best-built  and  most  beautiful 
farmhouse  in  the  township.  A  view  of  this  ele- 
gant home  appears  on  another  page. 

Mr.  Gray  is  the  son  of  Thomas  Gray,  formerly 
a  prominent  citizen  of  Pike  County,  who  came  here 
in  1846  and  bore  an  active  part  in  the  upbuilding 
of  New  Salem  Township.  He  was  born  near  Zanes- 
ville,  Oliio,  in  1812,  and  was  a  son  of  another 
Thomas  Gray,  whose  Inrtb  had  taken  place  in  Vir- 
ginia, September  5,  1784.  Grandfather  Gr.ay  was 
a  farmer  and  to  the  same  occupation  the  father  of 
our  subject  gave  his  attention  during  a  part  of  his 
life,  at  other  times  working  at  his  trade  of  a  black- 
smith. Grandfather  Gra3%  after  living  in  Ohio 
some  years  came  to  Illinois,  dying  here  October 
16,  1870,  his  mortal  remains  being  deposited  in 
Gr.ay's  Cemetery  in  .Salem  Township. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Catherine  Bennett  and  was  born  in  Maine,  Jan- 
uary 12,  1798.    Her  parents  were  James  and  Cath- 


Residence  of  W.  H.  Pryor  .  5ec.19.  DerryTp.  Pike  Co.  I  ll. 


Residence  ofT.  B.Gray,5ec  ^r.NEw  SalemTp.PikeCo.I  ll. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


399 


erine  Bennetl,  the  former  of  whom  accompanied  by 
his  family,  removed  from  Maine  to  Clermont 
Coiinti',  Ohio,  in  1800.  There  he  died  in  1839, 
and  his  wife  was  buried  by  iiis  side  in  1847.  Tlie 
parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  the  Buciieje 
State  and  made  tiieir  home  in  tiie  village  of  With- 
amsville,  on  tha  pike  betvveen  Cincinnati  and 
Bethel,  where  the  husband  worked  at  his  trade.  In 
1846  they  came  to  this  State,  selecting  Pike  County 
as  their  future  home.  They  established  themselves 
on  section  34,  Salem  Township,  on  a  farm  of  two 
hundred  acres,  about  thirty-five  of  which  was  under 
cultivation.  Mr.  Gray  was  in  limited  circumstances 
and  paid  for  his  land  with  some  cash,  a  long  ride 
valued  at  4*50,  a  greyhound  worth  §20  and  a  span 
of  horses. 

The  land  was  covered  with  brush  and  young 
timber  and  bore  a  log  and  frame  house,  to  which 
Mr.  Gray  added  as  soon  as  possible,  also  building 
a  new  barn.  He  built  a  blacksmith  shop,  worked 
at  his  trade,  and  in  the  intervals  cleared,  broke 
and  cultivated  considerable  of  his  land  and  also 
planted  a  six-acre  orchard.  He  took  a  very  active 
interest  in  local  school  affairs,  donated  land  for 
a  schoolhouse  and  served  as  a  School  Director  and 
School  Trustee  for  many  years.  He  was  also  Super- 
visor of  New  Salem  Townshij)  for  several  years  and 
was  elected  Treasurer  of  Pike  Count3-  for  one  term. 
He  took  considerable  interest  in  politics,  frequently 
serving  as  a  delegate  to  conventions  and  voting 
the  Democratic  ticket.  He  and  his  wife  belonged 
to  the  Universalist  Church,  in  which  he  held  official 
positions.  Nothing  afforded  Mr.  Gray  more  enjoy- 
ment than  to  shoulder  his  gun  in  the  fall  and  spend 
several  weeks  in  the  woods  in  pursuit  of  game.  He 
brought  down  many  bears,  deer,  panthers  and  other 
animals.  He  was  a  remarkably  fine  shot  with  the 
rifle  at  a  moving  mark.  He  killed  over  thirty  deer 
running,  more  than  half  being  shot  through  the 
heart. 

The  parental  family  included  five  children,  the 
third-born  being  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice.  James  F.  Marion  is  now  living  in  Kansas; 
Ann,  widow  of  John  Bell,  resides  in  Salem,  Pike 
County;  John  T.  makes  his  home  in  Missouri.  A 
daughter,  Alabama  Carolina,  formerly  the  wife  of 
David   Read,   died    in    1^62.     The   mother  passed 


away  May  9,  1869,  and  the  father  in  September, 
1876.  Thej'  were  buried  side  by  side  in  the  cem- 
etery which  is  called  after  the  family  and  which 
contains  the  graves  of  many  relatives.  The  ground 
is  kept  very  neatly  and  its  finest  monumental  adorn- 
ment is  that  erected  by  our  subject  over  the  graves 
of  his  revered  parents. 

Thomas  B.  Gray  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  in 
Clermont  County,  Ohio,  July  13,  1837.  He  was 
named  in  honor  of  Senator  Thomas  H.  Benton,  of 
Missouri,  who  was  a  personal  friend  of  his  father. 
He  received  his  education  in  a  little  log  schoolhouse 
in  the  township  in  which  he  now  lives,  having  been 
nine  years  of  age  when  the  family  came  here. 
Reared  on  a  farm,  he  was  early  inured  to  all  the 
hardships  of  grubbing,  clearing  land,  making  rails 
and  breaking  cattle  and  mules.  Many  a  time  he 
and  Ills  brother  J.  F.  M.  broke  prairie  with  a  twenty- 
four-inch  plow  and  ten  yoke  of  oxen,  ci'ashing 
through  hazel  brush  that  was  eight  feet  high. 

Our  subject  remained  with  his  parents  until  his 
marriage,  which  was  solemnized  January  4,  1863, 
when  he  established  himself  in  a  home  of  his  own. 
He  has  been  remarkably  successful  in  accumulating 
worldl}'  g(jods,  and  still  carries  on  his  farm  which 
is  devoted  to  mixed  crops  and  upon  which  enough 
stock  is  raised  to  consume  all  the  grain  not  needed 
for  famil}'  purposes.  He  raises  Shropshire  sheep, 
Short-horn  cattle,  Poland-China  hogs,  English-shire 
and  draft  horses  and  mules,  and  is  probably  as  well 
posted  regarding  the  merits  of  tlie  different  species 
and  breeds  as  any  man  in  the  State. 

The  lady  who  has  charge  of  the  home  affairs  on 
the  Gray  estate  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha 
Tedrow.  She  was  born  July  10,  1844,  in  the  town- 
ship in  which  she  still  lives,  received  a  common- 
school  education  and  acquired  the  skill  in  house- 
hold arts  and  the  fine  character  which  fitted  her  for 
the  place  which  she  has  had  to  fill  at  home  and  in 
society.  She  is  the  mother  of  thirteen  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely:  Alfred  R., 
Iva  E.,  Edgar  F.,  Ora  M.,  Ralph  B.,  Everett  E., 
Carrie  M.,  and  Vera  Pearl.  The  two  oldest  children 
attended  the  Pittsfiebl  High  School  two  years, 
then  entered  the  Jacksonville  Business  College,  of 
which  Alfred  is  a  graduate.  Edgar  and  Ora  are 
now  attending  the  Griggsville  High  School  and  the 


400 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


younger  members  of  the  f;unil\-  still  study  in  the 
district  school.  During  the  past  year  they  did  not 
miss  a  da}-  in  thfi  entire  eigiit  months  during  which 
the  school  was  in  session. 

The  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Gray,  John  Davis,  was 
horn  in  Virginia  an<l  died  in  1828  near  New  Tren- 
ton, Ind.  Grandmother  Phoebe  Davis  was  after- 
ward married  to  William  Wilson.  She  was  born  in 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  in  1803,  and  died  in  Hamilton 
County  in  1872.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church  Kfty-seven  years.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Gray,  Asa  and  Sarah  E.  (Davis)  Tedrow,  were  born 
in  Oliio  and  came  tlience  to  this  Stale  about  1836, 
when  wild  animals  were  still  to  he  seen  here  and 
the  country  was  comijarativel}'  undeveloped.  They 
settled  on  a  farm  in  New  Salem  Townshij),  Pike 
County,  and  the  first  death  within  the  township 
was  that  of  their  oldest  child,  Sarah.  Mr.  Tedrow 
died  May  27,  18o2,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years, 
six  months  and  two  d.iys.  He  joined  the  Method- 
ist Episcoi)al  Church  when  young  and  lived  and 
died  a  devoted  Christian.  His  widow  subseqently 
married  Daniel  Troy,  who  breathed  his  last  Febru- 
ary 13,  1884,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  four 
months  and  twenty-one  days.  Mrs.  Troy  is  still 
liTing  aged  sevouty-two  3'e,irs,  and  makes  her  home 
with  our  subject.  She  has  been  a  faitlifiil  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  sixty  years. 
Her  first  marriage  resulted  in  tiie  birth  of  six  chil- 
dren, those  who  are  now  living  being  Mrs.  Mary 
Bradbury,  wiiose  home  is  in  Missouri;  Mrs.  Gray; 
Asa,  who  lives  in  Brown  County;  Samuel,  who 
occupies  the  old  homestead.  Her  second  marriage 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  Albert  and  Allie,  twins. 
William,  the  eldest  brother  of  Mrs.  Gr.ay,  was  a 
Sergeant  in  the  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
was  killed  in  service  while  battling  for  the  Union. 

Mr.  Gray  is  a  man  of  much  personal  worth,  proves 
an  acceptable  public  servant  and  is  a  popular  mem- 
ber of  society.  He  has  been  School  Director  for 
year.-^,  is  now  Township  Trustee  of  schools  and  for- 
merly' served  as  Township  Assessor  one  year  and  as 
Collector.  He  is  a  mem  her  of  the  Masonic  order 
at  Salem,  has  been  Secretarj-  of  the  lodge,  and  his 
father  was  a  member  of  the  same  body,  and  Pitts- 
fleld  Chapter.  Mr.  Gray  keeps  himself  well  informed 
regarding  political  issues,   believes  in  tariff  reform 


and  in  national  affairs  afHIiates  with  the  Democratic 
party,  although  in  local  elections  he  votes  for  the 
man.  He  has  always  been  an  advocate  of  temper- 
ance and  never  uses  liquor,  tobacco  nor  any  form 
of  profanity.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
Church. 

Throughout  the  entire  community  Mrs.  Gray  is 
well  known  as  one  of  the  most  estimable  ladies  and 
as  one  whose  worth  is  far  above  that  of  rubies.  Her 
kindly  heart  and  generous  disposition  have  endeared 
her  to  all  with  whom  she  comes  in  contact,  while 
to  her  husband  she  has  ever  been  a  faithful  and 
capable  helpmate  and  to  her  children  a  wise  and 
devoted  mother.  It  is  upon  the  wives  and  mothers 
that  the  prosperit}'  of  our  country  depends  and  too 
much  cannot  be  said  in  praise  of  her  who  nobly 
shared  the  labors  of  her  husband,  braved  dangers 
i  and  overcame  obstacles,  and  now  in  the  prime  of 
life  cs.n  already  see  the  fruits  of  her  earlier 
labors. 


<!  I^ILLIAM  H.  PRYOR.  Pike  County  is  the 
\r\///  home  of  many  well-to-do  farmers,  whose 
V»7'^  dwellings  would  do  credit  to  any  of  our 
towns,  displaying  as  they  do  the  evidences  of  pros- 
perity, good  taste  and  a  desire  to  enjoy  all  that  is 
best  in  life.  One  of  these,  located  on  section  11), 
Derry  Township,  is  that  in  which  the  family  of 
William  H.  Pryor  finds  shelter  and  enjoyment.  The 
residence  is  built  of  frame,  is  commodious,  sub- 
stantial and  homelike  in  appearance,  and  stands  in 
the  midst  of  one  hundred  and  si.xty  acres  of  fertile 
and  highly  developed  land.  Every  needful  struc- 
ture in  the  w.ay  of  outbuildings  is  to  be  seen  here, 
and  even  the  most  careless  observer  would  decide 
that  the  work  of  the  estata  is  intelligently  con- 
ducted.    A  view  of  this  home  appears  on  another 

page. 

The  Pryors  are  of  English  origin,  and  Tennessee 
has  been  the  home  of  the  family  for  several  genera- 
tions. In  that  State  Isaac  Pryor,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  1807.  About  1838  he  came 
to  Pike  County,  III.,  making  the  journey  according 
to  the  common  custom — with  a  horse  and  wagon, 
camping   out  by  the  way.     IMuch  wild   game  still 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


401 


roamed  through  the  forest  and  over  the  prairies  in 
this  locality  and  Mr.  Pryor  hunted  considerably. 
He  bought  land  in  the  townsiiip  where  his  son  now 
lives,  first  erecting  a  log  cabin  and  continuing  to 
clear  and  improve  the  place.  He  lived  thereon 
until  his  death,  but  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  additional,  having  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  when  called  hence.  He  had  but  little  means 
with  which  to  begin  his  work,  but  industry  and 
determination  met  with  tiieir  due  reward. 

Isaac  Pryor  became  well  known  here  as  a  man  of 
strict  honesty  aLd  indomitable  courage  and  perse- 
verance. He  held  the  office  of  Township  Treasurer 
for  seventeen  consecutive  j^ears,  and  was  also  Con- 
stable. In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat  and  in  re- 
ligion a  Methodist,  quite  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  the  cause  of  Christianity.  He  belonged  to  the 
social  order  of  Masonry.  He  breiithed  his  last  in 
18(54,  leaving  a  family  of  six  children,  named  re- 
spectively: Mary,  William  H.,  Samuel,  Lucy, 
Sarah  and  Thomas.  The  mother  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  Harris,  was  born  in  Tennessee  in 
1808,  and  died  in  1840  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
two  j-ears. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  November  12, 
1832,  and  his  birtiiplace  the  eastern  part  of  Ten- 
nessee. He  was  seven  years  old  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  this  State,  where  he  grew  to 
maturity,  attending  the  pioneer  schools  and  acquir- 
ing a  practical  knowledge  also  of  the  manners  and 
methods  of  a  successful  farmer.  When  twenty 
years  of  age  he  began  working  by  the  month,  his 
wages  being  ^16.  After  laboring  thus  for  three 
years  he  estalilished  a  home  on  rented  land,  which 
he  occupied  about  five  years.  He  then  bought 
forty  acres  from  his  fatiicr,  settled  upon  it  and 
from  time  to  time  added  to  his  estate  until  it 
reached  its  present  acreage.  Like  most  progressive 
farmers  in  this  section  he  raises  slock  of  various 
kinds,  finding  that  a  profilab.e  branch  of  agricul- 
ture. Among  the  recollections  of  ^Ir.  Pryor  is  that 
of  seeing  a  herd  of  eleven  deer  on  his  wa}'  home  from 
school,  and  he  recalls  many  other  scenes  of  the  ear- 
lier years  when  this  section  of  the  countrj-  was 
sparsely  settled,  slightly  developed,  and  vastly 
diSferent  in  appearance  from  what  it  is  to-day. 

In  1855   our  subject   led   to  the  hymeneal  altar 


Miss  Susan  E.  Moyer,  who  shared  his  joys  and  sor- 
rows until  1884,  when  she  was  called  from  time  to 
eternity.  She  was  then  forty-six  years  and  seven 
months  old.  Site  was  a  native  of  the  Iloosier 
State  and  the  mother  of  seven  children — Mrs.  Del- 
phina  Scott,  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Craig,  Mis.  Martha  E. 
Shelton,  Henry  D.,  Mrs.  Ollie  Gilliert,  Isaac  and 
Wilburt.  In  1885  Mr.  Pryor  married  Miss  Doro- 
thea Robinson,  a  native  of  this  county,  who  died 
in  1888.  In  August,  1889,  Mr.  Pryor  was  again 
married,  his  companion  on  this  occasion  being  Miss 
Lyda  Reeve,  who  was  born  in  this  county  in  1853. 
This  lady  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  to  which  Mr.  Pryor  also  belongs. 
Their  names  are  enrolled  in  the  congregation  at 
El  Dara. 

Mr.  Pryor  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  for 
three  terms,  and  has  officiated  in  some  other  minor 
positions.  He  belongs  to  El  Dara  Lodge,  No.  388, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  honored  father 
he  has  attained  a  prominent  place  in  the  minds  of 
the  people  as  an  enterprising  and  progressive 
farmer,  an  intelligent  and  reliable  citizen  and  a 
man  of  excellent  private  character. 


i-¥'-®V4.. .6 


<|  IV>ILLI  AM  W.  WATSON,  editor  and  propiie- 
\sj/l  to'"  "^f  ^^^  Barry  Adage,  stands  well  in 
^^/^  newspaper  and  business  circles,  and  is  ably 
conducting  a  good  paper  that  is  influential  in  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  Pike  Count}',  and  receives 
a  liberal  patronage.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  and  was  born  in  Barry,  February  16,  1857, 
to  Jon  and  Agnes  Watson,  early  settlers  of  this 
part  of  Illinois.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Scot- 
laud,  and  W.1S  of  pure  Scotch  ancestr}-.  He  and  his 
iirother  Thomas  are,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  only 
members  of  the  family  who  ever  came  to  America. 
Thomas  settled  on  a  farm  in  Adams  Count}',  111., 
and  there  died. 

Jon  Watson  was  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  No- 
vember 23,  1805,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Watson, 
Sr.,   also  a    native    of    Scotland,    and    coniiecte<l 


402 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


with  a  large  silk  gauze  raanufactoiy  there.  Jon 
Watson,  Jr.,  came  to  this  country  in  1842,  and 
through  Mormon  influences  located  at  Nauvoo,  111. 
He  was  disappointed  in  the  condition  of  affairs  at 
Nauvoo,  and  soon  left  there,  going  to  Quincy,  111. 
From  there  he  came  to  Barry,  and  his  services  as  a 
teacher  were  gladly  accepted  by  the  pioneers  here. 
He  w.as  one  of  the  early  postmasters  of  Barry,  and 
was  also  a  Notary  Public.  A  few  years  before  his 
death  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  and 
carried  a  stock  of  dry-goods,  boots,  shoes,  etc. 
When  he  died  his  wife,  who  is  a  very  capable  and 
enterprising  woman,  succeeded  him  in  the  business 
and  managed  it  with  success  until  1871),  when  she 
retirtd  on  account  of  failing  health. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  married  three  times, 
his  third  wife  being  Agnes  Begg.  the  motiier  of  our 
subject,  who  was  the  daugliter  of  John  and  Jane 
Begg.  She  was  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  March 
4,  1813,  and  was  carefully  educated,  coming  to 
America  in  18  48,  and  locating  at  Quincy,  111.  She 
went  to  Louisiana  soon  after  and  taught  two  sea- 
sons, and  again  came  North  to  Ciuincy,  HI.,  to  join 
a  sister,  and  remained  in  that  city  until  her  mar- 
riage in  the  fall  of  1850.  Her  husband  died  in 
Barry,  in  1861,  and  the  widow  later  made  her  home 
in  New  Salem,  III.,  where  she  still  lives,  respected 
by  all  who  know  hei'.  She  reared  three  children — 
Thomas  M.,  John  B.,  and  William  W. 

In  his  childhood  our  subject  received  the  advan- 
tages of  a  pul)lic  school  education,  and  as  soon  as 
old  enough  commenced  to  assist  his  father  in  the 
store.  In  1877  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
printer  in  the  office  of  the  Barry  Adage,  and  worked 
as  an  apprentice  two  years.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  John  H.  Cobb,  and  bought  the 
oflKce  and  goodwill  of  the  former  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Ad(trj<'.  In  1880  our  subject  bought 
out  his  partner's  interest  and  has  since  edited  it 
alone.  It  is  a  well-managed  and  sparkling  journal, 
newsy  and  intelligent,  and  as  a  family  newspaper 
has  a  good  circulation  througliout  the  county.  The 
job  office  is  neatly  fitted  and  well  stocked,  having 
a  Campbell  press  run  by  steam,  and  has  all  the  nec- 
essary appliances  for  doing  work  in  a  tasty  man- 
ner. 

'Ihe  marriage  of  Mr.  Watson  and  Miss  Margaret 


A.  Bonnel  was  celebrated  December  28,  1881,  and 
they  have  a  cozy  and  commodious  residence  in 
Barry.  One  son  has  come  to  them,  whom  they  have 
named  Bret.  Mrs.  Watson  was  born  September  29, 
18fjl,  in  Griggs viUe,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Amelia  Bonnel.  (For  parental  history  see  sketch 
of  Eugene  Smith  on  another  page  of  this  work.) 

Possessing  keen  intelligence  and  quick  intuition, 
Mr.  Walson  keeps  well  informed  on  all  topics  of 
general  interest.  He  affiliates  with  the  Republican 
partj-,  and  has  sensible  views  on  all  political  ques- 
tions. He  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil, making  an  excellent  and  public-spirited  official, 
and  is  in  ever}'  way  a  credit  to  the  citizenship  of 
his  native  county. 


W;ILL1AM  W.  KKNNEY.  No  name  is  bet-  ' 
ter  known  in  the  business  circles  of  Pike 
^  ^  County  than  Kenney,  a  name  held  by  two 
of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  social  life 
and  trade  of  Griggsville  for  a  half  century  past. 
The  present  representative  in  the  business  life  of 
the  town  is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  who  is  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  largest  and  best  stores  in  the 
city  and  one  in  which  wise  bu3'ei's  arc  sure  of  ob- 
taining the  full  worth  of  their  money.  The  estab- 
lishment occupies  two  floors  of  a  commodious 
building  35x100  feet,  well  stocked  witli  nil  the 
latest  novelties  and  best  grades  of  goods  to  be 
found  in  the  Eastern  markets.  It  includes  various 
departments,  such  as  dry -goods,  ladies'  furnishing 
goods,  boots  and  shoes,  men  and  boj's'  clothing, 
hats  and  caps  and  house  furnishing  goods.  All. ire 
so  supplied  with  th.it  which  is  of  excellent  quality 
and  pleasing  style  as  to  win  the  admiration  of  all  who 
patronize  Griggsville's  merchant  prince.  The  busi- 
ness was  established  by  the  Hon.  Charles  Kenny  in 
1840  and  has  been  carried  on  continuously  from 
that  date. 

Before  outlining  the  life  history  of  our  subject 
it  may  be  well  to  give  some  account  of  the  work 
accomplished  by  his  father.  Charles  Kenney  was 
born  ne^r  Phil.adclphia,  Pa.,  on  the  7lh  of  April, 
1811,  and  was  the  oldest  son  of  James  and  Rrichel 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


403 


(Wallace)  Kennej-,  who  had  been  born  in  the  same 
State.  The  Kenney  family  is  of  Irish  descent  while 
tiie  Wallaces  trace  their  lineage  to  Scotland.  From 
the  age  of  fourteen  years  Mr.  Kenney  was  in  the 
employ  of  a  woolen  mill  until  he  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1837.  He  had  risen  to  prominence  in 
the  establishment  in  which  he  had  been  engaged  by 
reason  of  his  business  qualities  and  tact,  aided  by 
pleasing  social  traits. 

After  removing  West  Mr.  Kinney  began  the  sale 
of  merchandise  in  Naples,  but  after  residing  there 
two  years  became  a  resident  of  Griggsville  where  be 
soon  established  the  business  now  carried  on  by  his 
son.  In  1864  he  sold  out  to  his  son  and  his  son- 
in-law,  W.  H.  Clark,  who  continued  the  business 
under  the  firm  name  of  Kenney  &  Clark  until  1884, 
since  which  time  our  subject  has  floated  the  ensign 
of  trade  alone.  In  1866  the  originator  of  the 
business  retired  from  active  participation  in  such 
matters,  having  accumulated  a  competence  although 
he  began  with  but  limited  means.  Mr.  Kenne3'  not 
only  possessed  excellent  business  qualifications  but 
was  endowed  with  a  superabundance  of  vigor  and 
energy,  characteristics  which  he  manifested  in  all 
worthy  public  enterprises  as  well  as  in  his  private 
affairs. 

In  1870  ^Ir.  Kenney  was  sent  to  the  Legislature, 
representing  Pike  County.  He  assumed  the  duties 
of  office  with  the  same  determination  to  do  his  best 
for  his  constituents  that  had  actuated  him  in  the 
various  minor  offices  of  trust  and  responsibility 
which  he  had  held,  and  the  record  which  lie  won  is 
one  upon  which  his  descendants  can  look  with  pride, 
lie  was  regarded  with  profound  respect  bj-  all  who 
knew  him  and  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  leaders 
in  business,  society  and  religion,  having  been  pru- 
dent and  energetic  in  all  his  transactions  and  con- 
sistent in  his  Christian  life.  He  entered  into  rest 
November  9,  1880. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-five  j'cars  Charles  Kenney 
took  upon  himself  the  duties  of  a  husband,  win- 
ning for  his  wife  Miss  JIary  G.  Cainahau.  This 
lady  was  born  in  1814  and  is  still  living.  Like  her 
husband  she  has  been  well  beloved,  her  friends  be- 
ing among  the  very  best  people  of  the  city.  She 
is  a  strict  member  of  the  Congregational  Church 
with  which  the   Hun.  Mr.  Kennej'   was   identified. 


The  parents  of  Mrs.  Kenney  were  James  and  Mar- 
garet Carnahan,  of  Wilmington,  Del.,  whose  his- 
tory is  outlined  in  the  sketch  of  J.  B.  Morri.son 
on  another  page  in  this  Album.  The  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kenney  comprised  ten  children,  the 
eldest  of  whom  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Helen 
M.  is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Clark,  manager  of  the 
Northwestern  Loan  Association  of  Helena,  Mont.; 
Charles  Thomas,  a  successful  business  man  of 
Griggsville,  now  retired,  fought  with  the  Union 
forces  during  the  Civil  War;  Robert  M.  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  Government,  located  at  Los  Angeles, 
Cal.;  Belle  S.  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Luther  Harvey,  of 
Griggsville;  Samuel  C.  owns  a  fruit  ranch  near 
'  Los  Angeles,  Cal.;  Clarence  J.  is  a  merchant  in 
Kans.as  City,  Mo.;  Preston  Holmes  died  in  infancy; 
Edward  L.  was  graduated  from  the  school  of 
Griggsville,  from  the  University  at  LaFayette,  Pa., 
and  the  Pennsylvania  Medical  University  at  Phil- 
adelphia; he  died  in  August,  1886,  about  three 
months  after  receiving  his  diploma  as  a  physician, 
thus  cutting  short  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years 
a  career  that  gave  promise  of  much  usefulness  and 
honor.  Elizabeth  died  in  Griggsville  in  the  dawn 
of  her  j-oung  womanhood,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years. 

William  W.  Kenney,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch,  was  born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  Novem- 
ber 21,  1836,  and  was  therefore  but  a  year  old 
when  brought  to  the  Prairie  State.  He  obtained 
such  an  education  as  was  possible  in  the  schools  of 
those  early  days,  adding  to  it  the  better  education 
received  in  the  home  circle  and  under  his  father's 
guidance  in  the  store.  At  a  very  early  age  he  be- 
gan to  assist  his  father  and  was  continually  with 
him  in  business  as  clerk  or  partner  until  1864, 
when  he  and  his  brother-in-law  bought  out  the  es- 
tablishment. Mr.  Kenney  is  therefore  one  of  the 
oldest  business  men  of  Griggsville  and  like  his  fa- 
ther before  him  is  recognized  as  a  leader  in  commer- 
cial circles  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  influential 
citizens  of  the  thriving  municipality.  He  is  full  of 
the  spirit  of  enterprise,  with  advanced  ideas,  and 
is  therefore  always  to  be  found  in  the  forefront  of 
all  truly  progressive  and  elevating  movements. 

The  gracious  and  accomplished  lady  who  pre- 
sides over   the   home   of  Mr.  Kenney   became   his 


404 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


wife  in  St.  Louis  in  1876.  Siie  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Alice  M.  Piitcliard,  is  a  native  of  the  me- 
tropolis of  Missouri  and  a  daughter  of  Willis  R.  and 
Catherine  Pritcliard.  Her  father  has  led  an  active 
public  life  in  St.  Louis  and  the  daughter  was  ac- 
customed from  her  youth  to  mingle  in  the  best 
sociel}'.  She  and  her  husband  are  noted  for  tlieir 
hosi)itality  and  have  handsomely  entertained  many 
prominent  people  of  the  State,  among  their  recent 
guests  having  been  ex-Governor  John  M.  Palmer. 
The  family  circle  includes  two  children — Catherine 
Louise  and  Willis  Pritchard,  who  are  pursuing  their 
studies  from  the  slielter  of  the  iiome  roof.  Both 
manifest  a  decided  musical  talent  and  are  having 
their  natural  abilities  cultivated  as  tiioroughly  as 
possilile. 

Although  he  has  often  been  asked  to  officiate  in 
town  and  county  offices,  Mr.  Kenney  has  invaria- 
bly avoided  public  life.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  Griggsville  Lodge 
No.  45,  and  has  for  years  been  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Congregational  Church. 
Botli  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  tliat  denomination 
and  in  the  midst  of  her  home  duties  Mrs.  Kenney 
finds  time  for  much  activity  and  usefulness  in  the 
various  departments  of  church  work. 


-1^ 


<^l  OSHUA  KING  SITTON,  a  son  of  one  of  the 
earliest  pioneer  families  of  Pike  County, 
has  not  onlj'  witnessed  almost  its  entire 
fj  growth  but  has  been  an  important  factor  in 
developing  its  agricultural  interests.  His  pioneer 
labors  were  well  rewarded  and  he  is  now  living  in 
retirement  from  active  life  in  one  of  the  cozy, 
comfortable  homes  of  Piltsfield.  He  is  a  veteran 
of  llie  late  war  in  which  he  fought  bravely  for  the 
defense  of  his  country. 

Mr.  Sitton  was  born  in  Lincoln  Count}',  Mo., 
November  25,  1824.  He  is  a  son  of  Jesse  Sitton, 
for  a  number  of  years  a  minister  of  tlie  Baptist 
Ciiurch,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  March  11, 
1783,  and  died  in  Detroit  Township,  Pike  County. 
November  1,  1832.  He  in  turn  was  the  son  of 
Joseph   Sitton,  who  was  a  native   of  Scotland  and 


was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  for  a  sliort  time 
was  a  prisoner.  After  tlie  war  he  continued  to  live 
in  this  country  and  died  full  of  \ears.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  a  soldier  in  tiie  War  of  1812, 
having  enlisted  in  Tennessee  whitlier  he  had  gone 
from  his  old  Virginia  home,  and  he  was  pro- 
moted to  tlie  position  of  Orderly  Sergeant.  In  1816 
he  removed  to  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  and  was  one 
of  the  early  settlers  of  that  part  of  the  country.  He 
lived  there  on  a  farm  twelve  3'ears  and  then  came 
to  Pike  Count}'  in  1828,  and  was  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  of  Detroit  Township.  His  useful  career 
was  cut  short  by  his  death,  as  before  mentioned. 
In  early  life  he  married  Sallie  Haney,  who  was  born 
in  Virginia  October  24,  1788,  and  died  in  1851. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  James  Haney  a  native  of  j 
Scotland.  The  following  are  the  twelve  children 
of  the  parents  of  our  subject:  Terrell  P.,  f^liza  P., 
William  H.  Jehu,  Anna  M.,  Jeffrey  B.,  Caroline,  j 
Joshua  K.,  Lydia  K.  and  Linnie  A.  (twins)  Felix  G.  ' 
and  Jesse  B. 

Joshua  Sitton,  of  this  biography  was  a  lad  of 
eight  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  from 
his  early  home  in  Missouri  to  this  county,  and  his 
school  days  were  passed  thereafter  in  Detroit 
Township,  where  he  attended  the  pioneer  schools 
in  the  winter  time  and  in  summer  worked  on  a  farm. 
He  was  married  October  G,  1847,  to  Miss  Mary  A. 
Heavener,  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Heavener,  an  early 
settler  of  Illinois.  She  was  born  in  Sangamon 
County  in  1831.  After  marriage  Mr.  Sitton  settled 
on  the  old  homestead,  which  his  father  had  taken 
possession  of  when  the  country  was  in  a  wild  and 
unsettled  condition.  It  comprised  eighty  acres  of 
rich  farming  land  and  by  years  of  hard  toil, 
guided  by  sound  common  sense  and  practical  skill 
as  a  farmer,  our  subject  increased  his  landed  estate 
until  at  one  time  he  owned  three  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  choice  land  and  still  has  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  his  possession.  This  is  well  improved, 
is  under  fine  cultivation  and  is  supplied  with  an 
excellent  set  of  farm  buildings.  While  he  was  liv- 
ing on  his  farm  Mr.  Sitton  paid  much  attention  to 
raising  and  feeding  stock,  also  raised  wheat  and 
other  |)roducts.  His  labors  were  well  rewarded 
and  he  has  placed  himself  among  the  moneyed  men 
of  the  township. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


405 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Silton  have  led  as  happy  a  wedded 
life  as  usuall}'  falls  to  the  lot  of  mortals,  and  it  has 
been  blessed  to  them  liy  the  birth  of  six  children, 
three  of  whom  died  in  infant^'  and  two  are  yet 
living:  Mar}'  J.  died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  .Sal- 
lie  died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Belle  at  the  age  of 
three  weeks;  Jesse  F.  was  born  in  1853  and  died  in 
California  in  1887;  Lizzie,  born  in  1  855,  is  the  wife 
of  Frank  .Sanderson  of  Detroit;  Nettie  is  the  wife 
of  R.  T.  Smith,  of  Detroit  Township.  Jlr.  and  Mrs. 
Silton's  daughter,  ]\Iary  K  ,  commonly  called  Liz 
zie,  has  been  twice  married.  .She  was  wedded  to 
Daniel  Haj-es  January  20,  1872.  and  b}-  that  mar- 
riage, had  two  children — M;uid  and  Harr^'.  Her 
marriage  with  her  present  husband,  Frank  Sander- 
son, was  solemnized  in  June,  1880,  and  they  are 
the  parents  of  five  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sitton 
have  ten  grandchildren. 

In  1849  our  subject  crossed  the  plains  to  Cali- 
fornia with  an  ox-team  and  was  about  five  and  one- 
half  months  on  the  way.  He  worked  in  the  mines 
one  year  then  returned  home  by  the  way  of  Pan- 
ama and  New  Orleans.  In  1862  our  subject  vol- 
unteered his  services  in  defense  of  his  country  and 
became  a  member  of  Company  C,  Ninety-ninth 
Illinois  Infantry,  commanded  by  Col.  G.  W.  K. 
Bailey.  His  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army 
of  the  Tennessee  and  he  took  part  in  man)'  im- 
portant battles.  He  fought  at  Magnolia  Hill,  at 
Black  River  and  at  Raymond.  Our  subject  was 
present  at  the  siege  of  Vicfesburg  and  while  in  the 
midst  of  a  sharp  engagement  was  wounded  in  the 
hip  and  being  disabled  for  service  was  discharged 
February-  G,  1S64.  He  had  displayed  such  fine 
soldierl}'  qualities  that  he  had  been  promoted  from 
First  Lieutenant  to  the  position  of  Quartermaster, 
which  he  held  some  six  months.  This  appointment 
wns  after  he  was  wounded  and  no  longer  fit  for 
field  service  from  which  he  was  compelled  to  resign 
on  account  of  his  wound. 

Mr.  Sitton  has  ever  proved  a  loyal  and  a  useful 
citizen.  He  has  held  many  important  offices  of 
trust  and  responsibility,  and  while  in  civic  life  has 
alw.ays  looked  to  the  good  of  the  township  and 
county^  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Town- 
ship Enumerator,  has  served  as  School  Direeter  of 
the  Township  and  he  is  also  one  of  the  Trustees  of 


tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics  he 
was  once  an  old-line  Whig  and  cast  his  first  vote 
for  Zachary  Taylor.  Since  the  org.anization  of  the 
Reiiublican  party  he  has  been  true  to  its  interests 
and  supported  Benjamin  Harrison  during  the  last 
campaign. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sitton  are  true  Christian  people 
and  for  the  past  twenty  years  have  been  consistent 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
They  removed  from  the  farm  to  PittsSeld  in  Au- 
gust, 1887,  Mr.  Silton  having  purchased  a  comfort- 
able residence  in  that  city  in  which  he  and  his  wife 
can  pass  their  declining  years  pleasantly  and  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  a  life  well  spent.  There 
are  only  two  of  the  twelve  children  of  the  father's 
family  now  living — Jefifery  B.  and  J.  K.,  our  sub- 
ject. 


^^EORGE  HOOVER.  Among  the  wealthy 
III  (=-,  landowners  of  Pike  County,  conspicuous 
^^  mention  belongs  to  this  gentleman,  who 
owns  and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  seven  hundred 
and  fourteen  acres  on  sections  1 1  and  35  in  Mon- 
tezuma Township.  His  present  residence  is  one  of 
the  most  elegant  in  the  township,  and  was  erected 
in  1876  at  a  cost  of  over  §5,000.  It  is  cozily  fur- 
nished and  contains  fourteen  rooms,  besides  closets, 
halls,  etc.,  and  its  interior  arrangement  gives  evi- 
dence of  the  capable  hand  and  exquisite  taste  of  the 
wife.  The  estate  is  further  embellished  with  con- 
venient outbuildings  for  the  stor.age  of  grain  and 
shelter  of  stock,  among  them  being  two  barns  built 
at  a  cost  of  SI, 600.  The  designs  and  plans  for  both 
residence  and  barns  were  originated  by  him  and 
are  models  of  convenience  and  comfort. 

Before  reviewing  the  life  of  a  man  it  is  always 
well  to  give  a  few  facts  concerning  his  ancestry. 
Our  stibject  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  America 
(Gieathouse)  Hoover,  the  former  a  native  of  Mary- 
land and  born  in  1798.  He  was  reared  to  follow  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  The  great-grandfather 
was  Adam  Hoover,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  who 
settled  in  Maryland  in  the  early  years  of  its  history. 
America  Greathouse,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in   Kentucky  and  was  married  in  Indiana, 


406 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


where  she  resided  for  a  number  of  3'ears.  Finally 
the  familj-  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  White 
County  about  1825.  Two  years  later  they  removed 
to  Pike  County  and  settled  on  section  9,  in  Monte- 
zuma Township.  They  were  very  poor,  the  greater 
part  of  their  earthly  possessions  being  comprised  in 
a  double  yoke  ox-team,  and  a  horse. 

At  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Daniel  Hoover  in 
Pike  County,  the  country  was  uncivilized,  Indians 
roaming  at  will  over  the  land  and  wild  animals 
abounding  and  furnishing  excellent  sport  for  the 
hunter.  Daniel  Hoover  located  on  eighty  acres  of 
raw  land,  where  he  built  a  log  cabin  with  puncheon 
floors  and  scanty  furniture.  He  had  no  trouble 
with  the  savages,  who  proved  to  be  a  friendly  tribe 
and  harmless.  Tlie  farm  was  a  timber  claim,  and 
the  famil}'  remained  in  this  primitive  home  which 
was  by  degrees  transformed  into  a  pleasant  and 
cultivated  estate.  They  are  known  as  the  old- 
est settlers  now  living  here  and  can  tell  many 
thrilling  narratives  of  events  in  the  early  history 
of  the  county. 

On  tins  homestead  tke  father  passed  his  closing 
years,  and  there  died  in  May,  1807,  after  a  long 
and  honorable  career.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
owned  three  hundred  and  twentj'  acres  of  well- 
improved  land.  He  built  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Jacob  Deemer,  also  the  baru  on  that  place.  The 
mother  survived  her  husband  only  n  few  months, 
passing  from  the  busy  scenes  of  earth  in  September, 
1867.  Their  ten  children  were  named  as  follows: 
Jefferson,  George,  Rebecca  (Mrs.  Clemmons),  Dan- 
iel G.,  Sarah  French,  Mary  (Mrs.  Bolin),  John, 
Catherine,  Frances,  and  one  deceased.  The  parents 
were  consistent  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
of  which  he  was  an  Elder.  His  influence  was  always 
used  for  the  improvement  of  the  schools;  he 
was  politically  a  Whig,  and  a  kind-hearted,  gener- 
ous, temperate  man. 

Posey  County,  Ind.,  was  the  birthplace  of  George 
Hoover,  and  the  date  thereof  October  23,  1821. 
When  only  six  years  of  age  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Pike  County,  and  the  events  of  that 
journey  are  vividly  impressed  upon  his  mind.  lie 
remembers,  among  other  things,  taking  corn  and 
grating  it  upon  the  tin  grater.  He  was  compelled 
to  go  barefo'>ted  in  the  winter,  and   would  make  a 


hog  stand  up  so  that  he  could  put  his  bare  feet  in 
the  warm  spot  while  he  fed  corn  to  the  cattle  and 
hogs.  He  distinctly  remembers  the  winter  of  the 
deep  snow.  His  schooling  was  obtained  in  the  log 
schoolhouse  which  stood  where  Mrs.  Brown's  house 
now  stands  in  Milton.  His  first  teacher  was  Abra- 
ham Jones,  and  after  advancing  as  far  in  his  train- 
ing as  the  single  rule  of  three  he  stopped  attending 
school,  and  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twentj-- 
one  years  of  age. 

When  starting  out  for  himself  Mr.  Hoover 
worked  on  a  farm  for  Richard  Robinson  at  $100 
per  3'ear.  He  was  married  January  24,  1844,  to 
Miss  Sophia  A.,  daughter  of  John  and  Charlotte 
(Thurman)  Hatcher.  Mr.  Hatcher  was  born  August 
19,  1797,  in  Franklin  Countj',  Va.,  while  his  wife, 
a  native  of  the  same  county,  was  born  April  11, 
1806.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  June  8,  1822, 
in  Virginia.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1840  and 
settled  in  Montezuma  Township,  where  they 
remained  until  death.  She  passed  from  earth  Nov- 
ember 4,  1866,  and  he  December  1, 1875,  in  Greene 
County,  III.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  seven  are  now  living.  Mrs.  Hoover  was 
born  May  24,  1823,  in  Franklin  County,  Va.,  and 
passed  her  youth  under  the  parental  roof. 

After  their  marriage  our  subject  and  his  wife 
built  a  little  house  on  his  father's  place,  where  for 
three  jears  they  sojourned.  In  1847  he  bought  on 
section  11a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
and  here  he  has  lived  ever  since.  His  first  farm 
was  partly  improved  and  a  rude  house  was  added 
to  it.  He  now  has  six  hundred  acres  in  cultivation, 
and  has  retired  from  active  labor,  though  he  still 
retains  superintendence  of  the  large  estate.  He 
raises  grain  and  stock  and  has  for  thirty  years 
bought  and  sold  stock.  They  were  the  parents  of 
six  children,  namely-:  Genevra  A.,  born  January 
10,  1845,  and  the  wife  of  Conrad  Fuimer.  To  them 
were  born  eight  children.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  August  25,  1890;  Louisa  F,  was  born  Febru- 
ary 25,  1847,  and- is  the  wife  of  William  T.  Dug- 
dale,  to  whom  she  has  borne  four  children  ;  Sarah  E. 
was  born  -September  30,  1849,  and  died  A|)ril  17, 
1855;  Eddie  A.  was  born  September  7,  1853.  and 
married  Laura  Ford  who  bore  him  two  children; 
Laura,  born   July   25,   1857,  became  the   wife  of 


'**££^*-''. 


f 


^ttf^'iiiilirtniii. 


->m0 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


409 


Alex.  A.  C.  Binns,  and  the\'  have  one  eliild  ;  Ulys- 
ses S.  G.  was  born  Ai)iil  23,  1863,  and  is  a  merchant 
in  Milton.     Mrs.  Hoover  died  .July  17,  1887. 

Mr.  Hoover  was  again  married  July  12,  1888. 
his  wife  being  Mrs.  Helen  Garbett,  the  daugliter  of 
Jefferson  and  Eraeline  Rook,  the  former  a  native 
of  Germany  and  the  latter  of  Maryland.  They  were 
man  led  in  Maryland,  where  he  was  a  luillcr.  In 
that  Stale  they  passed  their  entire  lives  and  both 
dird  in  18G0.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  six  of  whom  are  still  surviving.  Mrs. 
Hoover  was  born  April  17,  1848,  in  Somerset 
County,  Md.,  and  received  a  good  common-school 
education.  On  the  9th  of  May,  1867,  she  was 
united  in  marri.age  with  John  Garbett,  in  Norfolk, 
Va,  They  sojourned  for  a  time  in  Richmond,  Va., 
and  afterward  removed  to  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Garbett 
died  July,  1882.  The}'  were  the  parents  of  live 
children,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mrs. 
Hoover  is  a  most  estimable  lady  and  is  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  by  all  who  know  her.  She  is  a  sin- 
cere member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  is  active 
in  all  good  works. 

Mr.  Hoover  has  never  been  an  officeholder,  but 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Grange,  and  uniformly 
votes  the  Uopublican  ticket.  He  started  out  for 
himself  and  began  housekeeping  with  only  §30  in 
money,  and  his  competency  is  to  be  attributed  to 
his  indefatigable  industry.  He  is  a  temperate,  hon- 
est man,  of  strict  probit}'  and  characterized  by 
upright  dealings  with  all  men.  He  enjoj's  good 
health  as  the  result  of  temperate  habits  and  is  in 
all  respects  a  worthy  citizen,  a  devoted  husband, 
kind  father  and  generous  friend. 


! 


jOBK  CLARK.  It  is  generally  conceded 
that  one  (>f  the  best  farms  in  the  northern 
part  of  Pike  Count}-  is  that  owned  and  oc- 
cupied by  the  gentleman  above  named.  The 
land  is  favorably  located  on  section  29,  Perry 
Township,  has  had  its  natural  advantages  improved 
to  the  fullest  extent,  and  has  been  supplied  with  a 
complete  line  of  substantial  and  commodious  farm 
buildings.     The    residence   is  the   most  attractive 


and  well-built  in  this  part  of  the  countj',  every  ef- 
fort having  been  madeto  add  to  the  convenience 
and  comfort  of  its  occupants.  Its  surroundings  in- 
dicate that  it  is  the  home  of  people  of  good  taste 
.as  well  as  enterprise.  The  farm  is  well  stocked 
with  high  grades  of  animals,  some  very  fine  speci- 
mens being  noticeable  in  the  flocks  and  herds. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Samuel  Clark, 
a  Pennsylvanian,  who  was  bred  to  the  pursuit  of 
agriculture  and  added  to  that  occupation  the  trade 
of  a  boot  and  shoemaker.  He  married  a  Miss  Strawn, 
a  native  of  the  Keystone  State  and  cousin  to  the 
late  Jacob  Strawn,  so  closely  identified  with  the 
history  of  Morgan  County,  111.  This  lady  died  in 
Greene  County,  Pa.,  leaving  a  large  family.  Grand- 
father Clark  afterward  married  a  Mrs.  Douglas  and 
their  home  was  made  in  Kentucky  not  far  from  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

The  first-born  in  the  fan.ily  of  Samuel  Clark  was 
a  son  John,  who  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  in 
Greene  County,  Pa.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  his 
native  State  whence  he  went  to  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio,  and  there  married  Christiana  Reed  who  was 
born  in  that  county  not  far  from  Cincinnati.  Her 
father,  William  Reed,  was  born  in  Ireland,  crossed 
the  ocean  with  his  parents  when  a  small  child,  .tnd 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Southern  Ohio. 
He  began  to  farm  near  Cincinnati  when  that  now 
flourishing  cit}'  was  but  a  platted  tract  of  land  cov- 
ered with  stumps,  with  one  small  store  on  the  site. 
Mr.  Reed  married  in  Hamilton  County  and  he 
and  his  good  wife  died  on  their  homestead  when 
full  of  years. 

After  their  marriage  John  Clark  and  his  wife 
lived  for  some  years  on  the  old  Reed  homestead. 
In  1831  they  started  North  with  teams,  located 
near  Niles.  Mich.,  anci  lived  there  two  years  dur- 
ing the  BLack  Hawk  War.  Then  they  removed  to 
La  Porte  County,  Ind.,  sojourning  there  until  the 
fall  of  1835  when  they  made  another  removal,  this 
time  locating  in  Ogle  County,  111.  They  purchased 
a  Government  claim  on  which  they  made  consider- 
able improvement,  occupying  it  until  1857,  when 
they  came  to  Pike  County  with  their  family.  Here 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  spent  their  last  days,  the  hus- 
band breathing  bis  last  when  seventy-nine  and  the 
wife   when    [)ast  eight}'  years  of  age.      Both    were 


410 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


identified  with  tiie  Cluistiaii  Cliurcli.  Tliey  reared 
tlieir  ciiildren  under  religious  influences,  teaching 
them  industrious  habits  and  arming  them  for  tlie 
battle  of  life  with  good  principles.  Of  their  nine 
children  three  sons  and  three  daughters  are  still 
living. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch  and  whose  portrait  will  be  noticed  on  an- 
otlier  page  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
January  6,  1825,  and  passed  his  youth  amid  the 
pioneer  surroundings  of  Ogle  County.  He  worked 
for  some  time  with  a  good  mechanic  and  is  now  a 
successful  worker  in  wood  or  iron  in  connection 
with  his  business  as  a  farmer.  After  accompany- 
ing the  other  members  of  the  family  to  Pike  County 
lie  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  to  which  he  has 
since  added  until  his  landed  estate  now  comprises 
two  hundred  and  sixtj'-four  acres.  It  is  fertilized 
with  living  water  and  has  been  the  scene  of  long 
and  successful  labors. 

The  lady  who  presides  over  tlie  home  of  Mr. 
Clark  was  born  in  the  American  Bottoms  in  St. 
Clair  County,  January  10,  1835.  In  Peru,  La 
Salle  County,  the  ceremony  was  performed  whick 
united  her  life  and  fortune  to  that  of  our  subject 
and  changed  her  name  from  Hester  E.  Gilliam  to 
Hester  E.  Clark.  She  is  a  representative  of  ex- 
cellent families,  and  was  carefully  reared  by  es- 
timable parents.  Her  father,  Harvey  Gilham,  was 
a  near  kinsman  of  the  late  Senator  D.  B.  Gilham, 
who  was  killed  in  his  own  house  at  Alton.  Mrs. 
Gilham,  formerly  Mary  Whiteside,  was  a  sister  of 
Col.  Whiteside,  of  Maysville,  Cal.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gilham  were  married  in  St.  Clair  County,  and 
began  their  wedded  life  on  a  farm  where  all  their 
children  were  born.  Mrs.  Clark  is  the  youngest 
of  two  sons  and  two  daughters  now  living.  Mrs. 
Gilham  died  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  and  Mr.  Gil- 
liam at  Rough  and  Ready,  Nevada  County,  Cal.. 
where  he  had  been  working  as  a  miner. 

The  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  has  been 
blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  two 
of  whom — Anna  and  Harvey  J. — are  deceased. 
Carry  is  the  wife  of  Asa  Dorsey,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  in  the  same  townshi|)  as  her  father;  Jenny  L. 
married  James  S.  Elcdge,  their  home  being  a  farm 
in  Ciriggsvillc  Township;  JNIary   E.   is   the  wife  of 


V.  G.  Peekenpaugh,  a  grocery  dealer  in  Pittsfield; 
Bertha  still  makes  her  home  under  the  parental 
roof.  Having  been  reared  by  parents  of  intelli- 
gence and  upright  character,  the  children  have  been 
fitted  for  usefulness  and  all  are  refined  and  self- 
sustaining.  ]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are  consistent 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


kEANDER  BLAKE  came  to  this  county 
many  years  ago,  and  as  one  of  its  pioneers 
has  aided  in  the  development  of  its  ag- 
riculture, and  at  the  same  time  has  placed  himself 
among  its  prosperous,  substantial  farmers.  He  is 
carrying  on  his  farming  operations  in  Barry  Town- 
ship of  which  he  has  been  a  resident  for  half  a 
century  and  where  he  has  a  good  sized,  finely  im- 
proved farm  that  compares  well  in  all  respects  with 
others  in  the  locality. 

Mr.  Blake  comes  of  sterling  New  England  stock, 
and  is  himself  a  native  of  that  part  of  the  country, 
born  in  the  town  of  Gorham,  Cumberland  County, 
Me.,  September  18,  1814.  His  father,  Ephralra 
Blake,  was  born  in  tliat  place  in  1789,  and  his 
grandfather,  Nathaniel  Blake,  was  born  in  Truro, 
Mass.,  and  was  a  descendant  of  an  English  family 
who  settled  in  New  England  in  Colonial  times.  He 
was  a  pioneer  of  Gorham  where  he  bought  a  tract 
of  timber  land  from  which  he  evolved  a  farm,  and 
there  he  closed  his  mortal  career  at  the  venerable 
age  of  ninety-one  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native 
town.  When  he  began  life  for  himself  he  bought 
a  tract  of  land  in  the  town  of  Standish  and  engaged 
in  farming  there  till  1835.  He  sold  that  place  that 
year  and  removed  to  Pennsylvania  going  by 
steamer  to  Boston,  thence  by  rail  to  Providence, 
from  there  by  steamer  to  New  York  City  and  up 
the  Hudson  River  to  Albany,  and  then  on  the  Erie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  and  by  the  Lake  to  Erie,  Pa.  He  i 
located  nine  miles  from  that  town  and  rented  land 
on  which  he  made  his  home  till  1840,  when  he 
again  started  westward,  and  coming  to  Pike  County  ; 
located  in  Barry  Township  and  was  one  of  its 
earliest  settlers.     After  a  time  he  bought  land,  en- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


411 


'  gaged  in  its  improvement  and  succeeded  in  making 
I  a  comfortable  home  in  wliich  his  declining  years 
wiM'c  passed  in  peace  and  comfort.  In  early  man- 
hood lie  liad  married  Desire  V.  lliggins,  wlio  was 
born  in  Gorliam,  Me.,  in  1792.  Her  parents  went 
to  that  town  among  its  pioneers  and  there  passed 
their  remaining  da\s.  Mrs.  Blake  survived  her 
husband  three  j-ears.  She  reared  the  following  ten 
children:  Loander,  Albert.  Jeremiah  F..  Rebecca, 
Angelina,  -\Iary  Ann.  Leah,  Ephraim  Jr.,  William 
K.  and  Harriet,  all  of  whom  are  now  living  with 
the  exception  of  William  and  have  married  and 
reared  families. 

The  youth  of  our  subject  was  passed  amid  the 
|)lcnsant  scenes  of  his  birth,  and  his  education  was 
obtained  in  the  primitive  pioneer  schools  of  that 
time.  He  further  advanced  it  afterward  bj'  pur- 
suing a  practical  course  of  stud}'  at  Gorham 
Academy,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  utilized  his 
knowledge  by  leaching  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was 
paid  the  modest  sum  of  $12  a  month  and  boarded 
around  with  the  parents  of  his  pupils. 

Mr.  Blake  continued  to  live  in  Pennsylvania  till 
1840.  and  in  that  year  paid  his  first  visit  to  Illinois. 
He  came  b}'  the  most  expeditious  route,  making  the 
entire  journey  with  a  pair  of  horses    and  a  wagon, 
I     and  cooking  and  camping  b}'  the  way  at  night.    He 
i     performed   the   trip  in   nineteen   days    and    on   his 
1    arrival    at    Barry    found    it    but    a    small    hamlet 
in   th     midst  of   a  sparsely    settled,  wild    region. 
Most  of  the  people  were  living  in  log  cabins  in  the 
most  primitive    manner    and    venison    and    other 
kinds  of  wild  game,   which  was  very  plentiful,  was 
a  grateful  addition  to   their  homelj-  fare.     All  the 
produce  for  some  time  was  drawn  to  the  river  and 
taken  by  boats   to  the  markets.     Mr.  Blake  bought 
land  from  time  to  time,  his  first  purchase  compris- 
.   I    ing  forty  acres  on    the  southwestern   part  of   the 
southwestern   quarter   of  section  27,  Barrj'  Town- 
ship, paying  for  it  85  per  acre.     He  now  has  three 
hundred  and  forty-one  acres  of  as  fine  farming  land 
as  is  to  be  found  in  the  locality,  and  conveniently 
located   near  the  village  of  Barry.     His  first  work 
was  to  build  a  small   frame   house,   into  which   he 
j    moved    with    his    famil}'    before    it    was     finished. 
I    His  farm  is  now  in  an  excellent  condition,   its  soil 
I        well  tilled,  and  neut   buildings  and  other  necessary 


improvements,  making  it  a  valuable  piece  of  prop- 
erty. 

Mr.  Blake  was  first  married  in  1839  to  Mary 
Charles,  who  was  born  near  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  died 
in  Barry  Township  in  1880.  She  left  three  children: 
Preston.  Ebenezer  and  Ella.  The  second  marriage 
of  our  subject,  which  w.as  consummated  in  1881, 
was  with  Ida  Laurimere,  a  native  of  this  county. 
To  them  have  been  born  two  sons — Randall  and 
Troy. 

Our  subject  is  a  fine  type  of  our  self-made  men. 
He  is  wide-awake,  intelligent,  well-read,  and  an 
interesting  talker.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  men 
of  the  township,  has  taken  part  in  its  public  life 
and  is  justly  considered  one  of  its  most  useful  citi- 
zens. In  his  political  views  he  was  formerly  a  Whig 
and  has  been  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  since  its  formation.  Religiously,  both  he  and 
his  good  wife  are  consistent  and  devoted  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church. 

ETER  RL'STEMEYER,  M.  D.  It  is  with 
pleasure  that  we  trace  the  history  of  this 
r^  jMominent  resident  of  Calhoun  Count}' 
through  the  principal  events  of  his  past 
life.  At  present  a  resident  of  Crater  Precinct  our 
subject  is  prospering,  enjoying  the  comforts  of  life 
and  that  which  is  better  than  silver  or  gold — the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow-men  who 
realize  the  worth  of  his  character,  the  extent  of  his 
mental  attainments  and  the  good  which  he  has  ac- 
complished. 

Dr.  Rustemeyer  is  the  only  child  of  Anthony  and 
So|)hia  Rustemeyer,  natives  of  Germany,  and  in  the 
kingdom  of  Prussia  his  ovvn  eyes  opened  to  the 
light.  May  6,  183C.  He  attended  the  public  schools 
until  he  w.as  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  then  en- 
tered the  Brilon  University,  pursuing  his  studies 
there  three  years.  He  next  became  a  student  in 
the  college  at  Paderbornand  during  the  ensuing  six 
years  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  the  higher 
branches,  including  the  Latin,  Greek,  Ilebiew, 
French  and  German  tongues,  preparing  himself 
for  the  priesthood.     He  completed  the  University 


412 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


course  in  18G0  and  at  once  came  to  America,  taking 
passage  on  a  steamer  July  27  and  landing  in  New 
York  seventeen  da^'s  later. 

Dr.  Rustemcyer  came  direct  to  Alton,  Il].,wiiere 
for  somp  time  lie  was  busied  in  seminary  studies. 
preparing  for  bis  ordination  which  took  place  in 
April,  1861.  He  was  then  appointed  assistant 
pastor  of  St.  Boniface  Church  at  Quincy  and 
officiated  in  that  capacity  two  j'ears.  Subsequentl}' 
he  became  the  regular  pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church 
at  Paderborn,  St.  Clair  County,  and  was  tiien  trans- 
ferred 1.0  Brussels,  Calhoun  Count3'.  being  in  cliarge 
of  St.  Mary's  Church  for  two  j'ears.  We  next  find 
Dr.  Rusteraeyer  transferred  to  Fa3-etteville,  St. 
Clair  County,  and  a  year  later  placed  in  charge  of 
the  church  at  Beardstown,  where  he  remained  a 
year.  He  then  returned  to  Brussels  where  he 
officiated  some  five  jears.  He  became  recognized 
as  an  able  expounder  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  and  an  earnest  worker  in  the  up- 
building of  the  membership. 

While  discharging  his  duties  as  a  member  of  the 
priesthood  Dr.  Rustemeyer  devoted  considerable 
lime  for  a  number  of  j'ears  to  the  study  of  medi- 
cine, for  which  he  had  a  very  decided  taste.  He 
at  length  entered  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  pursued  the  required 
course  of  study  there  a  year,  then  spent  an  equal 
length  of  time  in  the  Homeopathic  Medical  College 
in  the  same  city.  He  was  graduated  from  the  latter 
institution,  and  returning  to  Calhoun  County  lo- 
cated in  Crater  Precinct  and  began  the  practice  of 
the  medical  profession.  After  practicing  here  for 
a  time  he  removed  to  St.  Clair  County,  but  in  a 
short  time  returned  to  old  Calhoun,  and  has 
devoted  himself  principally'  to  his  professional 
labors.  He  enjoys  a  good  practice  and  the  reputa- 
tion of  a  well-read  and  skillful  ph3'sician.  His  home 
is  on  section  29,  where  he  owns  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  and  is  surrounded  by  the  pleas- 
antness and  quiet  attractive  to  one  of  his  tastes  and 
studious  nature. 

Dr.  Rustemeyer  is  a  fine  linguist  and  a  gentle- 
man of  ripe  scholarship,  a  deep  thinker  and  a  close 
student.  He  entertains  broad  and  liberal  views  on 
matters  pertaining  to  government,  is  independent 
in  polities    and    |)ublic-siiirited  in    his    interest  in 


worthy  movements.  Tiie  biographer  found  him  to 
be  a  cultured,  social  and  entertaining  gentleman  in 
whose  society-  the  time  passed  rapid I3'  and  agreeably. 
In  1875  and  187G  Dr.  Rusteme3'er  took  an  active 
part  in  the  old  Catholic  movement  in  Germany  and 
Switzerland,  and  afterward  came  back  to  America 
on  leave  of  absence  to  look  after  his  real  estate,  and 
liking  tliis  climate  better  he  adopted  the  profession 
of  ph3'3ician  and  has  since  resided  here. 

-^ -#-#^ "^- 


^I^IDWIN  McCALLISTER.  It  is  doubtful  if 
any  man  living  in  Pike  Count3'  has  made  a 

greater  study  of  farming  than  the  gentleman 

above  named,  who  devotes  his  entire  attention  to 
his  chosen  calling,  and  has  made  of  it  both  an  art 
and  .'1  science.  He  occupies  a  farm  on  section  21. 
Griggsville  Township,  his  possessions  there  consist- 
ing of  eightv  acres,  which,  though  a  small  estate,  is 
one  of  the  very  best  in  the  count3\  The  land  has 
been  thoroughl3'  improved,  among  the  means 
which  have  been  taken  to  make  it  remunerative 
being  a  complete  system  of  drainage  by  means  of 
tile  and  a  tiiorough  use  of  fertilizing  agencies  when 
nccessar3'.  A  proper  rotation  of  crops  keeps  the 
bind  in  a  good  con<lition,  generall3'  speaking,  and 
little  extra  labor  is  needed  to  make  it  produce 
abundant!3'.  The  estate  is  supplied  with  a  com- 
plete line  of  vvell-built  barns  and  other  outbuild- 
ings, and  is  further  adorned  with  a  fine,  Lirge 
residence. 

The  cit3'  of  Griggsville  is  the  birthplace  of  our 
subject,  who  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  February 
12,  1840.  He  was  nine  years  old  when  his  father 
moved  into  the  countr3',  and  he  grew  to  maturity 
amid  the  surroundings  of  farm  life,  determining  to 
make  the  calling  his  own.  He  has  been  energetic 
and  enterprising  and  has  won  success,  securing  all 
that  he  now  owns  by  bis  own  personal  efforts. 
With  the  exception  of  the  years  spent  b3'  him  in 
the  service  of  his  country  he  has  made  the  section 
in  which  he  now  lives  his  liome,  and  he  has  become 
well  and  favorabl3'  known  over  a  wide  extent  of 
country. 

When  the  second  call  for  troops  was  m.ade  in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


413 


summer  of  18G2  Mr.  McCallister  eulistcd  in  the 
Sevent^'-third  Illinois  Infantry,  his  enrollment  tak- 
ing i)lace  August  8.  He  became  a  member  of 
Company  H,  which  was  commanded  by  .1.  I.  David- 
son and  later  by  Jose  pli  L.Morgan,  now  of  t^uincy. 
The  regiment  was  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Jaques.  who  was  an  elder  aud  minister  in  the  Meth- 
dist  Episcopal  Church,  for  which  reason  his  com- 
mand became  known  as  the  Preacher's  Regiment. 
The  .Seventy-third  was  sent  at  once  to  the  front, 
and  w.as  one  of  the  regiments  which  lost  heavily  in 
the  terrible  battle  of  Pen-yville,  K}'.,  October  8, 
1862.  The  bo^'S  fought  through  the  Murfreesboro 
campaign,  afterward  going  south  to  Chattanooga, 
taking  part  in  the  battles  in  that  section,  and  else- 
where enduring  nuuth  hard  fighting.  Tiie  regiment 
w.as  discharged  in  a  body  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
.Tune  G,  18G5.  and  onr  subject  returned  to  his 
father's  home.  He  was  one  of  t)ie  fortunate  num- 
ber to  escape  wounds,  but  he  was  confined  to  the 
hospital  for  some  time  bv  sickness  caused  by  ex- 
posure and  hard  marching  under  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  Rev.  Yarrow 
JlcCallister,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  Scotch 
•ncestry  but  American  parentage.  He  lost  his 
mother  when  but  a  few  weeks  old  and  his  father 
before  he  was  twoj'ears  of  age.  For  a  few  j'ears  he 
was  eared  for  by  an  older  sister,  theu  made  his 
home  among  strangers,  having  many  hardships  to 
endure,  as  he  was  only  a  child  when  he  began  to 
look  out  for  himself.  He  struggled  along  as  best 
lie  could  until  old  enough  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
cooper.  From  that  time  on  he  was  more  success- 
ful, and  iu  1839  he  thought  himself  justified  in 
taking  a  wife.  He  won  for  his  helpmate  Sarah  A. 
Taylor,  a  native  of  Maryland  who  was  reared  in 
Wilmington,  that  State.  This  lady  was  an  earnest 
Christian,  belonging  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  as  long  as  her  life  was  spared  was  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  her  husband  and  their 
little   family. 

Immediately  after  their  marri.age  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McCallister  set  out  for  the  Prairie  State  to  join  an 
older  brother.  John  McCallister,  who  had  come  to 
Pike  County  some  years  before.  Yarrow  McCullis- 
tei-  followed  his  trade  for  man}-  3'ears,  working  for 


Mr.  George  Pratt,  and  on  his  own  account  after- 
ward, until  1849,  when  he  purch.ased  a  small  farm 
and  turned  his  attention  to  agriculture.  He  died 
September  23,  1885.  at  the  .age  of  sixty-seven  years. 
He  had  begun  to  preach  in  1819,  and  filled  the  local 
pulpit  from  that  time  until  his  death.  He  had  be- 
come well  known  to  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and 
was  frequently  called  Ujion  to  conduct  funeral  ser- 
vices in  various  parts  of  the  county.  He  served  as 
Township  Assessor  for  some  years.  His  political 
adherence  was  first  given  to  the  Democratic  party, 
but  latterly  he  voted  the  Republican  ticket.  His 
wife  died  in  1848  when  our  subject  was  but  nine 
years  old,  she  having  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight  years. 

Our  subject  is  the  elder  of  the  two  children  now 
living  that  were  born  to  his  mother.  He  and  his 
brother  .John  served  in  the  Civd  War  as  members 
of  the  same  company,  and  John  having  been  taken 
prisoner  was  held  in  Andorsonville,  losing  sixty 
pounds  of  flesh  while  there.  He  survived  all  the 
privations  and  dangers  of  his  army  life  and  is  still 
living,  his  home  being  in  Louisiana,  Mo.  His 
occupation  is  that  of  a  bricklayer  and  stone  mason. 
He  married  Frances  Wade. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  won  for 
his  wife  Mar}'  A.  E.,  daughter  of  William  and 
Maria  (Jones)  Sweeting.  She  was  born  on  the 
farm  now  owned  by  her  husband  October  21,  1848. 
Her  father  was  born  in  ?]ngland,  and  was  a  young 
man  when  he  came  to  this  country  and  established 
himself  i;i  this  county.  He  died  here  in  the  spring 
of  1848,  his  career  cut  short  when  he  was  in  the 
prime  of  life.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  iSIcCallister 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  came  to  this  State  with 
her  parents  when  a  young  woman,  and  in  this 
county  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mr.  Sweeting. 
She  is  still  living,  her  home  lieing  in  Griggsville. 
She  is  now  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Callister is  one  of  two  children  and  the  only  one 
now  living.  She  vvas  reared  and  educated  in  the 
township  in  which  she  still  lives,  and  is  an  estima- 
ble woman,  well  regarded  by  her  neighbors  and 
acquaintances. 

The  family  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  consists 
of  ten  living  children,  and  the}'  lost  a  daughter, 
Isabel  S.,  when  about  five  months   old.     The  sur- 


414 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOURAFHICAL  ALBUM. 


vivors  are:  Elizabeth,  John,  William.  Jenny, 
George,  Herbert,  Frederick,  Levi,  Emma  and  Cora, 
all  of  whom  still  gladden  their  parents'  hearts  by 
their  presence  under  the  home  roof.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McCallister  attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
of  which  the  wife  is  a  member.  Mr.  McCallister 
is  a  sound  Republican  in  his  political  faitii  and 
never  fails  to  deposit  his  vote. 


W>ILLIAM  A.  REED.  The  town  of  Perry, 
Pike  County,  is  the  seat  of  the  business 
operations  of  the  gentleman  above  named 
who  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  various  farm 
implements  and  vehicles  and  in  connection  there- 
with does  general  blacksmithing.  He  is  a  skillful 
mechanic,  thoroughly  competent  to  oversee  the 
work  which  is  going  on  in  his  factory  and  to  bear  a 
band  therein  when  anything  particularly  fine  is  to 
be  done.  The  establishment  which  he  controls  is  a 
large  one  for  a  country  town,  sends  out  some  fine 
work  and  is  the  center  of  successful  business  ven- 
tures. Mr.  Reed  has  been  connected  with  the  civic, 
social  and  religious  life  of  the  town  for  a  number 
of  years  and  is  well  and  favoiably  known. 

Going  back  in  the  paternal  line  to  William  Reed, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  we  note  the  following 
facts.  That  gentleman  was  born  in  Ireland,  being 
a  son  of  an  Irish  sea  captain  who  was  lost  at  sea 
when  William  was  a  small  boy.  The  lad  was  after- 
ward bound  out  to  a  Mr.  Knapp  who  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Ohio.  There  Grandfather 
Reed  grow  to  manhood  as  a  farmer  boy  remaining 
with  his  foster  father  until  liis  marriage,  when  he 
and  his  young  wife  began  life  as  i)ioneers  in  Ham- 
ilton Count}'.  That  section  was  then  wild  and  in- 
habited chiefly  by  Indians,  there  being  a  fort  at 
Cincinnati  for  the  protection  of  the  white  settlers. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Reed  had  come  to  that  locality 
from  Pennsylvania  in  which  Stale  she  was  born. 
Her  maiden  name  was  Mar}-  Ecklenberger,  and  her 
I)arents  were  German. 

Finding  the  Indians  troublesome,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reed  crossed  the  river  to  a  large  settlement  where 


Newport  now  stands.  They  subsequently  returned 
to  their  possessions  on  tiie  Ohio  side  of  the  river, 
and  carried  on  an  old-time  tavern  which  was  the 
stopping  place  for  the  early  navigators  of  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  Rivers  when  flatboats  were  the 
means  of  transportation. 

As  an  inn-keeper  William  Reed  prospered  and 
secured  a  large  tract  of  unbroken  land  near  the 
Ohio  River  of  wiiich.in  later  years,  he  became  the 
cultivator.  He  worked  up  a  good  farm,  building 
upon  it  a  large  and  valuable  brick  house  which  is 
still  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation  and  in  possession 
of  the  famil}'.  There  Mr.  Reed  spent  the  remain- 
der of  his  active  life,  but  died  at  the  home  of  his 
youngest  son  farther  up  the  Ohio  River.  He  at- 
tained to  the  age  of  about  three  score  and  ten,  but 
his  widow  survived  to  be  one  hundred  and  nine, 
expiring  while  eating  her  breakfast.  .She  had  re- 
tained her  mental  and  physical  powers  in  a  rare  de- 
gree. She  was  an  exemplar}'  Christian  and  had 
been  a  true  helpmate  to  her  liusband,  who  was  one 
of  the  highly  respectable  and  prominent  men  of  the 
vicinity. 

The  first-born  in  the  famil}'  of  this  worthy 
couple  was  Joseph,  who  openeti  his  eyes  to  the 
light  in  Kentucky  in  1792,  and  was  but  a  few 
months  old  when  the  parents  returned  to  their  for- 
mer home.  He  wis  bred  to  the  pursuit  of  a  far- 
mer and  after  his  marriage  l)egan  to  operate  a  part 
of  his  father's  large  possessions,  which  continued  to 
be  his  residence  until  1852,  when  with  his  family  he 
came  to  Illinois.  The  household  goods  were 
shipped  on  a  steamboat  and  the  family  came  over- 
land, settling  in  Perry  Townshi|i.  Pike  County. 
Mr.  Reed  began  to  purchase  land  and  make  im- 
provements, buying  and  selling  farms,  but  after  he 
had  grown  old  became  a  resident  in  Perry.  There 
he  died  in  1880  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 
He  had  been  an  active,  hard-working  man,  and  had 
won  the  respect  of  his  fellow-men  liy  reason  of  his 
deep  religious  feeling  and  earnest  endeavors  to  live 
aright.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church  and  had  been  a  Class-Leader  in  Ohio. 
There  he  had  also  held  the  office  of  Township  Su- 
pervisor. Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  of  the 
Jacksonian  scliool. 

The  wife    of    Joseph    Reed  was    Mary  Ward,  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


415 


native  of  Virginia  who  had  accompanied  her  par- 
ents, Joshua  and  Rhoda  Ward,  to  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mis.  Ward  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  of  English  ancestry.  They  died  in  the 
Buckeye  State,  Mr.  Ward  living  to  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  one  years.  Both  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  models 
of  piety.  Their  daughter  followed  their  example 
of  activity  in  the  church  and  was  all  that  a  tiue 
wife  and  a  loving  mother  could  be  to  the  members 
of  her  houselKjld.  She  breathed  her  last  some  years 
before  her  husband's  ileath,  when  about  seventy 
years  oU\.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  of 
whom  the  oldest  and  youngest  died  in  infancy. 
One  daughter  and  three  sons  grew  to  maturity  and 
the  three  sons  are  still  living.  (_)ne,  the  Rev. 
Washington  M.  Reed,  has  been  a  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Church  for  thirty-five  years  and  is  now 
preaching  in  Clayton.  Adams  County;  another. 
Henry  H.  Reed,  carries  on  a  large  private  boarding 
house  in  Kansas  City  and  the  third  is  the  subject  of 
this  sketch. 

AVilliam  A.  Reed  was  boru  May  II,  1838.  in  An- 
derson Township,  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  vicinity. 
He  entered  his  teens  a  year  or  two  before  the  fam- 
ily came  to  this  State  and  in  Perry  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith  under  Esq.  Cleveland.  He 
afterward  associated  with  the  trade  the  making  of 
plows  and  other  implements,  and  some  ten  years 
later  became  the  manufacturer  of  buggies  and  other 
Tehicles,  continuing  to  carry  on  a  general  black- 
smitliing  busiriess.  The  town  in  which  he  learned 
his  trade  has  been  the  scat  of  his  operations  during 
his  entire  business  life  and  he  has  a  large  circle  of 
friends  in  and  about  the  place.  For  many  years  he 
has  held  the  positions  of  Township  and  \'illage 
Clerk  and  he  is  prominently  connected  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  now  holding  the  office 
of  District  Steward.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  in  this  field  also  he  is  prominent.  He  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason  and  has  been  through  all  the  council 
degrees.  His  membership  is  in  Blue  Lodge,  No. 
95,  and  Chapter  No.  13.5,  both  of  Perry. 

At  the  bride's  home  in  Winchester,  Scott  County, 
Mr.  Reed  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lizzie 
Lynn,  a  capable  and  intelligent  woman  whose  worth 


is  highly  appreciated  by  her  family  and  friends. 
She  was  born  in  Pike  County,  111.,  received  a  <>ood 
education  and  is  fully  qualified  for  the  position 
which  she  holds  as  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  society 
of  Perry  and  in  the  work  of  the  ^letliodist  Church 
there.  She  has  borne  her  husband  four  children,  of 
whom  Royal  died  at  the  age  of  three  and  Ada  at 
the  age  of  two  years.  Maj-  is  now  the  wife  of  (i. 
AV.  Ham,  a  farmer  in  Origgsville  Township;  Edna 
C,  is  the  wife  of  Albert  M.  Sebaffnit,  a  prominent 
merchant  of  Perry.  Both  the  surviving  daughters 
are  graduates  from  a  seminarj-  and  are  fine  musi- 
cians. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Reed,  G.  AV.  and  Mary  Lynn, 
were  born  in  the  Buckeye  State  aud  there  reared 
and  married.  They  subsequently  made  their  home 
in  Winchester,  Scott  County,  1111.,  where  the  hus- 
band followed  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  for  some 
time.  Later  they  came  to  Perry  where  Mrs.  Lynn 
died  at  a  goodly  age.  Mr.  Lynn,  who  was  born  in 
1800,  is  still  living,  his  present  home  being  in  Kan- 
sas. 


^p^ILBERT  II.  HENRY,  the  popular  station 
agent  of  Rockport,  Pike  Count}',  is  a  good 
representative  of  the  intelligent,  well-edu- 
cated young  men  who  are  natives  of  this  count}'. 
He  was  born  in  Rockport,  October  IG,  1861,  and 
is  the  son  of  the  late  Dr.  James  M.  Henry,  who 
was  in  his  day  one  of  the  foremost  ph3'sicians  in 
this  part  of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  South  Caro- 
lina in  1830  and  was  a  son  of  Malcolm  Henry,  who 
was  a  native  of  South  Carolina  so  far  as  known. 
He  was  a  tanner  by  trade  and  emigrated  to  Pike 
County,  Mo.,  in  1839,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. He  reared  a  fainil}-  of  ten  children,  six  sons 
and  four  daughters  and  three  of  his  sons  became 
physicians. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  eight  years  old 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Missouri  aud  he  was 
sixteen  years  old  when  be  began  to  teach  school, 
aud  was  thus  engaged  a  number  of  j'ears.  He 
studied  medicine  under  Dr.  John  Barllett  at  Louisi- 
ana, Mo.,  and  subsequently  practiced  four  years  at 


416 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


AUaSi  in  this  county,  and  then  became  a  student  in 
the  College  of  Ph^ysiciansand  Surgeons  at  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1860,  he 
having  attended  one  term  at  St.  Louis  Medical  Col- 
lege before  he  established  himself  at  Atlas.  After 
leaving  the  college  at  Keokuk  he  settled  at  Rock- 
port,  and  was  in  active  practice  there  until  his  death 
whieii  occurred  August  4,1889.  For  further  pa- 
rental history  see  sketch  of  Dr.  H.  M.  Henry,  brother 
of  our  subject,  which  is  on  another  page  of  this 
volume. 

Gilbert  Henry,  of  whom  this  sketch  is  a  life  rec- 
ord, was  reared  in  Rockport  and  gained  the  pre- 
liminaries of  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
there.  He  subseqnentlj'  spent  one  year  in  the 
High  School  at  Barr^-,  and  then  attended  school  at 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  where  he  pursued  a  preparator}' 
course.  After  that  he  began  the  stud}-  of  tele- 
graphy under  Edward  S.  Hamm  in  the  office  at 
this  jioint.  He  became  ver}'  proficient  in  the  art 
and  after  completing  his  course  took  possession  of 
the  office  and  occupied  it  eighteen  months.  His 
next  venture  was  in  a  different  direction,  as  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  general  mercantile  business 
with  his  brother  and  father.  A  ^-ear  later  he 
abandoned  that  and  resumed  telegraph}-,  having 
had  a  position  offered  hira  at  Hull's  Station.  He 
was  there  nine  months  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
changed  offices  with  the  agent  here  in  1885,  and 
has  had  charge  of  tliis  office  ever  since.  He  is  an 
expert  telegrapher  and  performs  the  other  duties  of 
the  office  in  a  manner  pleasing  to  his  employers 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public,  by  whom  he 
is  well  liked  un  account  of  his  pleasant,  courteous 
and  obliging  manners. 

The  marriage  of  Jlr.  Henry  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
^^1.  Hall,  daughterof  A.  L.  and  Joanna  E.  (Cooper) 
Hall,  of  Pike  County,  III.,  was  duly  solemnized 
March  31,  1885.  Mrs.  Henry  was  born  at  P.aducah. 
Ky.,  December  18,  186G.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church  and  vviih  her  husband  oc- 
cupies a  good  social  i>osition  in  this  town.  Our 
subj.c:  and  Ids  wife  have  two  children,  Elauche  B. 
and  I'aul  (;ill)ert. 

Mr.  Henry  lias  one  of  the  most  pleasant  homes 
in  Rockport,  which  is  the  abode  of  true  hospitality 
as   their    many  friends  find    when  they    cross    its 


threshold.  It  is  a  commodious  two-story  frame 
house,  surrounded  by  a  spacious  lawn  which  is 
shaded  with  beautiful  maples.  Mr.  Henry  also  has 
a  valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  on  section 
19,  one  mile  west  of  town,  all  of  which  is  tillable 
well-improved  land  and  from  its  rental  he  has  a 
good  income.  Mr.  Henry  is  a  credit  to  the  citi- 
zenship of  his  native  town  and  always  generously 
aids  any  enterprises  for  public  improvement.  In 
his  political  views  he  is  an  ardent  Republican. 


-S*!^*'-^'?^ 


'^'s^  »*^«i5-» 


j^^OBERT  C.  BEATY,  a  well-known  and  in- 
fluential  citizen  of  Richwoods  Precinct,  is  a 
native  of  Calhoun  County  and  was  born  in 
this  precinct  February  2o, 1852, on  his  father's 
farm.  His  father,  Robert  Beaty,  who  is  thought 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  came  to 
Calhoun  C'onnt}^  in  an  early  day  of  its  settlement 
and  was  a  pioneer  of  Richwoods  Precinct,  where 
his  useful  career  was  cut  short  by  his  untimely 
death  in  1852. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose  maiden  name 
vYas  Sarah  Frances  McGlaughlin,  was  a  native  of 
Jersey  County,  this  State,  and  was  there  reared. 
She. married  a  second  time  after  the  death  of  the 
father  of  our  subject,  becoming  the  wife  of  M.  J. 
Nicholas,  a  farmer  of  this  count}-,  and  she  now  re- 
sides in  Belle  view. 

Our  subject  was  but  an  infant  when  his  father 
died,  and  he  was  reared  by  his  mother  and  step- 
father. He  attended  the  public  schools  in  his  youth 
and  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  old.  After  attaining  his  majority  he  gave 
his  attention  to  farming  about  four  years  and  then 
entered  the  mercantile  business  as  a  clerk  for  S.  A. 
White,  and  has  served  that  gentleman  in  that  ca- 
pacity continuously  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years. 
He  has  a  line  insight  into  business,  is  a  good  sales- 
man, alw.ays  courteous  and  obliging  to  customers, 
and  faithfully  serving  the  interests  of  his  employer. 

The  marriage  oi  our  subject  with  Miss  Lucy  E. 
DeLaney,  a  native  of  this  county,  was  celebrated 
on  the  8th  of  !\lay,  1875.  Mrs.  Beaty  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  jMethodist  Episcopal  Church  and   is  in 


t 

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f 

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ii' 

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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


419 


every  way  a  woman  of  fine  character  and  re- 
spected by  nil  around  her.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beaty 
enjoy  all  the  comforts  of  a  good  home  and  their 
pleasant  honsehold  is  completed  b}'  their  tluee 
children — Carl  R.,  lone  and  Lamont. 

5Ir.  Beaty  is  a  man  of  raanj-  excellent  trails  and 
bis  life  record  thus  far  is  such  as  to  reflect  credit 
on  the  citizenship  of  his  native  county.  He  al- 
ways takes  pleasure  in  doing  whatever  he  can  to 
advance  the  interests  of  his  township,  and  has 
served  it  well  in  different  official  capacities.  He  is 
greatly  interested  in  educational  matters  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  School  Board.  He  is  now 
an  incnmbent  of  the  office  of  Township  Treasurer 
and  is  managing  the  affairs  of  this  responsible  i)0- 
sition  in  a  business- like  manner  and  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  concerned.  In  him  the  Democratic 
party  has  one  of  its  strongest  advocates  in  this  part 
of  the  county.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  President 
for  .S.  J.  Tilden,  and  has  never  swerved  from  party 
allegiance.  In  the  fall  of  1890  Mr.  Beaty  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Calhoun  County. 


-^ 


^^EORGE  HARRISON  is  a  representative 
(f[  ^—  native-born  citizen  of  Calhoun  Count}'  and 
^^Jj  one  of  the  most  practical  and  wide-awake 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Belleview  Precinct, 
where  he  has  a  well-managed  and  thoroughly 
equipped  farm  on  section  20.  He  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1845,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  C.  and 
Bridget  (Red)  Harrison,  pioneers  of  this  county. 
His  father  came  here  from  Ohio  when  a  bo}'  and  his 
mother  removed  hither  from  Pennsylvania  when 
she  was  quite  young.  They  married  here  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom  two  .are 
living,  George  and  Joseph  C. 

George,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketcli, 
was  only  a  boy  when  he  had  the  sad  misfortune  of 
losing  his  father  by  the  lattcr's  premature  death, 
and  some  time  after  was  deprived  of  the  tender 
care  of  his  mother,  who  did  not  survive  her  hus- 
band many  years.  He  was  therefore  thrown  upon 
his  own  resources  early  in  life,  and  was  enabled 
only  to  obtain  a  common-school  education.    He  is. 


however,  a  well-informed  man,  as  by  much  reading 
and  observation  ho  lias  made  up  for  the  want  of  a 
better  education  wlien  a  boy.  In  August.  1863,  he 
left  Calhoun  County  for  California,  but  he  stayed 
his  steps  in  Arkansas  where  he  remained  about 
three  months,  then  went  to  Colorado  and  foUow^ed 
mining  a  short  time.  He  spent  about  eight  years 
altogether  in  the  Western,  Southwestern  and 
Northwestern  States,  and  finally-  came  back  to 
Calhoun  County  in  1871  and  has  lived  here  the 
most  of  the  time  since.  He  has  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  fertile  and  well-tilled  land 
and  is  doing  a  good  business  in  raising  grain  and 
stock. 

Mr.  Harrison's  first  marriage,  which  took  place 
in  1874  was  with  ]\Iiss  Mary  AVhite.  To  tliem  were 
born  three  children,  of  whom  Annie  is  the  only 
one  now  living,  Mar}'  A.  and  Charles  being  the 
names  of  those  deceased.  May  14, 1890,  Jlr.  Har- 
rison was  wedded  to  Miss  Ilattie  Reed,  who  presides 
over  his  home  and  helps  liira  to  dispense  its  hospi- 
talities to  their  numerous  friends. 

Our  subject  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  poli- 
tics and  stands  witli  the  Democrats  of  his  native 
county.  He  possesses  enei-gy,  shrewdness  and  fore- 
sight, and  as  he  is  fair  and  honest  in  his  dealings 
enjoys  the  confidence  of  the  business  community. 
His  portrait  shown  on  another  page  represents  one 
of  the  valued  citizens  of  Calhoun  County. 


,^^EORGE    W.  McKINNEY,    M.  D.,   who  is 
associated    with  his   brother.  Dr.  John  G. 

McKinney,    is    a    skillful    and    well-known 

physician  of  Barry,  Pike  County,  and  stands  high 
in  his  profession  as  represented  in  tliis  jjart  of  Illi- 
nois. He  was  born  in  Cadiz,  Harrison  County. 
Ohio,  January  18,  1833,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of 
James  W.  and  Mary  (Orr)  McKinney.  (For  par- 
ental history  see  sketch  of  Dr.  John  G.  McKinne}' 
on  another  page  of  this  Album.) 

The  Doctor  was  but  four  years  old  when  became 
to  this  county  with  his  parents  and  he  remembers 
well  the  incidents  of  pioneer  life.  He  is  one  of 
the  few  left  to  tell  the  early  history  of  the  county. 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


whicli  he  does  in  a  very  interesting  manner.  He 
began  early  in  life  to  assist  liis  father  at  his  trade, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  thoughtful,  studious  lad 
made  the  best  of  his  opportunities  to  obt.ain  an 
education.  He  was  so  far  advanced  in  his  studies 
at  tiie  .ige  of  twenty  years  that  he  commenced  to 
teach  and  taught  three  terms  of  school.  He  con- 
tinued to  work  as  a  carpenter  in  Pike,  Adams  and 
Champaign  Counties  until  1872.  In  tli.at  year  he 
entered  upon  the  study  of  medicine  with  his 
brother  at  Kingston,  and  he  also  attended  two 
courses  of  lectures  at  Rush  Medical  College  at 
Chicago,  from  wbicii  he  w,as   graduated  in  1875. 

Thus  equipped  for  his  professional  duties,  our 
subject  entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine /it 
Kingston.  Five  years  later  he  went  from  there  to 
New  Canton,  where  he  was  engaged  two  years.  He 
afterward  spent  three  years  of  active  professional 
life  in  Barry  with  his  brother  John,  and  subse- 
quently passed  one  year  at  Kinderliook.  After 
that  he  practiced  in  Kingston  until  August,  1890. 
when  he  once  more  came  to  Barry  and  has  since 
been  associated  with  his  brother  John. 

Dr.  ISIcKinney  has  been  three  times  married.  In 
18.53  he  was  wedded  to  Miss  Mary  Potter,  a  na- 
tive of  this  county.  She  died  in  the  month  of 
January,  1 864,  after  ten  years  of  marital  bliss. 
The  second  marriage  of  our  subject,  which  took 
place  in  the  month  of  June,  1874,  was  to  Miss  Vir- 
ginia L.  Fahs.  She  was  born  in  Virginia  and  died 
in  Kingston,  Adams  County,  November  24,  1876. 
The  Doctor's  marriage  to  his  present  estimable 
wife  was  celebr.ated  Julj- 4,  1878.  j\lrs.  McKinney 
was  formerly  Sarah  A.  Clark.  She  was  born  in 
Adams  County,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Eliza 
Clark.  Her  marriage  with  our  subject  has  been 
blest  to  them  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  of  whom 
tliere  are  three  living — Ada  K.,  John  and  Lora 
G.  By  his  first  mariage  our  subject  had  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  P^lizalieth  J.,  who  married  David 
Funk ;  Mary  E.,  who  married  John  Barnes  and  is 
now  deceased;  .lames  I).;  and  Temperance,  wife  of 
Mr.  Kwing  Stephens.  Of  the  Doctor's  .second  mar- 
riage there  is  one  child  living,  Louisa  A. 

The  Doctor  has  acquired  a  good  reputation  in 
his  professional  career  and  he  and  his  wife  are 
people  of    high  standing  in  social  circles.     They 


are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  contribute  generously  to  its  every  good  work. 
Our  subject  is  identified  with  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen  as  a  member  of  Hope  Lodge, 
No.  55. 


^Y"  AMES  FOILPvS  is  numbered  among  the  old 
settlers  of  Calhoun  County  and  the  repre- 
sentative farmers  of  Crater  Precinct.  He 
was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Va.,  October 
18.  181 1 ,  and  traces  his  ancestry  in  the  maternal 
line  to  Germany.  His  father,  John  Foiles,  was  a 
native  of  the  Old  Dominion,  but  his  mother,  Petrt/y 
Havermill,  had  emigrated  to  that  State  from  the 
Fatherland  when  but  a  small  girl.  Our  subject 
was  left  motherless  when  eight  or  nine  years  old, 
but  his  father  afterward  married  again  and  James 
continued  an  inmate  of  his  old  home.  When  he 
was  fourteen  or  lifteen  years  old,  the  family  moved 
to  a  location  on  the  Ohio  River  in  the  western  part 
of  the  State,  a  short  distance  above  the  Kentucky 
line.  There  our  subject  grew  to  maturity  upon  a 
farm,  bearing  a  part  in  all  the  !al)or  that  was  per- 
formed and  acquiring  skill  in  agriculture. 

AVhen  he  was  about  twenty-four  years  old  Janus 
Foiles  began  boating  on  the  Ohio  River,  making 
two  triijsasa  hand  and  then  building  a  flalboat  for 
himself.  He  followed  boating  about  seven  years, 
then  settled  down  on  a  farm  in  his  native  State. 
remaining  there  until  185.5.  In  the  spring  of  that 
year  he  came  to  Calhoun  Countj-,  111.,  and  bought 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  for  which  he 
paid  $500.  The  ensuing  fall  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  from  the  Government  at 
the  rate  of  twenty-five  cents  per  acre.  This  land, 
with  the  exception  of  about  ten  acres,  was  cov- 
ered with  timber,  but  by  dint  of  energy  and  the 
efforts  which  belong  to  pioneer  development,  Mr. 
Foiles  has  made  the  farm  what  it  is  to-day.  He 
now  owns  seven  hundred  and  ten  acres  which  he 
has  acquired  by  persevering  industry  and  a  wise 
use  of  the  means  which  he  secured  from  3-ear  to 
year. 

In  tlie  Old  Dominion,  June  18,  1840,  Mr.  Foiles 
and  Miss  Mary  E.  Ansell  were  united  in  marriage. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


421 


The  bride  possessed  the  affectionate  nature  and  use- 
ful knowledge  which  made  her  a  devoted  helpmate 
and  capable  counselor  during  the  long  years  of  wed- 
ded life  which  were  terminated  b}'  her  death  Au 
gust  IG,  1887.  She  had  many  friends  who  sincerely 
mourned  her  departure  from  the  scenes  of  earth. 
.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foiles  had  three  children,  two  of 
whom  survive  and  live  in  the  same  county  as  their 
father.  These  are  Jacob  A.,  and  Virginia,  wife  of 
Dr.  Lewis  Foiles.  The  deceased  child  bore  the 
name  of  ^lar}'  E. 

Although  Mr.  Foiles  enjoyed  very  limited  edu- 
cational privileges  he  possesses  quite  a  fund  of 
information  gleaned  in  various  ways  during  his 
long  and  useful  life.  He  has  ever  been  greatl}' 
interested  in  the  growth  of  the  school  S5'stem  and 
for  several  3'ears  was  a  trustee  in  Crater  Precinct. 
Man}'  3'ears  ago  he  was  a  Whig  but  since  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party  he  has  been 
identifiod  with  that  body.  Pre-eminentl}'  success- 
ful in  a  financial  sense,  as  his  large  estate  attests,  he 
is  able  to  surround  himself  in  his  declining  years 
with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  which  he  desires, 
and  looking  back  over  his  long  life  can  recall  useful 
labors  and  hours  well  spent. 


'USTIN  II.  HEMPHILL.  Among  the  agri- 
culturists of  Pike  County,  a  good  rank  is 
(Ai  held  by  this  enterprising  young  gentleman, 
who  is  tilling  a  portion  of  the  soil  in  Pleas- 
ant Hill  Township.  He  was  born  where  he  now  re- 
sides, October  24.  1866,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
received  a  good  English  education  in  the  common 
schools.  He  owns  and  occupies  forty  acres  of  his 
father's  homestead  his  portion  including  the  build- 
ings, r.nd  is  successfully  prosecuting  the  career  to 
which  he  was  reared. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Aaron  F.  and 
Matilda  Ann  (Autry)  Hemphill.  The  further  his- 
tory of  the  father  will  be  found  in  the  sketch  of 
Alexander  Hemphill  on  another  page  in  this  Album. 
The  widow  of  Aaron  Hemphill  and  step-mother  of 
our  subject  was  a  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Mar- 
garet C.  (Joy)  Cloninger,  who  were  born  and  reared 


in  Virginia,  removed  to  West  Virginia,  and  in  18.t1 
came  to  Calhoun  County,  111.  There  they  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Mr.  Cloninger  was  a 
leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  a  Class-Leader  for  many  years.  His  family 
consisted  of  three  sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of 
whom  were  reared  and  married  except  one  daugh- 
ter. Mrs.  Hemphill  was  first  married  to  Merritt  M. 
Turpin.  to  whom  she  bore  four  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  living.  These  are  Margaret  E., 
wife  of  Ed  Hucke;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Charles  Hemp- 
hill, and  John  M. 


"l^AN.SOM  KESSINGER,  a  native  of  this  State, 
jiyf  born  in  Scott  County,  September  3,  1832, 
iii  \V  is  not  only  one  of  the  largest  landowners 
and  most  prosperous  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  Pike  County,  but  he  has  borne  a  prom- 
inent part  in  its  public  life,  being  one  of  its 
wealthy  and  influential  citizens. 

Mr.  Kessinger  is  a  son  of  Solomon  and  Katie 
(Slagle)  Kessinger,  natives  of  Kentuekj-.  His  father 
was  a  son  of  Peter  Kessinger  who  came  from 
Germany  to  the  United  States  after  the  Revolution 
and  settled  among  the  pioneers  of  Kentucky.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Kellogg,  and  they 
reared  a  family  of  twelve  sons  and  one  daughter, 
all  of  whom  married,  but  one  son.  The  daughter 
Betsey  married  a  Mr.  White  of  Warren  County, 
Ky.  The  grandfather  of  our  tubject  came  to 
Scott  County.  111.,  on  horseliack  about  1827  and 
entered  land  there.  He  died  of  the  small-pox  in 
1836  and  his  widow  returned  to  Kentuck}-  and 
died  there  in  1848. 

Solomon  Kessinger  was  l)red  on  a  farm  and 
married  in  Scott  County.  111.,  in  1840,  and  subse- 
quently moved  to  East  Fork,  Macon  County,  Mo., 
where  he  entered  a  homestead  of  thirty  acres.  In 
1844  he  carae  to  Pearl  Township,  this  countj-,  and 
purchased  forty  acres  of  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment on  sectiun  8.  At  the  time  of  his  death  in 
January,  1863,  at  the  venerable  age  of  eighty-eight 
years  he  owned  r  good  farm  of  eighty   acres.     He 


422 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  tivicc  married  and  there  are  two  children  living 
by  his  first  wife.  Ransom  and  Christiana,  now  Mrs. 
Jaclison.  His  sei-ond  wife  was  Sarah  Davis,  a 
daiigliter  of  Andrew  Davis  a  Revolutionary  soldier. 
Siie  bore  liim  throe  sons  and  two  daughters  named 
Phili|).  Jack,  Solomon,  Ellen  and  Sarah.  'I'he  first 
wife  died  in  1836  of  small-pox  and  the  second  wife 
died  about  1870.  He  and  both  of  his  wives  were 
church  members,  belonging  either  to  the  Christian 
or  the  Methodist  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  a  daughter  of  Peter  Single,  who  came 
from  Germany  and  was  twice  married.  He  was  a 
farmer  and  came  to  Scott  Count}'  in  1827  where 
he  died.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church  and  held  meetings  in  bis  residence. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  attended  the 
common  schools  but  is  mainly  self  educated,  his 
father  being  poor  and  not  able  to  afford  the  ex- 
pense of  sentling  his  son  to  scliool.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  vears  he  courageously  began  life  for  him- 
self, working  at  813  per  month  and  giving  his 
father  half  of  his  wages.  When  he  was  twenty-one 
years  old  he  began  farming  with  his  father-in-law 
on  the  hitter's  farm,  having  a  one-fourth  interest  in 
al!  that  was  made  for  three  years.  In  1855  he 
purchased  his  first  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  on  section  20,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
started  even  in  life  and  has  come  out  far  ahead  of 
man}'  a  man  who  had  belter  prospects  in  his  youth. 
He  now  owns  eighteen  hundred  acres  of  land,  which 
forms  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  farms  in  the 
county.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock-rais- 
ing, and  makes  a  specialty  of  Gallow.ay  or  Polander 
cattle,  having  a  vluable  herd  of  that  breed. 

June  11,  1853,  was  the  date  of  Mr.  Kessinger's 
marriage  to  Miss  Saraii  J.,  a  daughter  of  Henry 
and  Nancy  (Jackson)  Peacock,  and  a  native  of 
Calhoun  County  this  State.  Their  wedded  life 
has  been  as  full  of  peace  and  contentment  as  usually 
falls  to  the  lot  of  mortals,  and  has  been  productive 
to  them  of  ten  children  of  whom  eight  were  reared 
to  maturity: — Henr}';  Nancy,  wife  of  George  W. 
Smith;  Jacob;  Catherine,  widow  of  Dr.  Lock; 
Peter;  John;  Martha,  wife  of  Addie  Wagner,  and 
John. 

Mr.  Kessinger's  course  in  life  has  been  such  as 


to  justify  his  selection  to  fill  responsible  offices  and 
he  has  served  with  ability  as  Justice  for  twelve 
years  and  has  represented  Pearl  Township  on  the 
County  Board  of  Superv-isors  five  terms.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stalwart  among  the  Democrats.  Ileligiouslv, 
both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  associated  with 
every  good  work  of  the  Christian  Church  to  which 
the}-  have  belonged  since  marriage. 

In  the  trying  times  of  the  late  rebellion  Mr. 
Kessinger  proved  his  loyalty  and  devotion  to  his 
country  by  his  career  as  a  volunteer  soldier.  He 
enlisted  in  the  month  of  August  in  1862  in  Com- 
pany I,  Ninety  ninth  Illinois  Infantry  and  look 
part  in  many  hotly  contested  battles.  He  fought 
al  Hartsvillc,  al  Magnolia  Hills  (Miss),  faced  the 
enemy  at  Jackson  and  Black  River,  was  active  in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  from  there  went  to 
Texas  where  ho  took  part  in  an  engagement  with 
the  enemy  at  Indianola.  We  next  hear  of  him  al 
Ft.  Gaines  near  Mobile,  where  he  did  gallant  ser- 
vice. He  escaped  unharmed  from  the  horrors  of 
war  with  the  exception  of  a  fiesh  wound  in  his 
right  hand  in  the  first  battle  in  which  he  fought 
at  Hartsville,  Mo.  He  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  at  Baton  Rouge.  His  war  record  is  com- 
memorated by  his  membership  with  the  Grand 
Army  Post  and  he  belongs  to  the  independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


^ELSON  H.  HASKINS  is  accorded  a  promi- 
nent place  among  the  pros[)erous  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  County,  who  have 
been  instrumental  in  developing  its  agricultural  in- 
terests. He  is  a  well-known  resident  of  Kinder- 
hook  Township,  where  he  has  so  skillfully  managed 
his  affairs  that  he  has  one  of  the  largest  and  best 
equipped  farms  in  that  locality. 

Mr.  Haskins  was  born  in  Allegany  County,  N. 
Y.,  November  1,  1835.  His  parents,  Calvin  and 
Ezolpha  (Slaton)  Haskins,  are  supposed  to  have 
been  natives  of  the  Empire  State,  where  they  mar- 
ried, removing  directly  to  Pennsylvania.  From 
Iheie  they  went  to  Ray  County,  Mo.,  and  thence  to 
Iowa,  where  they  located  on  a  farm  in  Lee  County. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


423 


They  passed  tlieir  last  days  there.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  chiMren.  four  daughters  and  three 
sons,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy'.  Tlie  others 
are  William,  Joel,  Plicebe,  Marella,and  our  subject. 
The  latter  was  the  second  son  of  the  family,  and 
was  reared  partly  in  Missouri  and  partly  in  Iowa, 
where  he  lived  about  ten  years.  He  remained  with 
his  i)arents  until  his  marriage  in  1855  to  Mary  A. 
Helton,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  was  reared  in 
Iowa.  In  1857  he  removed  with  his  wife  to  tliis 
county,  and  located  on  the  place  where  he  now 
lives.  Their  first  home  here  was  a  very  chea|)  af- 
fair that  he  Iniilt  himself  in  the  woods,  he  being 
three  days  clearing  a  small  patch  of  land  on  which 
he  erected  iiis  house.  In  the  first  place  he  bought 
just  forty  acres  of  wild  land  and  cleared  from  it 
the  brush  by  hard  labor.  In  his  j'outh  he  had 
learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper,  and  he  used  to  work 
.at  that  winters  for  a  jjeriod  of  twelve  years,  and 
carried  on  farming  in  the  summtjj-.  He  labored  per- 
sistently and  w.as  prospered  in  his  undertakings  so 
that  he  was  enabled  to  bny  more  land  from  time  to 
time,  until  he  is  now  the  fortunate  possessor  of  five 
hundred  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  may  be  found  in 
this  region,  of  which  all  but  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  acres  are  located  in  Pike  Count}'.  It  is 
mostly  under  cultivation,  is  well  fenced,  and  is 
finely  adapted  to  general  farming  purposes. 

'Sir.  Ilaskins  is  a  fine  type  of  our  self-made  men, 
as  all  that  he  is  and  that  he  has  he  owes  to  his  own 
ambitious  desire  to  succeed  in  life,  and  by  hard 
work  he  has  attained  his  present  prosperous  condi- 
tion as  one  of  the  moneyed  men  of  his  township. 
He  went  in  debt  ?;250  on  his  first  purchase  of  fort^- 
acres  of  land,  but  by  couotant  toil  and  excellent 
management  w.as  enabled  to  paj'  off.  and  soon  be- 
came independent.  In  all  his  transactions  he  has 
dealt  honoralil\-  and  in  his  relations  with  others  h.as 
shown  himself  to  be  a  manly,  straightforward  man. 
His  fellow-citizens  have  shown  their  appreciation 
of  liis  intelligence  and  capability  by  calling  him  to 
assist  in  the  management  of  public  affairs,  and  he 
has  served  the  township  well  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner and  as  School  Director,  vvhich  otiice  he  is 
still  the  incumljent.  He  is  a  stanch  advocate  of 
the  Republican  party  to  which  he  has  been  devoted 
since  the  da^s  when  he  cast   his    first  Presidential 


vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  contributes  liber- 
ally to  all  just  causes,  and  helps  forward  any  move- 
ment for  the  public  good.  Our  subject  is  the  father 
of  thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Astella  (deceased);  Rosaline,  George  L. ;  Phebe  I. 
(deceased);  William  S. ;  Frank  (deceased);  Wade, 
Alta,  Noali,  .Jesse,  Laura,  Manda,  and  Bertha.  The 
four  youngest  I'emain  at  home  with   their  parents. 


S.  WHITTAKER.  A  goodly  number 
of  the  old  settlers  of  Pike  County  now 
(fc  rest  from  their  laliors,  leaving  behind 
them  a  record  of  great  usefulness  in  the 
upbuilding  of  the  county  in  its  various  material  in- 
terests and  the  promotion  of  the  principles  of  good 
citizenship.  One  of  this  number  is  the  late  A.  S. 
Whittaker,  who  breathed  his  last  at  his  home  in 
Perry,  November  27,  1887.  For  years  he  had 
been  numbered  among  the  leading  men  of  the 
town  where  he  had  been  a  successful  mechanic,  a 
general  merchant  and  an  extensive  pork-packer. 
In  the  i)almy  days  of  the  town  he  had  carried  on 
the  last  enterprise,  being  thus  engaged  for  more 
than  ten  3'ears  and  no  doubt  doing  the  largest 
business  of  the  kind  ever  transacted  in  the  place. 
He  secured  a  fortune  b\'  arduous  labor,  coupled 
with  honorable  dealing.  The  last  years  of  his  life 
were  spent  as  a  mercfiant. 

Mr.  Whittaker  was  born  in  Greene  Countj',  N. 
Y.,  October  25,  1818.  His  parents,  William  E.  and 
Anna  (Dubois)  Whittaker  were  natives  of  the  same 
State  as  himself,  the  father  being  of  F^nglish  and 
the  mother  of  I'rench  descent.  Both  were  repre- 
sentatives of  old  aristocratic  families  which  settled 
in  the  Empire  State  and  were  connected  with  the 
Salisburys,  who  all  became  rich,  and  many  of  them 
prominent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whittaker  began  their 
wedded  life  on  a  farm,  but  many  years  later  came 
to  the  Prairie  State,  settling  in  Perry,  where  they 
spent  their  last  days,  dying  when  quite  old.  They 
were  members  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church. 
They  reared  three  sons  and  four  daughters  to  man- 
hood and  womanhood,  two  sons  and  one  daughter 
being  still  alive. 


424 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Our  subject  was  educated  in  his  native  county, 
to  which  he  bade  adieu  wiien  nineteen  years  old  to 
accompany  the  other  members  of  the  family'  to  this 
State.  He  had  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter, 
which  he  followed  the  most  of  the  time  until  1853, 
during  that  time  making  a  trip  South  and  working 
in  New  Orleans  on  the  Revenue  l)uilding.  INIr. 
Whittaker  was  a  '49er,  having  crossed  the  plains 
to  California  in  thnt  year  in  a  company  of  one 
hundred  men  and  teams.  He  was  Captain  of  tiie 
band,  which  finally  reached  the  Pacific  Slope  after 
weeks  of  tedious  and  dangerous  travel.  They  set 
about  seeking  the  precious  metal  which  had  drawn 
them  thither,  but  their  labors  proving  unsatisfs\c- 
tory  Mr.  Whittaker  decided  to  return  home  in  a 
few  months.  He  left  the  Golden  Gate  on  a  vessel 
which  encountered  a  severe  storm  when  a  few  days 
out  and  was  nearly  wrecked.  After  the  most  ex- 
haustive work  in  keeping  the  pumps  going,  a  labor 
in  which  the  passengers  assisted,  the  vessel  finally 
reached  land  with  all  on  board.  Mr.  AVhittaker 
came  up  through  Central  America,  during  his  trip 
acquiring  the  ability  to  converse  in  Spanish,  an  ac- 
complishment he  never  forgot.  From  New  Orleans 
he  journeyed  up  the  Father  of  Waters  to  his  home. 

In  1853  Mr.  Whittaker  abandoned  work  at  his 
trade  and  engnged  in  business  pursuits  of  a  mer- 
cantile nature.  In  1869  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  for  seven  years  he  carried  on  a  commission 
business.  During  that  time  his  pork-packing  es- 
tablishment in  Perrj'  was  conducted  by  his  son- 
in-law,  John  A.  Merrill,  now  deceased.  After  his 
return  from  St.  Louis  Mr.  Whittaker  gave  his  pre- 
sonal  attention  to  his  business  affairs  in  Perry  un- 
til his  death. 

In  Griggsville,  October  13,  1840,  Mr.  Whittaker 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mis£  Lucinda  D. 
Smith.  This  lady  was  born  in  Bradford,  Merrimac 
County,  N.  H.,  December  13,  1822,  and  grew  to 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  in  her  native  county.  She 
then  accompanied  her  parents  West  and  has  since 
that  time  been  a  resident  of  Pike  County,  this 
State.  She  possesses  several  of  the  characteristics 
of  the  natives  of  New  England,  being  an  excellent 
housekeeper,  a  faithful  mother  and  a  kind  neighbor. 
During  the  life  of  her  husband  she  was  devoted  to 
his  welfare  and  she  has  the  comfort   of   knowing 


that  she  was  to  him  all  that  a  good  wife  could  be. 
She  is  t^he  mother  of  six  children,  whose  record  is 
as  follows:  Catherine  is  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Gray, 
a  commission  merchant  in  Carlinville;  Annette  is 
unmarried  and  with  her  mother;  Isabel,  widow  of 
John  A.  Merrill,  makes  her  home  in  Quincy;  Emily 
is  still  with  her  mother;  Elinor  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Parker  II.  Pierce,  of  St.  Louis.  Mo.,  a  printer  and 
publisher;  Frank  D.  has  succeeded  to  his  father's 
business  and  operates  the  store  where  his  practical 
ability  and  promising  habits  are  likely  to  give  him 
a  successful  career.  He  married  Miss  Nellie  Dunn. 
All  the  children  are  possessed  of  good  natural  .abili- 
ties and  having  been  given  good  advantages,  are 
intelligent  and  well-read.  Mrs.  Pierce  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  schools  of  St.  Louis  and  for  many 
3'ears  a  teacher  there. 

Mr.  Whittaker  was  a  sound  and  reliable  Repub- 
lican who  took  an  active  part  in  local  politics.  He 
was  a  prominent  ftiember  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  was  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  Perry  Lodge, 
No.  95,  in  which  he  w.as  Master  Mason  for  years. 
He  and  his  wife  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  univer- 
sal sal  ration. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Whittaker  was  John  Smith,  a 
n.ative  of  New  Hampshire,  and  her  mother  was  Me- 
hitable  French  who  was  born  in  the  same  State  and 
belonged  to  a  good  old  New  England  family.  A 
brother  of  Mehitable  Smith  represented  his  State  in 
the  Legislature  for  manj-  terms.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  lived  in  Merrimac  County  until  1838,  when 
they  crossed  the  country  to  Pike  County,  III., 
making  their  home  in  Griggsville.  Mr.  Smith  died 
there  in  1865  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  His 
wife  passed  aw.ay  February  4,  1879.  Both  be- 
longed to  the  Baptist  Church. 


RS.  FANNY  BUTLER  is  one  of  the  hon- 
ored old  ladies  who  have  survived  the 
trials  of  pioneer  life,  and  lived  to  enjoy  the 
comforts  of  advanced  civilization.  She 
came  to  Pike  County  in  girlhood,  and  as  maiden, 
wife  and  widow  her  manner  of  life  has  been  such  as 
became  a  true  woman.     The  hardships    and   priva- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


425 


tions  slie  shared  with  other  residents  in  Martins - 
burg:  Township,  and  the  sorrows  she  has  boine 
iiave  bnl  sweetened  and  strengtiiened  her  nature, 
and  caused  her  to  appreciate  more  fully  the  man}' 
blessings  that  have  strewn  her  path. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Butler  was  Ed- 
ward Brisco,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  re- 
moved thence  into  Kentucky,  of  which  he  was  one 
of  the  very  first  settlers.  He  died  in  that  State 
when  about  sixty  years  of  age.  His  son  Ira,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  and  reared  in  Ken- 
tucky and  ado|)ted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer 
which  was  that  of  his  father. 

Ira  Brisco  married  Mary  C'runi,  who  was  born  in 
Virginia,  but  was  living  in  the  Blue  Grass  State  at 
the  time  of  her  marriage.  In  1832  the  wortliy 
couple  came  to  this  section  of  Illinois,  being  among 
the  first  settlers  in  the  township  in  which  they  lo- 
cated. They  made  their  journey  in  a  wagon,  camp- 
ing out  by  the  waj',  as  was  the  common  custom, 
and  consuming  about  a  month  in  travel.  Mr. 
Brisco  had  visited  this  region  the  preceding  spring 
and  had  selected  land  in  Martinsburg  Township, 
Pike  County,  which  he  bougiit  and  improved.  At 
one  time  he  was  engaged  quite  extensively  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican. 
His  wife  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church,  and  pos- 
sessed deep  religious  feelings.  Mr.  Brisco  lived  to 
be  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  but  his  wife  died  be- 
fore attaining  to  three-score  years  and  ten.  Their 
f.imily  included  twelve  children,  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing grew  to  maturity:  Fanny,  Jeremiah,  Eliza- 
beth, Margaret  (now  Mrs.  Webster),  I^dward, 
Thomas,  Sophia,  Kittj-,  and  Mar}'.  Sophia  is  now 
dece.ased. 

The  lady  whose  name  introduces  these  brief  para- 
graphs w.as  twelve  years  of  age  when  she  accom- 
panied her  parents  hither,  and  vividly  remembers 
the  journey  through  forest  and  over  prairie,  and  the 
cstablisiiraent  of  a  new  home.  In  her  native  State, 
Kentucky,  where  she  was  born  May  IG,  1820,  she 
had  attended  school  in  the  old  log  schoolhouse  of 
those  early  times,  and  after  coming  here  continued 
her  studies  as  best  she  could  amid  the  surroundings 
of  their  pioneer  life. 

When  eighteen  years  of  age  Miss  Brisco  became 
the  wife  of  Joshua  Butler,  their  marriage  rites  being 


ing  solemnized  November  7,  1838.  The  gentleman 
who  had  won  our  subject  for  his  life  companion  was 
born  in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  but  had  ijassed  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  in  Indiana  and  this  State.  He  came 
with  his  parents  hither  about  1830,  and  as  he  grew 
to  manhood  was  prominently  identified  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  this  section.  He  continued 
to  give  his  attention  to  farming,  in  which  he  car- 
ried on  extensive  operations,  at  one  time  owning 
several  hundred  acres  of  land.  When  quite  young 
be  was  a  somewhat  noted  sportsman,  wild  game  be- 
ing then  plentiful  and  numbers  of  animals  and 
birds  being  brought  down  by  him. 

During  his  mature  life  Mr.  Butler  was  a  [nomi- 
nent  member  of  the  community,  not  only  for  his 
enterprise  and  progress  in  his  chosen  calling,  but 
because  of  his  deep  interest  in  the  advance  of  civ- 
ilization and  the  upbuilding  of  the  country.  The 
only  office  in  which  he  served  was  that  of  Town- 
ship Supervisor,  as  he  was  quite  content  with  the 
duties  which  fell  to  his  lot  as  a  steady-going  and 
reliable  citizen.  His  ballot  was  always  deposited 
for  Republican  candidates  and  principles.  He  lived 
to  the  age  of  three-score  and  ten  years,  entering 
into  rest  in   1879. 

Mrs.  Butler  now  owns  ninety -seven  acres  of  gooil 
land  which  she  rents,  deriving  therefrom  an  ade- 
quate income.  She  has  lived  at  her  present  home 
twenty-one  years,  and  has  become  well  known  to 
an  extended  circle  of  acquaintances,  who  hold  her 
in  great  respect  for  her  fine  character  and  useful 
life.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  with 
which  she  united  when  quite  young. 


'/  DAM  A.  ROTH.     Among   the    men    who 
are  cultivating  a  portion    of   the    soil  of 
i!)    Calhoun    County    successfully,    and    who 
^))  occupy  an  honored   place  among   the  citi- 

«ens  is  the  gentleman  above  named,  who  resides 
in  Crater  Precinct.  He  had  not  the  educational 
advantages  that  are  afforded  many  youths,  nor 
had  he  the  benefit  of  a  large  capital  with  which  to 
begin  business.  He  has  made  his  way  by  sheer 
force  of  his    natural  abilities  and  persistent   will, 


426 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


coupled  with  the  prudent  habits  whioh  he  acquired 
in  his  earl\'  home.  He  has  an  assured  footing 
among  the  agriculturists  aud  landowners  of  tlie 
township  aud  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of  three 
hundred  aud  thirty  acres  of  excellent  land. 

Mr.  Roth  is  of  German  parentage,  being  a  son 
of  -John  and  Catherine  Rolh,  who  etnigrateil  from 
the  Fatherland  many  years  ago.  Thty  came  to 
Calhoun  County  in  1857  and  took  their  place 
among  the  earh-  settlers  of  Crater  Precinct,  where 
they  made  their  permanent  home.  The  father  died 
in  February,  1881.  and  the  mother  three  years 
afterward.  The  parental  family  included  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  those  now  surviving  are  Adam, 
John,  Peter,  ^lary  and  Theresa.  All  are  living  in 
Crater  Precinct  except  the  last-named,  whose  home 
is  in  St.  Jyouis,  Mo.  Marj'  is  now  the  wife  of 
Michael  Zipprich. 

The  father  of  this  family  cleared  up  a  farm, 
making  liis  start  in  this  section  by  chopping  wood, 
which  he  hauled  away  for  sale.  He  was  a  hard- 
W'Orking  man  during  his  entire  life  and  was  always 
interested  in  that  which  would  advance  the  public 
weal.  He  had  received  a  good  education  in  his 
native  land  and  while  he  lived  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
was  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store.  He  enjoyed  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him  and  in 
his  death  Calhoun  Count}-  lost  a  worth}'  citizen. 
He  served  on  the  School  Board.  He  voted  the 
Democratic  ticket  and  belonged  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  born 
June  1,  1855,  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  was  about 
two  jears  old  when  brought  to  Calhoun  County. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Crater  Precinct, 
acquiring  a  fair  rudimentary  education,  to  which 
he  has  added  the  knowledge  which  he  has  been 
aljle  to  obtain  by  intercourse  with  his  fellow- men 
and  through  the  medium  of  the  public  press.  He 
has  placed  his  land  under  good  improvement,  cul- 
tivates it  carefully  and  is  reaping  a  due  reward  for 
his  laltors.  He  follows  his  father's  example  and 
teaching  in  voting  the  J^emocratic  ticket  and  re- 
taining Ills  membersliip  in  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  is  now  serving  as  Clerk  of   the  School   Board. 

The  good  wife  whose  housewifely  skill  and  lov- 
ing  thought   for  iier   family  are   manifest   in    the 


home  surroundings  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ther- 
esa Korsc.  She  was  born  in  the  count}'  in  which 
she  lives,  and  under  the  care  of  worthy  parents 
grew  to  womanhood.  Her  father.  Frank  Korse, 
is  now  deceased  but  her  mother  is  still  living. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roth  are  the  parents  of  four  children 
— Frank.  Ailam.  Lizzie  and  Katie.  It  affords  us 
pleasure  to  represent  in  this  volume  a  man  so 
worthy  of  the  good  opinion  of  his  fellow-citizens 
as  Adam  A.  Roth,  whose  friends  will  be  pleased 
to  read  these  brief  notes  regarding  his  career. 


^^  HARLES  D.  HUNTER  who  follows  farming 
[if^,  on  section  23,  Bellevicw  Precinct,  Calhoun 
^^^  County,  is  a  native  of  Charlotte  County, 
Va.  He  was  horn  on  the  IGth  of  Decemlier.  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  Hunter,  a  gentleman  of  Irish 
descent  who,  wiih  his  family  when  our  subject 
was  about  three  years  of  age,  emigrated  westward, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Franklin  County,  Mo., 
where  his  wife  and  the  mother  of  Charles  D.  de- 
partefl  this  life.  Mr.  Hunter  was  afterward  again 
married  and  removed  further  westward. 

Charles  D.  Hunter  w.as  reared  on  the  Missouri 
frontier  and  from  his  early  boyiiood  has  been  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  the  autumn  of 
1862  he  came  to  Calhoun  County,  111.,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  On  the  2i)th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1863,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lucy 
Ilarijer,  a  native  of  Greene  County,  111.,  born  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1846.  her  jjarents  being  Carlton  and 
Patia  Harper.  By  their  union  there  have  been 
born  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living, 
while  one  daughter.  Belle  E.,  is  deceased.  Those 
who  still  survive  are  Ora  E.,  Andrew  A.,  Luella 
L.,  William  A,,  Edgar  E.  and  Charles  Chester. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Hunter  resided  in  Calhoun 
County  before  locating  upon  his  [iresent  farm.  He 
is  now  the  owner  of  one  hundred*  aud  sixty  .acres 
of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  but  when 
he  located  thereon  only  about  seven  acres  had  been 
placed  under  the  plow,  the  greater  part  of  tlie  re- 
mainder being  covered  with  timber.  It  w.as  no 
easy  task  to  clear  and  develop  this  land,  but  being 


G/%>'^/^'to^^^^''MyG^^^^2^^ 


"-CU^^ 


PORTRArX  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


429 


of  an  energetic  and  industrious  nature  Mr.  Hunter 
at  once  sot  to  work  to  acconiplisli  tliat  result  an'!  in 
return  for  liis  laliors  has  now  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  community.  For  almost  thirty  years  he  has  re- 
sided in  this  county  and  has  not  only  been  an  eye- 
witness of  its  growth  and  progress  but  has  been 
closely  identified  with  its  growth  and  development. 
Any  enterprise  calculated  to  benefit  the  commu- 
nity is  sure  of  his  liearty  support  and  co-operation. 
He  is  a  warm  friend  of  education,  and  although 
not  a  member  of  any  church  contributes  to  the 
cause  of  religion.  In  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of 
Democratic  principles  and  has  held  several  local 
offices,  including  that  of  School  Director  and  Con- 
stable, filling  the  latter  position  for  foui-  years 
with  credit  to  iiimself  and  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. His  private  and  pulilic  life  are  alike 
above  reproach  and  he  is  classed  among  the  intel- 
ligent and  enterprising  citizens  of  Calhoun  County 
where  his  friends  are  many,  and  where  he  receives 
the  warm  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact. 


— •   oOo  ' — 

(^1  OCTILLION   BEEMAN,   who  served  his 
country  in  the  late  war  and  whose  portrait 


tft  on  the  opposite  page  represents  an  early  set- 
tler of  Calhoun  County,  resides  on  section 
21,Carlin  Precinct.  He  was  born  January  20,  1842, 
and  is  of  English  and  Irish  extraction.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Sarah  (Hunicutt)  Beeman,  who 
came  to  Calhoun  Count}'  at  a  very  early  day  and 
here  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  The  fa- 
ther entered  three  Inindred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  in  Carliu  Precinct,  and  after  seeing  his  family 
comfortably  settled  in  a  log  cabin  with  characteris- 
tic energy  turned  his  attention  to  the  development 
of  a  farm.  He  died  when  our  subject  was  but  four 
3  ears  of  age  and  his  wife  passed  away  a  few  3-ears 
|since.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
four  of  whom  are  yet  living — Rachel,  wife  of 
Thomas  Nelson;  Louisa,  deceased;  Mrs.  Ann  Clo- 
Ininger;  Mary,  wife  of  Welcome  Scott,  and  Montil- 
|lion. 

Our  subject   spent  the    days  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads,   alterna- 


ting his  time  between  attendance  at  the  district 
schools  and  work  upon  the  homestead  farm.  He  is 
acquainteiOvith  the  early  history  of  the  county  and 
has  not  only  i)een  a  witness  of  its  growth  and  prog- 
ress but  has  aided  in  its  promotion  and  advance- 
ment. In  1801  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  One 
Hundred  and  Tliirty-seventli  Hlinois  Infantrj'  for 
three  months  service  and  was  engaged  on  guard 
duty  the  greater  part  of  the  time.  Subsequently  he 
was  drafted  into  the  Fifty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  assigned  to  Company  A,  in  December,  1864. 
Again  his  regiment  was  principally  engaged  on 
guard  duty  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  on  the  20tli  of  July,  1865.  Ow- 
ing  to  the  exposure  and  liardshi|is  of  arm}-  life  he 
has  in  a  large  degree  lost  his  hearing,  and  the 
sight  of  one  eye  is  entirely  gone  while  the  other  is 
also  affected.  The  Government  pays  him  a  pen- 
sion of  $24  per  month  to  compensate  him  in  some 
degree  for  his  aflliclion. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Beeman  returned  to 
this  county  where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  de- 
voting his  energies  to  .agricultural  pursuits.  He  has 
been  twice  married.  On  the  29th  of  August,  1876, 
he  wedded  Adeline  Richey  and  unto  them  was 
born  a  daughter,  Rachel  A.,  born  in  December, 
1878.  The  mother  died  October  7.  1879,  and  on 
the  16th  of  September,  1890,  Mr.  Beeman  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  Mrs.  Martha  Burdick,  who  was 
born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio.  March  10,  1842,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Abraham  and  Nanc}'  (Schu- 
maker)  Kightliuger.  In  1856  she  became  the  wife 
of  Jacob  Scott,  who  served  four  3-ears  in  the  late 
war  and  |)articipated  in  many  of  its  important  bat- 
tles. Four  children  were  born  of  that  marri.age — 
Weltha  A.,  now  the  wife  of  William  Wilson,  of 
Ford  County,  111. ;  Amos  W^.;  Ellen  W.  wife  of  Leri 
Hunt,  of  Alexander,  Neb.;  and  William  M.,  of 
Ford  County,  Neb.  By  a  subsequent  marriage 
with  John  Brown  the  wife  of  our  subject  became 
the  mother  of  two  children — Ulysses  G.,  of  Ford 
County,  III.,  and  John  E.,  residing  in  the  same 
county. 

Mr.  Beeman  is  the  owner  of  s>xty  acres  of  land 
and  devotes  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  farm,  which,  though  not  exten- 
sive, is  one  of  the  best  in  the  community.     He  is  a 


.430 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


member  of  the  Christian  Churcli  and  a  Republican 
in  politics,  having  supported  that  part}'  since  its  or- 
ganization. Tiie  world  knows  him  as  an  upright, 
honorable  man  and  his  private  as  well  as  his  public 
life  confirms  that  opinion. 

_^l  LEXANDER  HEMPHILL.  The  agricuJ- 
(@^[i  turists  of  Pike  County  have  a  worthy  rep- 
ii  rescntative  in  the  gentleman  above  nnmed, 
who  is  one  of  the  leading  farmeis  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  Township.  His  home  is  on  section  27, 
where  he  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
bottom  land,  whose  practically  inexhaustible  soil 
yields  abundantly  and  secures  to  him  a  good  in- 
come. The  estate  is  well  improved  and  bears  a  full 
line  of  good  farm  buildings,  including  a  comfort- 
able and  homelike  residence. 

Mr.  Hemphill  was  born  in  Callioun  County, 
November  18,  1847,  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
received  his  education  in  the  district  school.  He 
made  his  home  under  the  parental  roof  until  tiie 
spring  of  1877,  when  he  established  his  own  home, 
locating  on  forty  acres  of  tlie  land  which  he  now 
owns.  As  his  worldly  affairs  prospered  he  added  to 
his  acreage  and  surrounded  himself  and  family  with 
more  and  more  of  the  conveniences  and  comforts  of 
life.  Mr.  Hemphill  deposits  a  Democratic  ballot  on 
election  day,  but  otherwise  takes  no  special  inter- 
est in  politics.  His  social  and  benevolent  qualities 
find  a  certain  outlet  through  the  workings  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  fraternity  to  which  he  belongs. 

The  capable  housekeeper  and  devoted  helpmate 
and  mother  vvho  presides  over  the  home,  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Eliza  Jane  Turnbaiigh.  and  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Hemphill  April  11.  1877.  She  was 
born  in  Pike  County,  February  IC,  1853,  her  par- 
ents being.Iosepii  and  Adeline  A.  (DeCamp)  Turn- 
baugh,  very  early  settlers  in  Pleasant  Hill  Town- 
ship. INIr.  Turnbaugh  was  born  in  Lincoln  Countj-, 
Mo.,  and  his  wife  in  St.  Louis.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hemphill  four  children  have  come,  upon  whom  have 
been  bestowed  the  names,  Ilattie  M.ay,  Joseph 
Franklin.  Annie  A.,  and  Fanny  L. 

Tlie    paternal    grandfather   of    our    subject  was 


Alexander  Hemphill,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who 
accompanied  his  parents  to  Pike  Count}',  Mo. 
There  he  married  Margaret  Wilson  who  bore  hira 
four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  lived  to 
rear  families.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hemphill  came  to 
Calhoun  County,  this  State  about  1  840,  thence  re- 
moved to  Pike  County,  where  the  husband  was  oc- 
cupied as  a  merchant  until  his  death,  September  7, 
1868,  at  the  age  of  sixty- four  years.  His  wife  died 
at  the  home  of  a  daughter.  August  1.  1874,  aged 
sixt^'-five  years  and  nine  months.  Mr.  Hemphill 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  many  years,  and  was 
also  Supervisor.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat. 
In  the  early  daj'S  he  operated  a  ferry  at  Clarksville. 
He  was  quite  active  in  public  improvements  and 
charitable  enterprises. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Aaron  F.  Hemp- 
hill, whose  birth  took  place  in  Pike  County,  Mo., 
October  22,  1824.  His  first  wife  was  Jane  Ann, 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Jane  (Turner)  McConnell. 
She  was  born  in  the  same  county  as  her  husband, 
January  16,  1828.  Their  first.home  was  made  in 
Calhoun  Count}',  111.,  and  to  them  were  born  six 
children,  our  subject  being  the  onl}'  one  who  was 
reared  to  maturity.  Grandfather  McConnell  was 
born  September  28,  179.5,  was  married  November 
19,  1821,  and  had  fourteen  children,  eight  sons  and 
six  daughters. 

The  second  wife  of  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
Martha  Jane  Chapin,  a  native  of  Missouri  but  liv- 
ing in  Calhoun  County,  111.,  at  the  time  of  her 
marriage.  She  became  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren two  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  Mary  L.,  and 
Samuel  W.  Mary  was  twice  married,  her  first  hus- 
band being  William  Cooper,  and  her  second  An- 
drew Freeman.  The  second  Mrs.  Hemphill  died 
on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  the  family.  The 
third  wife  of  Aaron  Hemphill  was  Matilda  Autry. 
She  became  the  mother  of  five  children,  two  of 
•whom  were  reared  to  maturity:  Sarah  A.,  wife  of 
Aaron  F.  ^IcConnell;  and  Austin  H.  The  fourth 
wife  of  Mr.  Hemphill  was  Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Turpin. 
7iee  Cloninger,  who  bore  him  one  child  that  died 
in  early  life. 

In  1856  the  father  of  our  subject  removed  from 
Calhoun  County  to  Clarksville,  and  in  1857  loca- 
ted on  section  27,  Pleasant  Hill   Township,   where 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


431 


he  owned  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  at  the  time 
of  liis  decease.  He  had  accuinulatefl  liis  property 
by  his  own  industry  and  economy,  having;  begun 
liis  career  without  ca|iital  other  than  his  natural 
abilities  and  determination.  He  fii'st  occupied  him- 
self in  niakinj;  and  hauling  staves,  and  afterward 
as  he  was  able  bought  land  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. Fie  p.assed  away  June  28,  1889.  He  had 
served  as  Collector  and  Supervisor  of  the  township 
and  as  Road  Commissioner.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  active  Masons  in  the  commu- 
nity. Politically  he  vYas  a  Democrat,  and  re- 
ligiously a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


€--H^- 


'i^  UGHEY  MALCOLM  HENRY,  M.  I).,  of 
Summer  Hill,  has  already  won  a  good  repu- 
tation  among  the  members    of  his   profes- 

^  sion  in  Pike  County,  although  he  is  one  of 
the  j'oungcst  practicing  physicians  in  this  section  of 
the  Slate.  He  is  a  native  of  this  county  and  was 
born  in  tlie  town  of  Roekport,  October  6,  1864, 
the  son  of  a  well  known  and  highly  successful 
physician,  who  was  among  the  leading  members  of 
his  calling  in  this  State  during  his  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject  w.as  born  in  South 
Carolina  in  1830  and  was  a  son  of  Malcolm  Henry 
who  was  also  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  where  he 
was  engaged  at  his  trade  as  a  tanner  until  his 
migration  to  Pike  County  about  1839  where  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He  reared  ten 
children,  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  and  three  of 
his  boys  were  physicians.  He  died  wiien  over 
seventy  years  of  age.  while  his  widow  lived  to  be 
very  old.  The  father  of  our  subject  went  to  Pike 
Count}-,  Mo.,  in  his  boj' hood  days  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  years  taught  school  there  and  was  thus  en- 
gaged for  a  number  of  terms.  He  entered  upon  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  John  Bartlett  of 
Louisiana,  Mo.,  and  afterward  was  graduated  from 
the  College  of  Phj-sicians  and  Surgeons  at  Keo- 
I  kuk,  Iowa,  in  1860.  He  entered  upon  his  prac- 
tice at  Roekport.  this  county,  and  subsequently  at- 
tended   one  course  of    lectures   at   the  St.   Louis 


Medical  College,  and  then  jiracticed  four  3ears  at 
Atlas  before  attending  the  university  at  Keokuk. 
He  continued  in  active  practice  at  Roekport  for 
many  years  until  his  deatii  which  occurred  August 
4.  1889.  He  possessed  more  than  ordinary  ability 
as  a  [jh^-sician,  was  known  far  and  wide,  and  was 
greatly  beloved  liy  a  large  circle  of  people  who 
mourned  his  deatli  not  only  on  account  of  the  loss 
to  his  profession,  but  because  thereby  a  manly, 
straightforward  man  and  an  honored  citizen  was 
removed  from  the  place  he  had  so  long  filled  in  the 
township  and  county. 

The  moiher  of  our  subject  whose  maiden  name 
was  Electa  A.  Greene,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  September  7,  1840,  and  is  now  living  with 
her  daughter  at  Summer  Hill.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church  and  her  daily  walk  in 
life  has  ever  shown  her  to  be  a  sincere  Christian. 
She  has  had  four  children,  of  wlnm  the  following 
three  grew  to  maturity:  Gilbert  H.,  Ilughey  M.  and 
Ida  B.  (Mrs.  Farrington.) 

The  early  education  of  Dr.  Hughey  Henry  of 
whom  this  sketch  is  wriiten,  was  conducted  in  the 
schools  of  Roekport,  which  he  attended  until  he 
was  fifteen  years  old.  He  then  became  a  student 
at  the  National  Normal  Cniversity  at  Lebanon, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  two  years,  taking  the 
teacher's  course.  After  he  left  that  institution  he 
and  his  brother  went  into  the  mercantile  business 
together  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  began  to 
turn  his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine  under 
his  f.ather's  instruction,  he  having  inherited  a  natural 
taste  for  the  profession  that  led  him  to  follow  in 
'Ills  father's  footsteps.  He  studied  with  his  father 
until  tiie  winter  of  1885-86  and  then  entered  the 
medical  college  of  Ohio  at  Cincinnati.  He  spent 
one  year  there  and  then  became  a  student  at  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  Keokuk  from 
which  he  was  graduated  with  honors  in  the  spring 
of  1887.  He  first  opened  an  office  in  his  native 
town,  and  for  a  short  time  was  in  practice  with  his 
father.  In  June  1888  he  sought  a  wider  field,  and 
coming  to  Summer  Hill  bought  the  pi'actice  of  Dr. 
Reynolds,  has  since  made  his  home  here,  already 
has  man}'  patients  under  his  care  and  is  doing  a 
lucrative  business.  His  success  in  difficult  cases 
has  been  such  as  to  gain  him  the  confidence  of   the 


432 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


people  to  whose  ailments  he  has  come  to  administer 
anil  lie  is  popular  and  higlily  thought  of  by  the  fn- 
tire  community-.  The  Doctor  has  puriliascd  a  res- 
idence since  settling  here,  which  is  a  neat  story  and 
a  half  frame  house, well  appointed  and  tastefully 
furnished,  and  he  has  an  ollice  in  the  yard  near  the 
house. 

Dr.  Henry  was  married  March  II,  1888,  to  Mary 
J.  Ellis,  who  is  devoted  to  liis  interests  and  nnder- 
stands  well  the  art  of  making  his  home  cozy  and  at- 
tractive. She  is,  like  himself,  a  native  of  Pike 
Countv  and  was  horn  Ma^'  4.  1865.  Two  children 
have  come  of  their  marriage — James  Malcom  and 
Lena  B.  Both  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  con- 
sidered decided  acquisitions  to  the  social  clement  of 
Summer  Hill  and  they  are  valued  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  firm 
Republican. 


^^LEXANDER  K.  ROSS.     The   citizen-sol- 
\@/Lj\     dier  element  that  saved  the  country  durinsr 
j    It    tiie  late  rebellion  has  been    a    conspicuous 
(^  factor  in  advancing  the    interests    of  the 

Prairie  State  wilhin  the  last  quarter  of  a  century. 
Our  subject  was  one  of  the  volunteers  of  the  late 
war,  in  which  he  fought  bravely  and  suffered  much 
for  the  sake  of  the  old  flag.  Sine^e  that  time  he  has 
been  extensively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  in  Pike  County,  and  has  become  the  pro- 
jirietor  of  a  large  and  well-managed  farm  on 
section  22,  Pleasant  Vale  Township. 

A  native  of  Washington  County,  Pa.,  Mr.  Ross 
was  born  October  6,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  .John 
Ross  who  was  also  of  Pennsylvania  birtii.  The 
latter  married  Elizabeth  McDaniel  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State,  their  marriage  taking  place  at  I'hil- 
adelphia.  Thej'  reared  a  family  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  only  three  are  now  living:  William,  who 
resides  in  D.akota;  John,  a  resident  of  J'leasant 
Vale  Township,  and  our  subject. 

A.  K.  Ross  is  the  youngest  son  of  the  family 
and  his  early  life  was  passed  in  Washington  County, 
P.".,  where  he  received  his  education  in  the  district 
schools.     At  the  age   of  twenty    years    he    started 


out  in  life  for  himself  as  a  farm  hand.  He  came 
to  Pike  County  in  18G0.  and  worked  by  the  month 
until  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He 
watched  its  course  with  patriotic  enthusiasm  and  in 
1862  enlisted  in  Companj'  E.,  Seventy-eighth  Illi- 
nois Infa^tr3^  He  took  part  in  the  principal  battles 
in  Sherman's  campaign  throngii  Georgia,  marched 
with  him  to  the  sea  and  was  with  that  general  until 
the  war  closed,  showing  himself  to  possess  excel- 
lent soldierly  qualities  and  discharging  his  duties 
faithfully  and  promptly.  He  was  mustered  out  in 
New  York  Citj',  received  his  honorable  discharge 
at  the  New  England  Home,  and  then  returned  to 
Pike  Count}-. 

After  leaving  the  army,  Mr.  Ross  bought  a  team 
and  did  some  farming  on  his  own  account.  He 
only  received  $250  in  money  for  his  first  year's 
work  in  Illinois.  He  contracted  a  disease  in  the  war 
from  which  he  is  still  suffering,  but  this  has  not 
prevented  his  laboring  with  characteristic  vigor 
and  enterprise,  and  he  has  become  ver}'  jirosperous. 
After  his  marriage  he  settled  at  once  on  the  farm 
where  he  now  lives  and  has  here  four  hundred 
and  twelve  acres  of  as  good  farming  land  as  can  be 
found  in  the  county,  on  which  he  has  placed  a 
great  many  improvements,  including  neat  fences 
and  substantial  buildings.  He  gives  his  attention 
to  general  farming,  raises  a  good  deal  of  grain  and 
has  his  farm  well  stocked. 

Mr.  Ross  wooed  and  won  for  his  wife  Melvina 
Purcell,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  August  28,  1834. 
Her  parents  Aaron  and  iSIaria  (Clement)  Purcell, 
natives  of  Virginia,  were  early  settlers  of  Pike 
County,  coming  here  when  the  country  was  a  wild- 
erness and  deer  and  other  wild  game  were  common. 
Her  father  died  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  and  lier  mother 
in  Pike  County  in  1863.  Mrs.  Ross  was  four  years 
old  when  she  came  to  Pike  County,  and  she  was 
here  reared  and  obtained  her  education  in  the  prim-  ; 
itive  log  schoolhouse  of  early  times.  Often  in 
those  days  she  used  to  see  deer,  turkey  and  other 
wild  animals,  and  can  remember  the  country  when 
it  was  sparsely  settled.  She  is  the  youngest  of 
seven  children,  two  sons  and  five  daughters.  Two. 
of  her  brothers  and  one  sister  art  now  living.  Her', 
brother  Benjamin  lives  in  Kinderhook  Township. 
Pike  County ;  her  brother  Mahlon  is  a  resident   ol 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


133 


Texas,  and  her  sister  Aberilln,  Mrs.  McKibban,  is 
also  a  resident  of  Texas.  Mr.  Koss  has  a  well-bal- 
anced mind,  is  thrifty  and  far-sighted  in  the  man- 
agement of  his  affairs  and  has  a  good  name  in  the 
financial  circles  of  Pike  County.  In  polities  lie  is  a 
follower  of  the   Republican  party. 


^ ^-^^ ^ 


ARRISON  BROWN.  This  grntleman  is 
|!  engaged  in  raising  stock  and  grain  and  is 
tlie  fortunate  owner  of  four  hundred  and 
thirty-five  acres  of  excellent  farm  land  in 
Pleasant  Vale  Township,  Pike  County.  He  is  prob- 
ably as  well  acquainted  with  the  change  which  has 
taken  place  in  this  county  within  the  last  fifty 
3'ears  as  anj-  man  now  living,  as  he  was  brought 
hither  in  infancy  and  can  recall  many  scenes  of 
pioneer  life.  His  first  visit  to  Pittsfield  was  made 
wlien  there  were  but  twelve  houses  and  one  tavern 
in  the  village.  His  earliest  recollections  include 
the  sight  of  many  Inilians,  the  red  men  being  still 
numerous  in  tiie  county,  and  the  sight  and  sound 
of  various  kinds  of  wild  game,  including  turkeys, 
deer  and  wolves.  He  has  shot  many  deer,  having 
brought  down  six  in  one  summer,  all  from  his  po- 
sition behind  the  same  stump. 

Mr.  Brown  is  of  Irisli  and  Scotch  descent,  his 
paternal  grandparents  having  been  Irish  and  his 
maternal  Scotch.  His  father,  Josepii  P.rown,  was 
born  in  Kentucky  in  1798.  He  became  a  resident 
in  Pike  County,  Mo.,  where  in  1822  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Nancy  Bullen.  whose  eyes  had 
opened  to  the  liglit  in  Itourhon  County,  Ky.,  in 
1798.  In  1829  this  couple  crossed  the  river  to 
Pike  County,  111.,  locating  about  one  mile  below 
Rockport.  In  the  siiring  of  1830  they  removed  to 
Pleasant  Vale  Township  settling  on  section  26, 
where  they  bought  out  a  pre-emption  claim  on 
winch  a  log  cabin  stood.  Some  of  the  land  was 
cleared  and  Mr.  Brown  concluded  the  operation, 
building  up  a  good  home  which  he  occupied  until 
1841  wiien  he  and  his  wife  died.  They  had  seven 
children  and  six  survived  them,  the  oldest  being 
eighteen  and  the  youngest  two  years  of  age  wiien 
tliej-  were  orphaned,     Our  subject,  the  third  child 


and  second  son,  was  twelve  years  old  when  he  lost 
his  parents  and  is  the  only  one  of  the  family  now 
living. 

The  natal  da^'  of  Harrison  Brown  was  February 
0,  1828.  and  his  l)irthplace  Pike  County,  Mo.  Dur- 
ing his  boyliood  he  pursueil  his  studies  in  a  log 
schoolhouse  and  after  the  death  of  his  parents  he 
and  his  older  brother  took  charge  of  the  farm  and 
tried,  with  their  eldest  sister,  to  lill  tlu'  places  of 
father  and  mother  to  the  younger  members  of  the 
family.  Our  subject  remained  upon  the  homestead  , 
untd  18,52,  when  he  started  for  California  with  an 
ox-team.  He  crossed  tiie  Missouri  River  above 
Omaha,  kept  on  the  North  Platte  River  all  the  way 
to  Sweetwater  and  finally  landed  in  Hangtown.  El- 
dorado Count}',  Cal.  He  went  to  mining  for  him- 
self, spending  the  most  of  his  time  in  Amador 
Count}'.  He  pursued  a  miner's  calling  four  years, 
leaving  the  diggings  for  .San  Francisco,  .July  29, 
185().  The  first  train  of  cars  he  ever  saw  was  in 
the  (iolden  State,  running  from  Sacramento  to 
Folsom  City. 

Mr.  Brown  took  passage  on  the  -'Old  Senoria" 
for  Panama,  reaching  that  city  twenty-two  days 
later  and  crossing  to  A  spin  wall  embarked  on  the 
"Illinois"  for  New  York  City,  where  he  landed 
after  a  voy,age  of  eleven  days.  He  came  directly 
to  the  old  home  and  began  farming,  having  an  in- 
terest in  the  homestead  wliicli  he  afterward  sold  to 
his  brother.  He  tiien  bought  two  hundred  and 
seventj'-five  acres  of  the  land  he  now  operates, 
subsequently  adding  a  quarter  section  and  placing 
the  entire  acreage  under  thorough  tillage  and  good 
improvement.  When  taking  a  retrospective  view, 
Mr.  Brown  is  justl}'  proud  of  the  advance  in  pros- 
perity and  true  civilization  whicii  lie  has  witnessed 
and  of  the  part  which  lie  has  borne  in  attaining 
that  end.  His  personal  prosperity  is  a  source  of 
congratulation,  as  it  enables  hira  to  bear  a  hand  in 
the  worthy  enterprises  of  his  fellow-men,  whicli  his 
circumstances  many  years  .ago  would  not  [lermit  of. 

Februar}'  25,  18.57,  Mr.  Itrown  led  to  the  hy- 
meneal altar.  Eliza  C.  daugliter  of  Solomon  and 
Elinor  (Willis)  .Shewe.  This  good  lad}'  w.as  born 
in  Washington  County,  Ohio,  December  14,  1829, 
being  the  third  daughter  and  fourth  child  in  a  fam- 
ily of  eight   children,     Her    father    was    born    in 


434 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Pennsylvania  and  her  mollier  in  Viitjinia.  They 
came  to  Pike  County,  III.,  in  the  fall  of  1844,  lo- 
cating on  section  1 6,  Pleasant  Vale  Township,  where 
they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  Mr. 
She  we  breathed  his  last  in  1882,  and  Mrs.  Shewe  in 
1888.  To  our  subject  and  his  wife  three  sons  and 
four  daughters  have  come.  Kmily  died  when  but 
a  year  old,  and  Helena  at  tlie  age  of  seventeen 
years;  Joseph  is  now  living  in  the  same  township 
as  his  father;  Fanny  died  when  thirteen  years  and 
George  when  ten  months  old ;  Mallie  L.  is  still 
with  her  parents;  Harrison  died  when  about  two 
years  old. 

In  politics  Mr.  Brown  is  a  Democrat.  His  first 
ballot  was  cast  for  WinBeid  Scott  and  in  1860  he 
voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Since  1864  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  Democratic  element.  His 
enterprising  spirit,  good  judgment  and  interest  in 
the  public  weal  have  been  recognized  by  his  elec- 
tion to  the  office  of  Township  Supervisor,  in  1860; 
to  that  of  Koad  Commissioner,  which  he  held  seven 
years;  and  to  that  of  School  Director  in  which  lie 
served  eleven  years. 


-^^- 


-4^— 


,^ILLIAM  C.  THIELE,  Su.     Pike  County  is 
'/    the  base  of  operations  of   breeders  of  fine 


stock,  among  them  being  the  gentleman 
above  named,  whose  home  is  in  Pcrr\'  Township. 
He  is  now  Treasurer  of  llie  Perry  Horse  Company 
which  was  organized  in  tlie  spring  of  1889  bj'  six 
stockholders  for  the  purpose  of  breeding  the  Eng- 
lish-shire and  Cleveland  Bay  Horses.  The  companv 
has  four  fine  stallions,  Ihe  most  prominent  being  the 
well-known  Cleveland  Baj',  Splendor,  an  imported 
horse  who  has  carried  off  several  first  premiums 
from  tiie  various  places  where  he  lias  been  exhib- 
ited both  in  sweepstakes  and  in  the  ring.  The 
association  is  doing  much  to  promote  the  use  of 
bcller  equines  throughout  this  region. 

Mr.  i  hide  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  Oc- 
tober 25,  1822.  He  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native 
place,  acquiring  a  practical  education  there  and  be- 
ginning his  personal  career  when  eighteen  years 
old.     He  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  .-ind  fol- 


lowed the  same  in  his  own  land  as  a  journeytnan 
until  his  marriage  when,  with  his  young  bride,  he 
determined  to  found  a  home  in  America.  They  set 
sail  in  September,  1849,  from  Antwerp  and  landed 
at  New  Orleans  November  25,  after  a  tedious  and 
dangerous  voyage  of  sixty-five  days.  During  the 
time  they  had  suffered  from  the  violence  of  a 
storm  which  continued  nearly  two  weeks  and  pre- 
vented the  vessel  from  making  any  headwaj-. 

The  young  couple  resided  in  New  Orleans  about 
eigiiteen  months,  then  came  North  and  located  in 
the  village  of  Perry  where  Mr.  Thiele  followed  his 
trade  until  1858.  He  then  purchased  one  hundred 
acres  of  land  on  section  34,  Perry  Township,  where 
he  began  to  till  the  soil  and  make  improvements. 
After  a  time  he  bought  eighty  acres  adjoining,  still 
later  he  purchased  one  hundred  acres  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  celebrated  Perr^'  Springs  and  still  later  a 
tract  of  equal  extent  on  section  33.  He  has  proved 
successful  as  an  agriculturist  and  financier  and  se- 
cured a  fortune  by  his  assiduous  efforts  aided  by 
those  of  his  faithful  wife,  who  also  labored  hard  to 
build  up  a  good  home.  In  addition  to  securing  a 
competency  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thiele  have  gained  what 
is  still  better,  the  reputation  of  charitable  and  God- 
fearing citizens. 

Mrs.  Thiele  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Catherina 
Welzel.  She  passed  the  early  j'ears  of  her  life  in 
Prussia,  her  native  kingdom,  where  her  birth  had 
taken  place  May  19,  1819.  She  was  energetic,  af- 
fectionate and  benevolent,  an  earnest  Christian  and 
an  almost  lifelong  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Of  her  it  may  be  said  she  rests  from  her  labors  but 
her  works  do  follovv  her.  She  passed  .away  August 
4,  1890. 

Blr.  and  Mrs.  Thiele   had   nine  children,  six  of 
whom  died  when  quite  young.      William.  .Ir.,  mar- 
ried Miss   Pitta   Beaver  who  is   now   deceased,  and 
his  present  wife  was  formerly  Miss  Clara  Wendiin 
they  now  live  on  a  farm  in  Perry  Township.  Amc 
lia  is  the  wife  of  Frank  A'ose  and  they  occupy  an- 
other tract  of  land  in  this  township;  Mary  marrief 
Herman   Reese  who   carries   on  agriculture  on  tin 
homestead  of  our  subject.     Mr.   Thiele    votes  tli< 
straight  Republican  ticket,  and  so  likewise  does  hi: 
son.   He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Baptist  Churcli 

Our  subject  is  of  pure  German  stock,  his  parent 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


435 


beiug  John  B.  and  Clirislina  (Reman)  Tliiele.  Both 
were  natives  of  Hanover  and  were  carefully  reared 
by  refined  parents.  Mr.  Thiele  received  an  excellent 
education  and  early  in  life  became  a  teacher  in  the 
|)ublic  schools,  continuing  his  professimial  labors 
iluriiiu'  his  active  life.  He  died  in  his  native  town 
at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-six  years.  His  wife 
passed  away  in  18137  when  in  middle  life.  Both 
were  earnest  Christians,  belonging  to  the  Lutheran 
Church.  Their  family  comprises  four  sons  and  two 
daughiers,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  third  in 
order  of  birth. 


EN 


AMUEL  F.  MARTIN  has  lived  on  his 
farm  which  comprises  a  quarter  of  sec- 
tion H,  Fairmount  Township,  since  1859, 
and  has  made  of  it  a  well-improved,  de- 
sirable (liece  of  property,  and  while  so  doing  has 
contributed  his  quota  to  the  development  of  the 
rich  agricultural  resources  of  Pike  County. 

Our  subject  is  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  born  in 
Nicholas  County,  Marc  h  -t,  1822.  He  is  the  son  of 
Nicholas  Martin,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  John 
Martin,  father  of  the  latter,  was  a  native  of  Virginia 
and  was  there  reared  t(itlie  life  of  a  farmer.  He  served 
in  the  Revolution  during  the  latter  part  of  that 
war.  He  spent  the  most  of  his  life  in  Pennsylvania 
and  Kentucky  and  died  in  the  last  named  State  at 
the  venerable  age  of  eighty-six  years.  He  had 
been  twice  married  and  had  children  b3^  both 
t  wives,  and  he  and  they  were  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 

Nicholas  Martin  was  one  of  the  voungest  of  his 

I  mother's  children  and  he  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 

her  before   he   became  of  age,  she  dying  after  the 

J  migration  of  the  family  to  Kentucky.      He  had  not 

attained  his   majority   when   they   moved   thither. 

;  He   earl}'    gained    a   knowledge    of    farming   and 

'  adopted  it  as  his  lifework.     He  w.as  married  to  a 

I  native  of   that   State,    Druzilla  Cotrell,    who    was 

reared  in  Nicholas  County   where  the  ^lartins  had 

settled  in  a  very  early  day  at  the  time  when  Daniel 

Boone  was  fighting  the   Indians   there.     Mr.  and 

Mrs,  Martin  lived  and  <lied   as  farmers  in  Nicholas 


County  at  an  advanced  age,  Mr.  Martin  having 
been  seventy-eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Samuel  Martin  of  this  review  was  the  youngest 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  vvhom  grew 
to  maturity  and  married  and  reared  families.  Onr 
subject  and  one  si-ster  are  the  only  survivors  of  the 
family,  lie  grew  u|)  in  his  early  Kentucky  home 
and  as  his  mother  had  died  when  he  was  a  very 
small  child,  he  was  reared  by  his  older  sisters. 
After  attaining  manhood  he  went  to  Ohio,  and  a 
year  later  came  to  this  State  in  1849,  and  has  since 
lived  in  Fairmount  Township  with  the  exception 
of  one  year.  He  has  been  very  industrious  and  his 
labors  have  been  well  rewarded,  as  he  has  here  a 
well-developed  and  substantially  improved  farm 
and  a  neat  and  comfortable  home.  He  occupies  an 
honorable  place  among  the  pioneers  of  this  county 
and  in  his  neighborhood  is  greati}'  respected  for 
those  solid  virtues  that  mark  him  .as  a  good  man 
and  a  true  citizen.  He  and  his  wife  are  genial, 
hospitable  people  and  are  kindly  and  considerate  in 
their  relations  with  those  about  them.  In  politics 
Mr.  Martin  stands  stanchlj'  by  the  Democratic 
party. 

Mr.  Martin  has  been  twice  married.  When  he 
came  to  Illinois  he  was  a  single  man,  but  he  here 
met  his  fate  in  the  person  of  ^liss  Amanda  D. 
Rounds,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Fairmount 
Township.  She  was  born  September  5,  1829,  in 
Brown  County,  Ohio,  and  there  grew  to  maturitj'. 
When  she  was  a  young  woman  she  came  to  Pike 
County  with  her  mother,  Elizabeth  (Jackson) 
Rounds,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  this  town- 
ship some  ten  years  later  when  nearly  ninety  years 
of  age.  Mrs.  Martin's  father,  Lemuel  Rounds,  a 
native  of  Ohio,  died  there  when  about  sevent}' 
j'ears  old.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  IMetho- 
dist  Episcopal  Church  for  many  j'ears,  but  subse- 
quently joined  the  United  Brethren  Church.  Mrs. 
Martin  was  a  thoroughly  good  woman  and  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  She  worked 
hard  to  help  her  husband  build  up  a  home  in  this 
township  and  her  death,  November  22,  1879,  was  a 
serious  blow  to  him  and  lier  children.  She  was  the 
mother  of  the  following  eight  children:     Druz'lla, 


43f> 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


wife  of  William  Hardy,  a  furiuer  cf  Harvey  County, 
Kan.;  Leimiel,  a  farmer  in  Fairmount  Township, 
who  first  married  Mary  Glines  and  after  her  death 
Isabella  Coss;  Nehemiah,  a  farmer  of  Hamilton 
County.  Neb.,  who  married  Etiie  Walters;  William. 
a  farmer  of  this  county  who  married  Martha  Bow- 
man; John,  a  farmer  in  Hamilton  Count}',  Neb.; 
Nancy  E.,  wife  of  Lewis  Carter,  a  f.-irraerof  Brown 
County,  111.;  Thomas,  a  farmer  of  Perry  Townsliip 
who  married  Ettie  Mathers;  Josephus,  a  farmer  of 
this  township. 

Our  subject  was  a  second  time  married  in  this 
township,  taking  as  liis  wife  Mrs.  Mar}'  (Bowman) 
Smith,  widow  of  Franlv  Smith.  Mrs.  Martin  was 
born  in  this  county,  October  21,  185S,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Aver)  Bowman, 
both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Her  father  died 
in  Kansas  and  her  mother  in  Jlissouri,  neither  of 
them  having  attained  old  age.  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  Illinois  and  her  mother  of  Ohio,  and  tliey 
were  married  in  Pike  County.  JMrs.  Martin  was  the 
eldest  of  live  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters, 
and  she  was  onl}-  eleven  years  old  when  her  fatlier 
died.  At  that  youthful  age  she  became  self- 
supporting  and  did  domoslie  work  in  Missouri  and 
Illinois  till  her  first  iiKirriage  in  the  former  State  to 
Mr.  Frank  Smith,  lie  died  leaving  her  with  two 
children,  Joseph  F.  and  Laura  M.  By  .her  present 
marriage  Mrs.  Martin  is  the  mother  of  one  child — 
Kittie  M. 


^^  AMUEL  ALLEN  WHITE.  A  prominent 
J^^^   position  not  only  among  the  business   men 

Hj/^  of  Batchtown,  but  also  among  the  leading 
citizens  of  Calhoun  County,  is  held  by 
this  gentleman  who  is  successfully  engaged  as  a 
merchant.  He  erected  in  Batehtown  a  two-story 
structure,  forty-five  feet  front  and  seventy-five 
feet  deep,  divided  into  two  rooms  and  filled  with 
a  coni|)lc;e  stock  of  groceries,  dry-goods,  fancy 
articles,  Ixiofs  .and  shoes,  hardware,  etc.  He  is  an 
extensive  de;iler  in  farm  machinery,  wagons,  and  in 
fact,  hisstorecontains almost  any  article  that  ni.ay  be 
desired.    A  view  of  this  store  building,  warehouse, 


tue  family  residence,  and  also  the  flouring  mill 
which  Mr.  White  erected  in  1868,  m.ay  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  volume.  The  flouring 
mill  has  been  recently  remodeled  and  fitted  out 
with  new  machinery  for  the  making  of  first-class 
brands  of  flour,  meal  and   feed. 

He  of  whom  this  biographical  notice  is  written 
was  born  in  Clarksville,  Mo..  March  16,  1845,  and 
is  a  son  of  Joseph  White.  So  far  as  information 
can  be  obtained  it  is  supposed  that  the  father  was 
reared  in  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  where  he 
was  born.  He  removed  to  Missouri,  being  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Pike  County,  and  purchasing  a  tract 
of  land  three  and  one-half  miles  from  Clarksville, 
there  spent  the  remaining  3'ears  of  his  life.  His 
death  occurred  in  1846;  he  was  three  times  mar- 
ried and  the  father  of  eighteen  children.  Our  sub- 
ject's mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Julia  Ann 
Tyler,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  of  the  same 
family  as  President  Tyler.  After  her  husband's 
death  she  married  Daniel  T.  Simpson.  In  1851 
she  came  to  Calhoun  County  where  she  died  in  the 
year  1868. 

Mr.  AVhite  had  one  own  sister,  who  is  now  dead. 
He  was  the  3'oungest  of  his  father's  eighteen  chil- 
dren and  w.as  in  his  sixth  year  when  he  came  to 
Calhoun  County  with  his  mother.  His  educational 
training  was  begun  in  the  district  schools  and 
completed  at  McKendree  College,  Lebanon,  111.,  and 
at  Bryant  <fe  Stratton's  Commercial  College  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he 
sold  the  real  estate  he  had  inherited  from  his  father 
and  invested  $2,500  in  goods,  with  which  he  stocked 
a  store  in  Gilead.  He  remained  there  two  years 
and  then  moved  to  Batehtown,  where  he  bought  a 
small  store.  His  business  h.is  increased  rapidly 
and  he  is  at  present  one  of  the  most  successful 
merchants  in  Calhoun  County. 

Mr.  White  was  married  in  18G9  to  Miss  Azubah 
V.  Nairn,  daughter  of  John  and  Luna  (Sqiiier) 
Nairn.  Her  birth  occurred  in  C&lhoun  County, 
and  she  is  a  niece  of  Charles  C.  Squier,  whoso 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  our  Album.  Thu 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  has  been  blessed 
with  eight  children,  viz:  Ida,  Nettie,  Dottie.  How- 
ard, Lillian,  Curtis,  W.alter  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.     Mrs.  White  is  a  consistent   member  ol 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


439 


the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  while  Mr.  White 
in  politics  is  a  stanch  Democrat.  Both  are  liighlj- 
esteemed  by  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  their  ac- 
quaintance, and  are  actively  interested  in  the  pros- 
perity of  the  township  where  they  reside.  As  a 
merchant  Mr.  White  is  popular  with  his  customers, 
whose  respect  he  has  won  by  o:enial  manners,  i\n- 
failiug  courtesy  and  fair  dealing.  Upright  in 
principles,  clear  in  perception  and  prompt  in  de- 
cision, witli  a  competence  acquired  by  unceasing 
industry  in  the  conimuuity  of  which  he  is  an  hon- 
ored member,  he  is  now,  and  has  been  for  many 
years,  identified  witii  the  best  interests  of  Calhoun 
County. 


^^s^  MITH  HULL,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Pike 
^^^  County,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Super- 
|u/J|)  visors,  representing  Kindcrhook  Township, 
has  long  been  influential  in  the  administra- 
tion of  its  public  affairs  and  a  potent  factor  in  ad- 
vancing its  social,  educational  and  religious  status. 
He  has  been  successful  in  his  business  as  a  farmer, 
owns  a  valuable  farm  on  section  7,  Barry  Town- 
ship, and  has  a  comfortal3le  well-appointed  home  in 
the  village  of  Kinderhook  where  he  has  resided 
several  jears. 

Mr.  Hull  was  born  in  Washington  County.  Va.. 
July  31,  1817,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Hull,  who  was 
a  native  of  New  York.  His  father  was  reared  on 
the  farm  in  the  State  of  his  birth  and  was  married 
to  Elizabeth  Kinder,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
was  partly  reared  in  Virginia.  A  few  years  after 
their  marriage  in  Washington  County,  that  State, 
they  came  to  Pike  County  with  their  family  by 
team  in  1829  and  were  among  the  hrst  to  locate  in 
Barry  Township,  settling  on  section  19.  They 
found  plenty  of  deer,  wolres  and  all  kinds  of  wild 
animals  in  that  sparsely  settled  region,  and  but  few 
white  settlers.  Mr.  Hull  built  a  log  cabin,  entered 
one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  and  com- 
menced the  pioneer  task  of  clearing,  fencing,  etc., 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  had  a  well  improved 
farm.  He  died  in  1867  and  his  wife  in  1874.  They 
now  lie  sleeping  their  last  sleep  side  by  side  in  the 
Hull  Cemetery,     They  were  the  parents  of  thirteen 


children,  eight  sons  and  five  daughters,  as  follows: 
Malinda,  David  D.,  Berthena.  Smith,  Andrew, 
Tate;  Charles,  Samuel,  William  P.  and  Annis,  de- 
ceased; Joseph.  Elizabeth  and  Martha. 

Smith  Hull  is  the  fourtii  child  and  the  second 
son  of  the  family.  He  was  twelve  j'ears  old  when 
his  parents  came  to  Pike  County,  and  he  gleaned 
his  education  in  the  log  schoolhouse  in  Barry, 
which  was  furnished  wiih  slab  seats,  had  a  puncheon 
floor,  was  lighted  by  one  window  and  heated  by 
a  fireplace  with  a  mud  and  stick  chimney.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty-four 
years  old,  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  in 
the  meantime  cleared  and  fenced  twenty  acres  of 
of  it.  November  1,  1840,  he  took  a  very  import- 
ant step  in  his  life  by  his  marriage  on  that  date 
with  Elizabeth  ilcAtee.  She  was  born  in  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.,  May  18,  1817,  and  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1829  with  her  parents,  who  were  early 
pioneers  of  this  region,  and  she  was  reared  in  the 
same  place  where  her  husband  grew  to  manhood. 

Before  marriage  Mr.  Hull  had  built  a  hewed  log 
house  in  Barry  Township,  on  section  7,  and  took 
took  up  his  abode  therein  at  once  after  marriage. 
He  actively  entered  upon  the  development  of  the 
farm,  placed  the  land  under  excellent  cidtivation 
and  from  time  to  time  erected  new  buildings  until 
he  now  has  a  finely  improved  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  thirty-six  acres.  In  187G  he  removed  to  Kin- 
derhook where  he  erected  his  present  sui3stanli;d. 
commodious  residence  and  is  living  here  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  comfortable  com|)Ctency  which 
lie  has  procured  Ijy  (lersistent  labor  and  the  sa- 
gacious management  of  his  affairs.  He  and  his  wife 
have  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  of 
whom  two  are  living — Viannia,  who  resides  at 
home  with  her  parents,  and  Sarah  E.,  who  married 
Dr.  Penick  and  lives  with  him  on  her  father's  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Hull  is  a  man  whose  calibre,  business  capac- 
ity and  force  of  character  have  brought  him  to  the 
front,  and  have  given  him  a  place  of  prominence 
in  public  affairs.  He  has  been  Supervisor,  repre- 
senting Kinderhook  Township  on  the  County 
Board  for  a  long  time,  and  is  now  serving  his  tenth 
year  in  that  capacity,  and  during  that  long  period 
has  never  missed  a  meeting  of  the  Board.     He  wn§ 


440 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


School  Trustee  three  years  and  School  Director 
seven  years  in  Barry  Township,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  School  Board  when  the  first  free  sciiools 
were  inaugurated.  He  is  a  member  of  tlie  Masonic 
order,  which  lie  has  served  as  Cliaplain  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  is  a  sound  Democrat  iu  his  po- 
litical views  and  cas'^  Ids  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Martin  Xan  Buren  and  has  voted  with  his  party 
ever  since,  except  when  he  supported  the  candidacy 
of  Horace  Greeley.  He  is  prominent  ns  a  memljer 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  which  he  has 
been  an  Exhorter  for  thirty  years  and  is  Trustee  and 
has  been  Steward  of  the  church. 


OTCHOLAS  D.  McEVERS  is  one  of  the 
leadinsi;  business  men  of  Pike  County  and  in 
Monteziinia.  where  he  makes  his  home,  he 
probably  controls  more  of  the  business  interests 
than  any  other  one  citizen.  The  early  history  of 
the  family  to  which  our  subject  belongs  is  one  of 
interest.  Ilis  great-grandfather,  .Tames  McEvers, 
was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  belonged  to  one  of 
the  well-known  elans  of  that  country,  which  with 
the  McGregors,  McDougals  and  the  McEvers  fled 
from  Scotland  on  account  of  the  political  troubles. 
lie  sought  safety  in  the  New  World,  and  crossing 
tiie  Atlantic  lanrled  at  New  York  City.  He  claimed 
protection  of  a  tailor,  who  furnished  him  employ- 
ment at  cutting  and  fitting.  Afterward  he  enlisted 
in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  under  Gen. 
Wolfe  participated  in  the  storming  of  Quebec. 
When  the  war  was  overlie  settled  near  Bennington, 
Vt.,  and  woi-ked  as  an  itinerant  tailor  among  tiie 
families  of  that  region,  lie  married  Miss  Lois 
Howard,  wiio  was  a  woman  of  ver}'  superior  men- 
tal ability,  liberal  in  her  views  and  a  logical  rea- 
soner.  True  to  the  clannish  custom,  their 
descendants  for  some  time  remained  together  as  a 
family  and  at  length  emigrated  to  Marietta,  Ohio, 
then  Amesvillc,  where  they  built  a  keel  boat  and 
floated  down  tlie  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to 
Natchez,  Miss.  Afterward  they  removed  to  St. 
Louis.  Mo.,  then  an  unimportant  little  French  vil- 
lage, where  many  of  their  uundier  were  taken  sick. 


They  were  permitted  to  use  the  cabin  of  a  small 
boat  lying  at  anchor  there  as  a  home,  but  several 
of  their  number  died  and  were  buried  in  what  is 
now  the  heart  of  the  city.  Soon  afterwanl  the 
famil^r  separated,  some  of  its  members  going  to 
New  Orleans,  while  one  branch  started  northward, 
intending  to  locate  at  Ft.  Clark,  now  Peoria,  111., 
but  stopped  at  Williamsport,  Scott  County,  whence 
they  came  to  Montezuma,  Pike  Counts  in  1829. 

At  that  time  Theo.  L.  McEvgrs,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  a  lad  of  ten  years.  He  was  born  in 
Amesville,  Athens  County,  Ohio,  July  .30,  1819, 
but  his  father,  Elisha  McEvers,  was  a  native  of 
New  York.  The  latter  operated  a  ferr}'  at  this 
place  prior  to  1833,  and  was  also  Postmaster  pre- 
vious to  that  year.  He  entered  a  piece  of  land  in 
this  section  of  the  county  which  he  im|jroved, 
farming  being  his  principal  occupation.  His  death 
occurred  in  this  county  and  he  was  buried  in  the 
Montezuma  Cemetery.  His  son  Theo  was  reared 
to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  the  years 
of  his  maturity  were  S|)ent  in  various  business  pur- 
suits such  as  merchandising,  farming  and  boat 
building.  In  an  eailj-  day  he  built  barges  from 
trees,  which  he  himself  cut  and  sawed  with  a  whip- 
saw.  These  boats  were  propelled  b^-  hand,  but 
later  were  attached  to  tow-boats.  Subsequently  he 
owned  and  operated  a  steamboat  which  plied  be- 
tween St.  Louis  and  Peoria.  He  was  a  hard  vvork- 
ing  man,  industrious  and  energetic,  and  atone  time 
was  the  possessor  of  considerable  property,  but  he 
sank  everything  in  his  steamer. 

On  the  28th  of  December,  1843,  Mr.  McEvers 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Auiie 
Eakin,  who  was  born  in  Grtiene  County,  lll.,,lanu- 
ary  27,  1829,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  Eakin.  Her  father,  Joseph  Eakin.  was 
born  iu  Washington  County,  Va.,  near  Abingdon, 
and  was  the  youngest  of  six  children.  He  worked 
as  a  millwright  and  did  milling  work  on  the  Hols- 
tun  River  in  Virginia,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  Sep- 
tember, 1818,  making  the  trip  on  horseback.  His 
father  wms  a  soldier  in  the  Revt)lutionary  AVar  and 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  N.  J.  His 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Wilson  and  was 
of  English  ancestiy,  while  his  father  was  of  Irish 
descent,  all   coming  to   America  during  the  early 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


441 


Colonial  da3-s  of  the  settlement  of  A'irginia  and 
North  Carolina.  James  Eakin,  a  brother  of  Joseph, 
was  a  pioneer  of  Ohio  in  Territorial  ilays. 

Jose|)h  Eakin  was  marricJ  to  Elizabetii  Stephens 
November  13,  lS2i'>.  and  their  family  ineluLled 
four  children — Hiileff,  Sarah  Anne,  Louisa  and 
Martha.  Elizabeth  Stephens  '.vas  one  of  twelve 
children  born  to  Kuleff  and  Elizabeth  (Van  IIou- 
ten)  Stephens.  Their  ancestors,  from  Holland, 
were  among-  the  early  settlers  of  Manhattan  Island, 
and  a  Holland  Bible  dated  17.')8,  with  the  mono- 
gram of  E.  \'an  Houten  on  the  clasp,  is  now  well 
preserved.  Ruleff  Stephens  was  an  officer  in  the 
militia,  taking  some  part  in  the  Revolutionary 
struggle.  He  left  tiie  State  of  New  York  in  1820, 
traveling  by  wagon  to  the  Ohio  River,  thence  by 
flatboat  down  that  river  to  Shawneetown,  111.,  and 
located  in  Greene  County,  this  State,  at  so  early  a 
date  that  there  were  but  thirteen  families  within  its 
borders.  He  was  accompanied  by  three  daughters 
and  one  son,  and  located  on  land  where  now  he 
lies  buried,  together  with  his  son  and  one  daughter. 

Of  the  four  chiklren  born  to  his  parents  Nicho- 
las D.  is  the  only  survivor.  The  father  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  the  mother 
of  the  Methodist  Church.  In  the  community  where 
they  resided  they  were  highl}-  respected  citizens, 
and  their  upright  lives  won  them  the  confidence  and 
good  will  of  ail.  Mrs.  Mcfcivers  died  on  the  3d  of 
April,  1850,  but  the  husband  lived  to  see  the  marvel- 
ous growth  and  advancement  made  by  the  county, 
his  life  being  spared  until  January  29,  1881.  Few 
citizens  of  the  community  hart  so  long  resided  liere. 
He  came  to  the  county  prior  to  the  Black  Hawk 
War,  when  the  Indians  were  still  numerous  in  the 
settlement  and  the  work  of  civilization  had  been 
scarcely  begun.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators 
of  Montezuma,  and  in  various  other  ways  his  name 
is  inseparably  connected  with  the  history  of  Pike 
County. 

Nicholas  D.  McEvers,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  born  on  the  21st  of  September,  1846, 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  his  present  home.  I'pon 
hiin  devolves  the  duly  of  perpetuating  the  family 
history,  for  he  is  now  the  only  living  representa- 
tive of  this  branch  of  the  McEvers.  His  entire 
life  has  here  been  passed,  and  the  scenes  of  his  boy- 


hood and  youth  have  witnessed  his  manhood's  suc- 
cesses. Before  he  had  attained  his  majority  he 
received  only  such  educational  advantages  as  the 
district  schools  afforded,  but  in  the  winter  of  1867- 
68  he  attended  the  Commercial  College  of  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  being  gr.aduated  in  the  spring  of  the 
latter  year.  Previous  to  that  time  no  one  had 
completed  the  course  of  study  in  so  siiort  a  period. 
Returning  home  he  worked  for  his  father,  giving 
his  earnings  to  support  him.  until  the  spring  of 
1870.  He  h.ad  devoted  his  energies  to  teaching, 
but  he  then  entered  the  State  Normal  University 
of  Normal,  III.,  where  he  i)ursued  his  studies  until 
1873. 

On  the  24lh  of  April,  of  that  year.  Mr.  McEvers 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Adelia  Morton, 
daughter  of  Franklin  and  Lucy  A.  (Frame)  Mor- 
ton. Her  father  died  when  she  was  a  mere  child. 
His  principal  occupation  was  farming  and  stock- 
raising,  but  he  also  engaged  in  merchandising  with 
the  father  of  our  subject  in  about  1859.  His  death 
occurred  February  7.  1861.  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight  years.  Mrs.  Morton,  who  was  born  in  Ken- 
tuck3-  April  16,  1832.  still  survives  her  husband 
and  makes  her  home  with  her  daugiiter.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Evers. Her  fauidy  once  numbered  nine  children, 
of  whom  five  are  yet  living — Turner  B.,  born  Oc- 
tober 22,  1849,  is  a  successful  commission  mer- 
chant of  St.  Louis;  Sarah  S..  born  July  18,  1853.  is 
the  wife  of  John  C.  Wheeler;  Mrs.  McEvers.  the 
next  }Ounger,  was  born  June  30,  1855;  Georo-e  W., 
born  July  13,  1856,  is  engaged  in  the  real-estate 
business  in  Chicpgo;  and  Frankie  A.,  born  Septem- 
ber 3.  1861,  is  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Smith,  of  Milton. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  McEvers  continued  teach- 
ing, and  before  the  close  of  the  term  purchased  a 
half-interest  in  the  ferry  and  the  Glasgow  Landing 
warehouse,  but  the  following  winter  he  sold  out 
and  engaged  at  teaching.  In  the  spring  of  1875, 
and  before  closing  his  school,  he  purchased  the 
mercantile  business  of  S.  P.  Clemens,  since  which 
lime  he  has  made  two  important  additions  to  the 
establishment  and  also  started  a  branch  store  at 
Time,  this  county.  His  store  is  one  of  the  leadino- 
mercantile  establislniicnts  of  Montezuma,  and  is  a 
source  of  a  good  income.  Other  interests,  how- 
ever, have  also  engrossed    his  atlentioij.     He  en- 


442 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


gaged  in  handling  grain,  lumber,  farm  iuipleiiieiils. 
etc.  He  bought  and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  eight}-  acres,  which  he  has  placed 
under  excellent  cultivation  and  on  which  he  has  a 
fine  orchard.  Already  he  has  some  one  thousand 
and  twenty-five  youiig  apple  trees,  and  proposes  to. 
set  out  two  thousand  more.  He  also  handles  con- 
siderable stock,  the  grade  of  which  he  is  constantly- 
improving.  Since  1875  he  has  acceptably  served 
as  Postmaster  of  Montezuma,  and  is  the  efficient 
agent  of  the  ^Lna  Life  Insurance  Compan}'. 

The  marriage  of  ]Mr.  and  Mrs.  McEvers  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children,  but  two  are  now  de- 
ceased—Manley  M.,  who  was  born  August  11, 
1876,  died  December  29,  1879;  Lucy  A.,  born 
September  4,  187s,  died  on  the  10th  of  August  of 
the  following  year;  Theodore  F.,  the  eldest,  \vas 
horn  March  1,  1874;  andOracie,  the  youngest,  was 
born  October  23,  1880. 

Mr.  McEvers  and  his  wife  hold  a  high  position 
in  the  social  world,  and  their  home,  a  tasty  and 
pleasant  residence  is  the  abode  of  hospitality-.  They 
are  faithful  members  and  active  workers  in  the 
Christian  Church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  Deacon 
and  in  the  Sunday-school  both  iiave  acted  as 
teachers.  For  a  number  of  terms  Mr.  ilcEvers  has 
served  as  School  Director,  has  also  filled  the  office 
of  Township  Trustee  of  Schools,  was  Collector  in 
i87(),  and  in  1879  and  1880  was  Supervisor.  He 
w-as  the  first  Supervisor  elected  in  this  county  on 
the  Greenback  ticket,  and  w-as  nominated  for  the 
office  of  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  but  was  de- 
feated, his  party  being  in  the  minority.  Mr.  Mc- 
Evers keeps  himself  well  informed  on  political 
affairs  and  in  enrlier  years  was  a  Republican.  He 
then  atfiliated  with  the  Greenback  [larty.  Initisnow 
a  supporter  of  Inioii  Labor  principles.  Soeiallv, 
ho  is  a  Master  Masoit,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
served  as  Worshipful  Master  of  Milton  Lodge,  No. 
275,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  also  for  two  j-ears  was  High 
Priest  of  Milton  Chapter,  No.  1  i  8,  R.  A.  M.  To 
say  that  Mr.  McEvers  is  a  respected  citizen  of  this 
community  but  feebly  expresses  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  held  bj-  all.  He  has  won  prominence 
as  the  result  of  an  upright  life  and  sterling  worth. 
In  his  husiness  career  he  has  been  eminently  suc- 
pessful,  yet  fraud  or  trickery  have  found  no  part  in 


his  transactions.  Honesty  and  fair  dealing  have 
characterized  his  every  undertaking,  and  the  con- 
fidence of  the  community  is  given  to  him.  for  the 
people  feel  that  their  trust  is  not  reposed  in 
Mr.  McEvers  in  vain. 


=®^:*' 


AMUEL  M.  MILLER,  a  veteran  of  the  late 
war  wherein  he  won  a  fine  military  record, 
occupies  an  honorable  position  among  the 
shrewd,  practical,  energetic  farmers  and 
stock-raisers  of  Pike  County,  and  has  a  choice, 
highl}'  cultivated  farm  in  New  Salem  Township. 
Mr.  Miller's  father,  Jo.-eph  Miller,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  farmer 
and  lumberman.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose 
name  before  her  marriage  was  Annie  Weidensall, 
was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State  and  came 
of  an  old  Pennsylvania  Dutch  familj-.  Mr.  Jliller's 
parents  were  married  in  Huntingdon  County  and 
tiiere  spent  their  entire  wedded  life.  The  father 
commenced  life  erapty-lianded,  but  gradually  built 
up  a  large  lumbering  and  farming  business  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  left  an  extensive  farm.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  school  matters,  and  was  al- 
ways interested  in  politics,  being  a  stanch  Whig  all 
his  life.  He  and  his  wife  were  devoted  m?nibers 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  died  in 
1850  .and  she  in  1864. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  a  family  of  six  children 
of  whom  four  are  now  living,  and  was  born  in 
Huntingdon  County,  Pa.,  June  13,  1826.  He  re- 
ceived a  common-school  education  and  in  his  youth 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  He  began  life  on 
his  own  ac(»unt  at  an  earl}'  pei'iod  of  his  existence 
as  he  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  when  he  com- 
menced to  work  out,  and  he  had  to  give  his  father 
half  his  earnings  until  he  was  twenty-one  vears  ol 
age.  He  worked  on  a  farm  and  in  sawmills  in 
Pennsylvania  until  1848  and  then  left  his  old  home 
and  came  westward  as  far  as  I'ike  County.  He 
staid  one  winter  in  Pittsfield  and  the  next  spring 
came  to  New  Salem  Township,  and  for  three  years 
worked  at  his  trade  here.  In  1850  his  marriage 
was  solemnized  with   Isabella  Simpson,  a  daughter 


PORTRAIT   AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


443 


of  Matthew  and  Susannah  (Orr)  Simpson,  natives 
of  OUid  and  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents  caine  to 
Illinois  ill  is37and  settled  as  renters  in  C!riggsville 
Township.  Mr.  Simpson  subsequently  entered  a 
(piarter  seetion  of  land  on  seetion  11,  tiiis  town- 
ship, and  located  on  that.  Later  in  life  he  bonglit 
a  small  farm  on  (TriygsviUe  Prairie  and  moved  to 
it  with  his  family.  lie  was  successful  as  a  farmer 
and  acquired  a  good  amount  of  property.  He  and 
his  wife  were  members  of  the  Jlethodist  Episcopal 
Church  of  whicli  he  is  Trustee.  He  attended  to 
his  duties  as  a  citizen,  and  voted  the  Whig  ticket 
until  the  Republican  party  was  organized  when  he 
became  its  advocate.  Mrs.  Miller  is  one  of  live 
children  who  grew  to  maturity  of  whom  three  arc 
now  living.  She  is  the  third  child  of  the  family 
and  was  born  Uecember  12,  1831,  in  Harrison 
County,  Ohio.  Her  father  died  Januaiy  4,  1877, 
and  her  mother  August  6,  18G0. 

After  marriage  Mr.  JMiller  settled  in  Griggsville 
Township  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  a  year.      He 
then  bought  forty  ,acres  of  land  in  Pittsfleld  Town- 
sliip,  and  was  engaged  on  its  improvement  the  en- 
suing three  j'ears.     He   sold  that  place  and  moved 
to  Adams  County,  near  Clayton,  where   he   staid 
three  years.     Disposing  of  his   property  there  he 
came  back  to  Pike  County  and  settled  on  the  home- 
Stead  of  his  father-in-law,  on  section  11,  New  Salem 
Township    where  he   lived    until  1862.     His   next 
venture  was  to  buy  fortj'  acres  of  land,  comprising 
a  part  of  his  present  farm,  to  which  he  then  moved 
with  Ills  family.      He  now  has  a  farm  of  one    hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres  of  land  nearly  all  of  which 
,     IS  tillable   and   is  in  a  fine    condition.     In   the    up- 
^     building  of   his   present   comfortable   home  he  has 
been    greatly   assisted  by   his    wife,    who    labored 
j     faithfully  by  his  side  until   ill  health  forced   her  to 
lay  .aside  many  of  her  duties,  she  having  been  an 
I     invalid  for  the  last  seven   years.     Mr.  ^Miller  car- 
ries on  mixed  farming,  raising  considerable  giain 
'     and  has  his  farm  well  stocked    with  cattle,  horses, 
hogs  and  sheep  of  good  grades,  his  cattle  being  of 
the  famed  Durham  and  Polled-Angus  breeds. 

In  the  month  of  September,  1862,  our  subject 
threw  aside  his  work  to  take  part  in  the  great  war 
that  was  then  raging  between  the  North  and  South, 
enlisting   in  that   month  in  Company  G,  Fifth  Illi- 


nois Cavalry,  and  he  saw  nearly  three  years  of   ac- 
tive service.     He  entered  the  army  as  a  recruit  and 
joined  his  regiment  at  Helena,  Ark.     He  was  sent 
as  a  scout  into  Mississippi  for  eleven  days  and  with 
his  comrades  had  several  skirmishes  with  the  enemy. 
He  served  as  a  scout  and  on  picket  duty  in  various 
parts  of  Arkansas  until  June,  18G3,  when  his  regi- 
mei  t    was  dispatched    to  Vicksbui-g  and   there  he 
bore  an  honorable  jwrt  in  the  siege  and  was  present 
at  the   surrender  of  the  city.      He  assisted  at   the 
capture  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  later  on,  and  then  helped 
to  take  Mechanicsburg  in  that  State,  taking  part  in 
both  battles  at  that  jjlace.    From  there  his  regiment 
was   ordered  back  to  Jackson  and  thence  to  Vicks- 
burg  to  patrol  the  Mississippi  River.     Our  suliject 
was  always  at  the  front  and   lost    but   little  time  in 
the  rear  when    there  was  an   engagement  with  the 
enemy.     At  one  time  he  was  on  duty  for  eighteen 
consecutive  days  without  any  sleep  or  rest,  except- 
ing what  he  obtained  while  the  horses  were  eating. 
The  Fifth  Illinois  made  a  raid  from  Black  River 
to   Memphis   and    had  a  brisk   fight   at  Coldwater, 
captured  a  train  at   Mechanicsburg,  cut  the  tele- 
graph wires  and  did  much   other  execution.     Mr. 
Miller  was  exposed  to  many  hardships  and   priva- 
tions and  his  life  was  often  in  great  peril,  as  many 
times   his  clothes  were   torn  by  bullets.     He  took 
part  in  the  raid  to  iMeriden,  Miss.,  and   at  Jackson 
he  was  woutided  tlirough  the  right  heel  by  a  carbine 
ball.      He   sturdily   refused   to  leave  his  regiment, 
however,  and   for  nearly  a  month  was  conveyed  in 
an   ambulance.     He  subsequently   received  a  fur- 
lough until  June  18,  and   his  wound   healing,  was 
put   on   duty  in  August   when  he    was    overcome 
while  acting  as  a  picket  guard  by  the  heat  of  the 
sun.     He  had  to  remain  in  camp  for  awhile  after 
that,  and    later,   while  going  to  feed    his  horse  he 
was  totally'  disabled  by  .a  sunstroke.     He  was  sent 
to  the  hospital  at  Vicksburg    where  he  remained 
until  May,  18G5,and  was  then  dispatched  to  Jeffer- 
son Barracks,  St.  Louis,  where  he  st.aid   until  June, 
186.5,  and  was  finally  discharged  from   the  army. 
He  has  ever  since  devoted    himself  to  the  care  of 
his  farm  and   has  improved    it  thoroughly  with  the 
able  assistance  of  his  wife  and  .sons. 

Mr.  Miller  is  considered  one  of  our  most  reliable 
citizens.     He  has  been  a  .School  Director  for  a  nuin- 


444 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ber  of  years  and  has  also  served  as  Road  Overseer. 
His  services  in  the  war  are  commemorated  by  bis  con- 
nection with  tbe  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He 
and  bis  wife  are  devoted  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  which  he  is  Trustee.  ]\Ir. 
Miller  is  greatly  interested  in  politics  and  since  the 
war  has  been  a  Republican  until  recentlj-,  but  now 
gives  his  support  to  the  Prohibition  party  as  do 
three  of  his  sons.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  a 
fine  familj'  of  sons  and  daughters,  and  of  the 
twelve  children  born  to  tlieni  nine  are  now  liv- 
ing, namely  :  Clarissa  A.,  Sadie,  Maggie,  Foster 
M.,  Susan,  Thomas  H.,  William  A.,  Nettie  B.,  and 
Alice  Luella.  They  all  have  had  good  common- 
school  educations  and  three  of  them  have  taught 
school.  Two  of  the  daughters  are  married  :  Clar- 
issa is  the  wife  of  Cliancellor  Harsliman,  of  Griggs- 
ville,  and  they  have  two  children,  Henry  E.  and 
Foster  M.  Maggie  married  Arthur  Waite  of  this 
township  and  tbey  have  one  daughter,  Bessie 
Belle. 


-i- 


-^^ 


-^ 


V INFIELD  W.  PULLIAM,  M.  D.  The 
town  of  Hardin,  Calhoun  County,  has  no- 
resident  who  is  better  entitled  to  representa- 
tion in  this  Albu.m  than  Dr.  PuUiam  who  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  High  School.  He  is  possessed  of 
more  than  ordinary  knowledge  and  culture,  and  has 
shown  his  energy  and  versatility  in  connection  with 
the  business  as  well  as  the  educational  affairs  of  the 
town.  In  addition  to  faithfully  discharging  the 
duties  of  Principal  of  the  High  School  he  manages 
a  drug-store,  being  the  only  licensed  druggist  in 
Hardin.  He  is  also  discharging  the  duty  of  County 
Physician  and  County  Surgeon,  and  those  of  Clerk 
of  the  Town  Board,  and  is  now  serving  as  County 
Surveyor,  having  been  elected  to  that  position  in 
1888  for  a  term  of  four  years.  He  is  certainlj- one 
of  the  busiest  men  in  the  county,  and  it  is  a  matter 
of  wonder  to  some  of  his  friends  how  he  manages 
to  accomplisli  so  much. 

Dr.  Pulliam  was  born  near  New  Market,  High- 
land County,  Ohio,  November  27,  1850.  His  fa- 
ther, Thompson  G.  Pulliam,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
went  to  the  Buckeye  State  when  a  young  man.    He 


studied  medicine  and  was  graduated,  but  after  a 
few  years  practice  returned  to  farm  life,  to  which 
he  had  been  reared.  He  resided  in  Highland 
Count}'  from  1840  to  1864,  then  came  to  this  State 
and  made  his  home  in  Pike  County.  He  bought  a 
farm  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  Pittsfield, 
where  he  is  still  living.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Rachel  Wilkin.  She  was  born  in  High- 
land County,  Ohio,  near  Sugar  Tree  Ridge.  She 
died  in  her  old  home  in  Ohio  while  on  a  visit  and 
was  brought  back  for  burial  to  Pike  County,  this 
State,  in  September,  1879.  The  parental  family 
consists  of  five  children — Mary  A.,  Llewellj'n  C, 
Winfield  W.,  Cassius  M.  C,  and  Otbo  G. 

The  son  of  whom  we  write  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  he  came  to  this  State  with  his  parents.  He 
continued  his  studies  in  tbe  district  school  near  his 
home  and  later  in  Pittsfield,  and  at  tbe  age  of  nine- 
teen years  began  teaching  in  Calhoun  County.  Af- 
ter a  few  j'ears  of  pedagogical  labors  he  returned 
to  Pittsfield  in  1873,  attended  school  nine  months, 
and  then  received  a  first-class  certificate  in  both 
Pike  and  Calhoun  Counties.  He  resumed  his  pro- 
fessional labors,  taught  until  1880,  and  during  the 
time  reaii  medicine.  In  the  winter  of  1880-81  he 
attended  medical  lectures  at  Bennett  Medical  Col- 
lege, Chicago,  and  tbe  following  winter  taught  in 
Macon  County,  111. 

The  winter  of  1882-83  found  Mr.  Pulliam  again 
attending  lectures  at  Bennett  Medical  College  from 
which  he  was  graduated  March  20,  1883.  He  lo- 
cated in  Watseka,  Iroquois  County,  practiced  there 
until  the  following  year,  and  then  removed  to  Ath- 
ensville,  Greene  County.  In  1885  he  accepted  a 
call  to  take  charge  of  the  Hardin  High  School,  and 
taught  here  until  1887.  He  was  then  called  to  the 
northern  part  of  tlie  county,  but  a  year  later  re- 
turned to  the  county  seat  and  resumed  charge  of 
the  High  School.  Here  he  has  since  remained, 
elevating  the  standard  of  scholarsliip  and  winning 
man}'  laurels.  In  1883  he  first  engaged  in  the  drug 
business  in  Watseka,  and  has  more  recently  been 
carrying  on  a  similar  trade  at  his  present  home. 
Dr.  Pidliam  belongs  to  Calhoun  Lodge  No.  792, 
F.  it  A.  M.,  and  has  been  Master  therein  since  the 
organization  was  perfected. 

The  intellectual  culture  and   fine  traits  of  char- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


445 


acter  possessed  b}-  Miss  Norah  Belle  Gilraore 
arou.^ed  in  the  iiiinil  of  Dr.  PuUiain  Mie  desire  to 
mdie  that  lady  his  wife.  His  n-ooiiig  proved  suc- 
cessful, and  August  13,  1885,  the  young  couple 
were  united  in  marriage.  Mrs.  Pulliam  was  born 
in  Morgan  County,  her  parents  being  Carroll  and 
Sarah  J.  (Spencer)  Gilmore. 


BRAM  P.  GOEWEY,  Esq.,  worthily  repre- 
sents the  farmers  and  stock-growers  of 
Calhoun  County.  He  came  here  nearly 
ij^  forty  years  ago  ere  he  had  attained  man's 

estate,  and  though  not  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of 
this  section  of  the  county  he  ma\-  be  cl.assed  among 
the  practical  energetic  pioneers  who  laid  the  solid 
foundation  of  its  present  |)rosperity.  He  has  large 
farming  interests  in  Bellcview  Precinct,  having  an 
extensive  well-ordered  farm  in  that  locality  where 
he  makes  his   home. 

A  native  of  Wayne  County,  N.  Y..  our  subject 
was  born  September  18.  1832,  and  is  a  son  of  Solo- 
mon and  Alida  M.  Goewej',  natives  of  New  York. 
The  Squire  is  the  youngest  son  of  his  parents'  fam- 
ily and  passed  his  boyhood  in  the  count}-  of  his 
nativity  where  he  w.as  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer, 
which  occupation  he  has  pursued  nearly  all  his  life. 
He  had  but  few  educational  advantages  which  he 
eagerly  seized,  as  he  was  a  bright  scholar  and  fond 
of  his  books.  He  has  been  a  student  and  a  leader 
all  his  life  and  has  a  mind  well  stored  with  useful 
information.  In  the  fall  of  1851,  he  came  to  Cal- 
houn County,  wisely  thinking  that  in  this  newl^' 
settled  region  a  youth  who  had  any  aliility,  energy 
and  ambition  about  him  could  make  his  way  to 
jjrosperity  perhai)S  better  than  in  the  older  States  of 
the  Union.  He  first  purchased  forty  acres  of  land 
to  which  he  has  since  added  more  until  he  is  now 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  appear- 
ing farms  in  Belleview  Precinct. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Calhoun  County,  111., 
to  Miss  Mary  A.  Phillips,  who  bore  him  six  chil- 
dren of  whom  two  are  living:  A.  P.  and  Minerva 
A.  wife  of  Thomas  Blackstone  of  this  couuty.  He 
married  for  his  second  tvife  Ursula  Peters,  who  pre- 


sides over  her  home  with  grace  and  tact  and  con- 
tributes greatly  to  the  comfort  of  her  household. 

Mr.  Goewey  is  one  of  the  most  useful  and  public- 
spirited  citizens  of  Belleview  Precinct.  He  is 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  that  he  discharges  the 
duties  of  his  office  with  ability  and  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  his  constituents,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  he  has  held  it  for  over  twenty  years.  He  is 
well  posted  in  regards  to  all  law  points  in  the  cases 
that  come  under  his  notice  and  he  transacts  much 
legal  business  and  does  a  great  deal  in  the  way  of 
collecting  for  four  different  companies.  He  pos- 
sesses a  cool  clear  intellect  and  his  integrity  is  never 
questioned.  He  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  has  done  much  in  promotino-  the 
various  schemes  that  have  been  devised  for  the 
advancement  of  the  township  and  county.  He  is 
one  of  our  self-made  men  as  he  has  risen  to  his 
present  honorable  position  by  his  own  efforts. 


,^^^^^ 


]!^AVID  J.  THURSTEN,  the  popular  and 
I  Jj)  efKcient  Deputy  Sheriff  for  the  northern 
(^3f!^  portion  of  Calhoun  Count}',  resides  on 
section  8,  Carlin  Precinct,  where  he  has 
made  his  home  since  18'i6.  He  is  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  community. 
His  father,  David  Thursten,  was  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont and  came  to  Illinois  at  a  ver}-  early  da}'.  He 
married  Rebecca  Stonebarger,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  unto  them  was  born  on  October  15,  1840,  a 
son  to  whom  they  gave  the  name  of  David  J.  He 
is  now  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  commun- 
ity and  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  Under  the  pa- 
rental roof  he  was  reared  to  manhood  and  the 
scenes  of  pioneer  life  in  Calhoun  County  are  yet 
fresh  in  his  memory.  He  shared  with  the  family 
in  the  hardships  and  trials  which  come  to  those  who 
make  homes  on  the  frontier,  but  now  has  the  honor 
to  be  numbered  among  the  early  settlers  to  whom 
we  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  their  efforts  in  pro- 
moting the  interests  and  upbuilding  the  county. 
His  educational  advantages  were  meagre,  but  pos- 
sessing an  observing  eye  and    retentive    memory, 


446 


PORTRAIT  A>D  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lime  has  added  to  his  store  of  knowledge  and  few 
men  in  the  community  are  better  informed  con- 
cerning the  leading  issues  of  the  day. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Thursten 
occurred  in  ISG.S,  when  he  led  to  tlie  marriage  altar 
Miss  Emma  Lane,  daughter  of  Deacon  Lane,  of 
wiiom  further  mention  is  made  in  the  skelc'h  of  S. 
.S.  Gourley  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Four 
ciiildren  graced  their  union  but  Henrietta,  their 
first  born,  is  now  deceased.  Luella  is  the  wife  of 
James  Hardt  of  Arkansas;  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Gresham  of  Calhoun  Countj',  and  William 
completes  the  family. 

Oil  the  1st  of  February,  1864,  Mr.  Thursten 
responded  to  the  country's  call  for  troops  and  en- 
listed in  Comiiany  A,  .Sixty-first  Illinois  Infantry. 
The  regiment  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
.  berland  and  lie  took  part  in  all  the  battles  and  skir- 
mishes in  which  his  company  jiarticipated.  Having 
faithfully  performed  his  duty,  at  the  close  of  the 
war  he  was  mustered  out,  receiving  his  discharge  in 
November,  1865.  On  account  of  impaired  health 
the  Government  grants  him  a  pension  of  ^S  per 
month. 

Returning  home  Mr.  Thursten  once  more  re- 
sumed his  farming  operations  and  has  since  ex- 
tended the  boundaries  of  his  land  until  now  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  pay  tribute  to  his  care 
and  cultivation.  It  is  well  improved  with  good 
buildings,  fences  and  everything  necessary  to  a 
model  farm  and  the  home  with  its  entire  surround- 
ings indicates  the  owner  to  be  a  man  of  push  and 
energy'.  He  deserves  not  a  little  credit  for  his  suc- 
cess and  may  trul}-  be  called  a  self-made  man. 
Beginning  life  without  capital,  save  a  young  man's 
bright  hope  of  the  future,  he  has  steadily  worked 
his  way  upward,  overcoming  all  obstacles,  until  he 
has  now  attained  to  a  position  of  affluence.  In 
politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party  and 
sociallj'  is  a  member  of  Hardin  Posl,  G.  A.  R.  For 
four  years  he  held  the  office  of  Constable  and  for 
twelve  consecutive  years  has  served  as  Deputy 
Sheriff  for  the  northern  portion  of  Calhoun  County, 
proving  a  faithful  and  efficient  officer.  Mr.  Thurs- 
ten is  recognized  as  one  of  the  enterprising,  intelli- 
gent and  successful  agriculturists  of  the  county 
and  enjoys  the  entire   confidence    of  the   business 


community.  He  and  his  wife  are  active  members 
and  move  in  the  besl  circles  of  society,  enjoying 
the  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances. 


^fnS  ICHARD  PERRY  is  one  of  the  best-known 

IW^     business  men   in   Pike  County,  being  tlior- 

i4i  \V      ough-going    in    whatever    be    undertakes, 

\\;^; possessing  a  superabundance  of  energy  and 

a  high  degree  of  business  tact.     He  is  now  located 

in  Griggsville  where  he  is  engaged   in  the  sale  of 

agricultural  implements  and,  in  connection  with  a 

j    Chicago  man,  has    founded  a    fruit    evaporating 

business. 

Our  readers  will  better  understand  the  charac- 
teristics of  our  subject  by  a  glance  at  the  history  of 
those  from  whom  he  derives  his  traits  of  character. 
Grandfather  Perry  was  a  Government  officer  and 
a  man  of  commanding  presence.  He  surveyed  the 
New  Forest  in  George  the  IVth's  reign  the  third 
time  and  his  son  was  chosen  to  ride  with  tli'e  King 
and  overlook  the  enclosure.  It  was  a  great  honor 
to  guide  the  King  over  the  place  and  precede  him 
on  horseback  through  the  green  aisles  of  the  forest. 
The  father  of  our  subject  who  had  this  honor,  was 
born  in  the  South  of  England  and  was  an  inn- 
keeper in  Stockton.  County  Durham,  when  the  first 
railroad  was  built.  Our  subject,  then  a  small  boy, 
witnessed  the  building  of  that  novel  road  from  be- 
ginning to  end  and  was  present  at  its  opening. 
That  was  a  great  day  in  the  history  of  inventions 
and  one  never  to  be  forgotten  b^'  those  who  were 
present.  A  vessel  moored  at  the  wharf  to  receive 
coal  brought  from  the  pits  at  Darlington  for  ship- 
ment to  London,  brought  the  Rocket  which  had 
been  on  exhibition,  together  with  a  load  of  coal, 
which  was  put  on  the  cars.  Stephenson  himself  w.is 
the  engineer  on  the  trip  to  Stockton  and  was  the 
cynosure  of  all  eyes.  In  later  d.ays  Mr.  Perry  fre- 
quently rode  on  the  old  Rocket. 

Mr.  Perry  Sr.  married  Mary  Mowbraj',  a  native 
of  the  North  of  England,  whoso  father,  Capt.  An- 
thony Mowbraj-,  was  a  se.aman  all  his  life  and  lived 
to  be  nearly  a  hundred  years  old.  His  grandson,  our 
subject,  remembers  him  well.  He  was  a  descendant 


-x^  rDf^O'^yv^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


440 


of  the  celebrated  Mowbray  who  accompanied  Will- 
iam the  Conqueror  from  Xonnamly  to  tiic  British 
Isles  and  it  is  believed  that  the  descendants  of  this 
family  are  lieirs  to  large  possessions  in  France. 

Tlie  parental  family  inchuled  four  children,  one 
of  whom  died  in  infancy.  John  was  a  business  man 
in  Manchester,  England,  where  his  death  occurred; 
Henry  became  a  soldier  and  held  the  highest  non- 
commissioned rank,  that  of  Sergeant-Major,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  that  event  occurring  during  the 
Crimean  War.  The  parents  were  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England  and  in  its  principles 
and  observances  carefully  instructed  their  off- 
spring. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  South 
of  England  August  28,  1815,  and  when  twelve 
years  old  was  apprenticed  to  a  hatter  in  Hull.  He 
was  then  a  large,  overgrown  boy  whose  appearance 
led  people  to  believe  him  older  than  he  was.  He 
remained  with  his  master  seven  years,  continuing 
to  work  for  him  after  having  served  his  apprentice- 
ship. He  finally  went  to  Leeds,  where  he  pursued 
his  trade  until  1850,  during  the  last  seven  years  of 
the  time  having  been  in  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count. When  he  bade  adieu  to  that  city  he  crossed 
to  America,  landing  at  New  York,  whence  he  went 
to  Buffalo,  crossed  the  lakes  to  Chicago  and  by  the 
canal  and  river  :  oute  reached  Florence,  Pike  Coun- 
ty. 111.  He  soon  bought  a  farm  in  Detroit  Town- 
ship which  he  still  owns.  Twelve  years  since  he 
located  in  Griggsvllle.  establishing  an  agricultural 
implement  house  and  has  been  continuously  in  bus- 
iness here  since. 

Mr.  Perry  has  made  a  study  of  the  culture  of 
fruit  and  has  been  President  of  the  Horticultural 
Society  of  the  county  for  fourteen  or  fifteen  years. 
He  was  the  originator  of  the  CTriggsville  Business 
Men's  Association,  having  for  its  object  to  push 
and  advertise  the  town.  A  start  being  obtained, 
it  was  not  long  before  the  Fair  Association  was  in 
full  running  order  and  the  grounds  prepared  for 
exhibits.  ]\Ir.  Perry  has  also  prospected  for  natu- 
ral gas.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  devoting  to  its  various  lines  of  work  the 
same  energy  which  he  brings  to  bear  in  his  worldly 
affairs. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemnized 


in  Leeds,  England,  in  1835,  his  bride  being  Han- 
nah, daughter  of  Benjamin  .ind  Hannah  English. 
The  family  to  which  she  belonged  is  an  old  and 
highly  respected  one  in  the  North  of  England,  of 
the  (.Quaker  faith.  The  union  was  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  four  children:  Richard  has  been  living 
in  .St.  Louis.  Mo.,  for  thirty  years  and  is  President 
of  the  Board  of  Flour  Inspectors  of  that  city; 
William  lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  Detroit 
Township;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  L3'curgus  Riggs,  of 
Milton,  Pike  County,  a  well-known  teacher;  Eliza 
married  David  Croft,  a  merchant  of  Milton.  The 
mother  of  this  family  was  removed  from  her  sor- 
rowing household  by  death  some  fifteen  years  ago. 
In  1878  Mr.  Perry  contracted  a  second  matri- 
monial alliance,  being  united  in  Griggsville  with 
Mrs.  Eilizabeth  Bashford.  nee  Ferguson-  This  lady 
was  born  and  educated  in  London,  England,  being 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Matilda  Ferguson.  She 
is  a  refined  and  Christian  woman,  actively  identified 
with  the  Episcopal  Church. 


—  1^ 

\Tr^iENJAMIN  ML'LL.  An  enviable  position 
IL^^  among  the  citizens  of  Fairmount  Town- 
|m)|),  ship.  Pike  C(ninty.  is  held  by  Mr.  Mull. 
^■^^  whose  portrait  will  be  noticed  on  the  oppo- 
site page,  and  whose  biography  will  be  read  with 
interest,  not  only  by  old  settlers,  but  bj'  all  who 
know  him.  'His  fine  farm,  pleasantly  located  on 
sections  7  and  18,  is  valued  not  only  on  account  of 
productiveness,  but  for  the  fine  vein  of  coal  under- 
lying it.  which  has  not  yet  been  very  much  worked. 
The  estate  comprises  three  hundred  and  fifty  acres 
of  vei-y  fertile  land,  and  is  under  excellent  im- 
provement, having  good  buildings  and  every  need- 
ful appliance  for  carrying  it  on  jn  good  shape.  He 
has  been  prospered  in  his  business  undertakings, 
and  is  one  of  the  moneyed  men  of  the  township. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  sound  Republican, 
and  is  in  every  way  a  worth)'  citizen. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  January  IG,  1X23, 
not  far  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.  His  father,  Thomas 
Mull,  was  a  native  of  Little  York,  Pa.,  and  his 
parents  were   also  natives  of  that   State,  and  were 


450 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  tuniiKin  aiiU-citliiits.  His  father  was  a  soldier 
llironghout  the  Revolution,  and,  from  the  sword 
lis  Iffl,  it  is  believed  he  was  a  commissioned 
oflicer. 

Thomas  Mull  grew  to  man's  estate  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  early  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker. 
He  married  Catherine  Emmel.  who  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Keystone  State,  and  came  of  similar 
stock  as  himself.  Some  years  after  their  marriage 
]\Ir.  and  Mrs.  Mull  removed  to  what  is  now  At- 
lantic County,  N.  J.  In  1832,  the  year  well  re- 
membered on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  cholera 
in  the  United  States,  the  father  started  on  a  visit 
to  his  old  home  in  Little  York,  Pa.  Only  one 
letter  was  ever  afterward  received  from  him,  and 
in  this  he  wrote  the  entire  hymn,  "My  Dearest 
Friends  in  Bonds  of  Love."  It  is  supposed  that 
he  died  suddenly  of  cholera  while  on  his  way  to 
Little  York,  but  nothing  further  was  ever  heard 
either  from  or  about  him.  The  mother  passed  the 
last  years  of  her  life  in  Atlantic  County,  N.  J., 
where  she  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy- 
ei'J-ht  years.  ]Mis.  Mull  was  a  member  of  the  Metii- 
oilist  Episcopal  Church,  and  her  husliand  was 
inclined  to  the  same  faith. 

Benjamin  ISIull,  of  this  biography,  is  one  of 
nine  children,  the  seventh  of  five  sons  and  four 
daughters,  the  most  of  whom  lived  to  maturity, 
married  and  reared  families,  and  all  but  two  lived 
to  be  past  seventj'  years  old.  Our  subject  has  a 
brother.  Phillip  E.,  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Sarah  Win- 
ner, both  of  whom  reside  in  Atlantic  County, 
N.  J.  Two  brothers,  Thomas  and  John,  left  At- 
lantic County,  N.  J.,  at  an  early  day  and  stopped 
in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  where  John  remained 
until  his  death.  Thomas,  after  sojourning  there 
some  years,  came  West  to  Pike  County.  111.  Jacob, 
at  middle  age,  removed  from  Atlantic  County, 
N.  J.,  to  Pike  County,  111.,  where  he  continued  to 
reside  until  iiis  death.  Our  suliject  passed  the 
earlj'  years  of  his  life  in  .\tlantic  Couuty,  and  theie 
commenced  learning  the  trade  of  a  wagon,  carriage 
and  buggy  maker,  beginning  life  as  a  mechanic.  He 
subsequently  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  (juartercd  for  two  years,  and  was  engaged  as  a 
peddlet  of  Yankee  notions.  From  theio  he  went 
to  Clermont  County,    in   the  same  State,  and  three 


years  later  came  to  this  county  in  1848,  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  business  as  a  carriage  and  buggy 
maker.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  fifteen  years, 
and  afterward  purchased  his  present  farm.  He  sub- 
sequently  erected  the  Perry  Brewery,  the  first  in 
the  count}',  and  operated  it  five  years,  tlien  selling 
it  returned  to  his  farm  and  has  since  devoted  his 
time  to  its  cultivation. 

IMr.  Mull  was  a  single  man  when  he  went  to 
Clermont  County,  Ohio,  but  he  there  met  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Abigail  Reynolds,  a  native  of  the  county 
and  a  daughter  of  A.  B.  and  Louisa  (Bradbury) 
Reynolds.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  born  in  Southeast- 
ern New  York  and  went  to  Ohio  in  eaily  man- 
hoo(?,  and  was  there  married,  his  bride  being  a 
native  of  that  State.  The^'  began  their  wedded 
life  in  Clermont  County  on  an  uncleared  farm,  anil 
lived  there  until  1846,  when  he  came  to  Illinois, 
and  was  killed  here  many  3'ears  ago  while  sinking 
a  well.  His  wife  is  yet  living  with  her  son.  the 
Rev.  Alonzo  Reynolds,  an  itinerant  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  She  is  now  more 
than  three-score  years  of  age,  is  a  sincere  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  a  kind  friend  and 
neighbor.  Mrs.  Mull  was  carefully  reared  by  her 
parents  in  her  native  county.  She  accompanied 
her  husband  to  this  Stale  and  died  in  their  home 
in  Perry  when  she  was  but  thirty-seven  years  old. 
She  was  a  woman  of  flue  Christian  character  and  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Elpiscopal  Church. 

In  1870  Mr.  IMull  was  united  in  marriage  with 
MissSarah  Belle  CJorbet.  Mrs.  Mull  was  bom  in 
Clermont  County,  Ohio,  June  3,  1853,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  William  II.  and  Elizabeth  (Neighbors) 
Gorbet,  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  parents  were  married 
in  that  State  and  for  some  years  after  lived  theie  and 
engaged  in  farming.  Early  in  the  '50s  they  came 
by  the  river  route  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  a 
farm  in  Perry  Township.  Mr.  Gorbet  afterward 
established  himself  in  business  as  a  wagonmaker 
at  a  place  called  Cross  Roads  on  the  line  be- 
tween Perry  and  Quincy.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six  years.  He  was  very  well  known,  and 
was  a  me;:;ber  of  the  Baptist  Church  and  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  His  wife,  who  is  yet  living, 
makes  her  home  at  Cross  Roads,  and  is  now  sixty- 
six  years  of  age.     She   is  a   good  woman  and  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALUUM. 


451 


member  of  the  Baptist  Clunch.  Mrs.  Mull,  wife 
of  our  subject,  is  the  only  one  of  the  children,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  born  to  her  parents  now 
living.  She  was  reared  and  educated  in  this 
county,  and  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Ulethodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Mull  has  visited  his  rela- 
tives in  the  E.ost  thirteen  times,  and  expects  soon 
to  visit  those  who  yet  remain. 


A.  SWEET,  a  worthy  farmer  and  slock- 
raiser  of  Pike  County,  has  witnessed  a  great 
change  since  he  seltled  on  his  farm  on  sec- 
tion 31,  Hadley  Townshi[).  When  he  first 
located  here  the  surrounding  country  was  sparsel3' 
settled  and  wild  animals  were  still  to  be  seen  roam- 
ing through  the  uncultivated  wastes  of  land.  Little 
indication  was  then  given  of  the  present  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  and  it  was  onl}'  by  unceasing 
labor  that  the  sturdy  pioneers  conquered  nature 
and  made  for  themselves  monuments  more  lasting 
than  finest  marlile.  Our  subject  has  contributed 
his  quota  toward  making  Hadle}'  Township  one  of 
the  best  improved  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Sweet  is  a  native  of  Rensselaer  Couutj^  N. 
Y.,  where  he  was  born  September  1,  1820.  His  par- 
ents, Ira  and  Sarah  (Hadseli)  Sweet,  were  also  na- 
tives of  the  Emi)ire  State,  and  were  reared  in  the 
place  of  their  nativity.  They  were  married  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  whence  they  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1838  and  were  among  tlie  pioneers  of 
Hadley  Township,  settling  on  section  28.  Mr. 
Sweet  actively  entered  upon  the  business  of  clear- 
ing his  land,  but  death  closed  his  busy  career 
in  1844.  His  wife  who  had  faithfull}'  worked  by 
his  side,  died  at  about  the  same  time,  there  being 
only  two  days  difference  in  the  dates  of  their 
death. 

Our  suljject  was  the  fifth  of  eight  children  and 
he  passed  his  early  life  until  he  was  fourteen  years 
of  age  in  his  native  State.  He  accompanied  his 
parents  to  their  new  home  in  the  wilds  of  Pike 
(bounty  and  attended  school  in  the  log  schoolhouse 
in  Hadley  Township.  He  remained  with  his  par- 
ents until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old  when  lie 


started  out  in  life  for  himself  by  renting  land  and 
working  by  the  month  until  1849.  Then  joining 
tile  tiile  of  emigration  tiiat  was  moving  across  the 
plains  to  California,  ho  engaged  in  mining  there  two 
years.  The  return  home  was  made  via  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  and  after  his  marriage  he  settled  on 
section  31,  Hadley  Township,  where  he  now  resides. 
He  has  here  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  rich, 
highly  productive  land  of  which  he  has  cleared  the 
most  by  his  own  hard  toil.  In  cultivation  and  im- 
provements it  compares  favorably  with  others  in 
the  township  and  here  lie  has  a  comfortable,  cozy 
home. 

Mr.  Sweet  took  unto  himself  a  wife  October  30, 
1856,  in  the  person  of  Martha  Hewitt,  a  daughter 
of  D.  D.  and  Lydia  Hewitt.  She  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  came  to  Pike  County  at  an  early  day  with  her 
parents,  who  wore  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the 
country.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sweet  have  no  children  of 
their  own,  but  in  the  kindness  of  their  hearts  they 
have  adopted  a  little  boy  whom  they  are  rearing 
carefully.  They  are  people  who  cany  their  relig- 
ion into  their  everyday  life  and  the  Bajitist  Church 
finds  in  them  two  of  its  most  consistent  members. 
Mr.  Sweet  is  a  true  Republican  in  politics. 

ENRY  T.  CRADER,  a  native-born  citizen 
of  Calhoun  County,  h.is  been  an  e^-e  witness 
to  much  of  the  development  of  this  region 
and  rejoices  in  the  growth  which  has  taken 
place  from  year  to  year  in  all  that  adds  to  the  pros- 
perity and  civilization  of  the  residents.  He  was 
horn  iMarcli  lit,  1842,  and  passed  his  early  years 
amid  comparatively  primitive  scenes,  bearing  a 
part  even  in  boyhood  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  subscription  schools 
of  the  county  and  on  the  foundation  thus  obtained 
has  built  a  good  fund  of  knowledge  regarding  gen- 
eral topics  of  interest,  his  constant  aim  being  to 
keep  posted  regarding  the  events  of  the  day. 

The  parents  of  our  suliject  were  Samuel  and 
Elizabeth  (Allen)  Crader,  natives  of  Germany  and 
England  respective!}'.  They  are  numbered  among 
the   pioneers  of  Calhoun   County  and  are  still  re- 


452 


PORTRAIT  AXD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


membered  by  many  of  its  citizens  as  people  of  sin- 
cere piety,  useful  habits  and  great  energy.  Samuel 
Grader  settled  in  Hamburg  Precinct  near  tlie  farm 
now  occupied  hy  our  subject,  and  by  his  energy 
and  perseverance  was  ere  long  the  owner  of  a  well- 
improved  est.ate,  mucli  of  wliicli  was  under  lieavy 
timber  when  he  took  possession  of  it.  lie  and  iiis 
wife  lield  membersliip  in  the  Christian  Church  and 
he  was  a  Wliig  in  politics.  Their  family  included 
ten  sons  and  daughters,  of  whom  but  four  are  now 
living.  These  are  Isaac,  Nancy,  Lurana  and 
Henry,  all  of  whom  live  within  the  limits  of  the 
count3';  Nanc^'  is  tiie  wife  of  Silas  Wilson,  their 
home  being  in  Hamburg  Precinct  and  Lurana 
married  William  Kincaid  and  lives  in  the  same 
precinct. 

Henr3'  Crader  adopted  for  his  vocation  in  life 
that  which  he  had  learned  in  his  early  boyhood 
and  he  has  been  well  rewarded  for  his  agricultural 
efforts.  With  prsictically  no  means  when  he'estab- 
lisiied  his  own  home  in  1861  he  has  accumulated 
an  estate  of  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  the 
greater  part  of  which  is  now  under  cultivation. 
A  visitor  to  his  farm  will  find  there  a  comfortable 
and  substantial  dwelling,  a  full  line  of  farm  build- 
ings and  will  see  that  modern  appliances  are  used 
in  carrying  on  the  work  of  the  estate  and  that  the 
stock  which  roams  over  the  pastures  is  of  good 
breeds  and  grades. 

In  June,  1861,  Mr.  Crader  led  to  the  hymeneal 
altar  Miss  Sarah  Hacker  who  died  leaving  one  child, 
Melissa,  now  the  wife  of  Hamilton  AVilliams.  Our 
subject  subsequently  married  Lizzie  Crader  who 
bore  him  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing, viz:  Herman,  Charles,  Marietta  and  Sarah  J. 
Tlie  last  named  is  the  wife  of  P2lmer  Blackerby. 
Being  again  bereaved  of  his  companion  Mr.  Crader 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Lugene  Lamaster. 
This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  children, 
Shelby  alone  being  now  alive.  The  present  wife  of 
Mr.  Crader  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Polly  Camp- 
bell. She  is  the  mother  of  two  sons — Grover  C. 
and  Lamont. 

Mr.  Crader  has  frequently  been  solicited  to  ac- 
cept positions  of  jniblic  trust  but  has  always  de- 
clined, preferring  the  quietude  of  home  life  to  the 
turmoil  of  politics  and   finding  sufficient  occupa- 


tion in  the  management  of  his  personal  affairs.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  identified 
with  the  congregation  on  Indian  Creek  where  he 
gave  laud  as  a  church  site  and  also  contributed 
largely  of  his  means  toward  the  erection  of  the 
building.  A  conscientious  Christian,  believing  in 
and  practicing  the  doctrine  of  brotherly  kindness, 
he  is  regarded  with  respect  by  his  neighbors  and 
acquaintances  who  also  look  upon  him  as  an  ex- 
cellent farmer. 


-^- 


-si/,<^ 


^■/j^ 


EROME  B.  FRAZER,  M.  D.  Among  the 
representatives  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Calhoun  County  a  good  rank  is  held  by 
Dr.  Frazer  of  Point.  He  was  born  in  Pick- 
away County,  Ohio,  on  October  23,  1818,  was 
reared  in  his  native  State  and  assisted  in  farm 
labors  during  his  youth.  At  the  age  of  eighteen 
he  began  teaching  winter  schools,  continuing  his 
aoricultural  work  during  the  summers  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old.  He  then  spent  two  years  in 
prosecuting  his  studies  at  Blendon  Young  Men's 
Semmar3%  twelve  miles  north  of  Columbus,  after 
which  he  continued  his  pedagogical  labors  four 
years.  During  that  time  he  devoted  ever}-  leisure 
moment  to  the  study  of  medicine,  and  in  1847 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  ]\Iayne  at  New  Richland, 
Logan  County.  During  the  session  of  1848-49 
Mr.  Frazer  attended  the  medical  department  of 
the  Western  Reserve  University  in  Cleveland,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1849  began  practice  with  his 
former  preceptor. 

In  1850  Dr.  Frazer  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Sangamon  County  and  turned  his  attention  to 
agricultural  life  for  a  few  years.  In  1856  he  re- 
sumed his  professional  work  in  Douglas  County 
and  in  1866-67  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to  still 
further  extend  his  knowledge  of  his  favorite 
science.  He  was  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medi- 
cal Institute  in  February  and  opened  an  office  in 
Macou|nn  County,  practicing  there  three  years. 
He  sought  a  better  field  of  labor  and  removed  to 
Palmer,  Christian  County,  where  he  resided  four 
years.     He  then  bought  a  fruit  farm  in  Effingham 


PORTRAIT  AA'D  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


453 


County  and  spent  two  years  in  horticultural  pur- 
suits, wiiicli,  although  enjoyable  in  a  certain  sense, 
were  not  remunerative.  Piatt  County  became  the 
nest  home  of  the  Doctor,  but  in  1880  he  removed 
to  llolliilay,  Fayette  Count}-.  A  year  later  he  re- 
turned to  Palmer,  made  that  city  liis  home  four 
years,  llience  went  to  Brussels  and  after  a  short 
sojourn  took  possesssion  of  his  present  home. 

The  first  marriage  of  Dr.  Frazer  was  solemnized 
in  1846,  his  bride  being  Miss  Sarah  Peters,  of  Pick- 
away County.  Ohio.  She  w.is  called  from  time  to 
eternity  in  June,  1853,  leaving  a  daughter,  Alice, 
who  married  .Jones  Hoffhines  and  now  lives  in  Leon, 
Denton  County,  Iowa.  October  'J.  1855,  Dr.  Frazer 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Jane  A.  Snyder,  a  na- 
tive of  Wyandotte  County,  Ohio.  This  marriage 
h.os  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  five  children  :  Emma, 
Willie  H.,  John  J.,  Cora  and  Alfred.  The  latter 
died  Jul}'  26,  1890,  at  the  ago  of  twenty-six  years. 
Mrs.  Frazer  and  the  children  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  are  highly  respected 
for  their  consistent  Christian  characters.  Dr. 
Frazer  is  possesse<l  of  more  than  ordinar}'  informa- 
tion, won  a  good  record  as  an  instructor  during 
his  early  years  and  i.s  a  skillful  physician. 

Dr.  Frazer  is  of  Scotch  ancestry  iu  the  paternal 
line,  his  grandfather  Alexander  Frazer  having  been 
born  and  reared  in  Scotland.  He  emigrated  from 
his  native  land  to  the  island  of  Bermuda  and  thence 
came  to  the  Inited  States,  making  his  home  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Loudoun 
County  until  1790  when  he  removed  to  the  North- 
west Territory,  becoming  a  pioneer  in  the  part 
now  included  in  Ohio.  That  section  of  country 
was  then  a  wilderness,  in  which  there  were  no  mar- 
kets and  Mr.  Frazer  used  to  go  to  Virginia  on 
horseback  to  get  a  little  sack  of  corn  meal.  He 
secured  land  and  improved  a  farm,  residing  thereon 
some  years  ere  becoming  a  resident  of  what  is  now 
Pickaway  County.  There  also  he  bought  and  im- 
proved land  and  there  he  s|ient  the  remnant  of 
his  days. 

Alexander  Frazer,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Loudoun  County,  Va.,  and  reared  in 
Ohio.  In' 1820  he  removed  with  his  family  to  the 
Prairie  State,  journeying  on  the  Ohio  and  Wabash 
Rivers  in  a  keel  boat.     The  country  was  very  new 


and  his  father,  who  accompanied  him,  wished  to 
return  to  Ohio  and  after  a  few  months  they  did 
so.  Alexander  Frazer,  Jr..  had  bought  a  half  sec- 
tion of  land  in  Crawford  County  which  he  sold 
and  on  his  return  to  the  Buckeye  Slate  bought  in 
Pickaway  County.  P'onr  year.s  later  he  sold  the 
property  and  changed  his  location  to  wliat  is  now 
Wyandotte  County  where  he  si)ent  the  remainder 
of  Ills  life.  His  wife,  formeiiv  Hannah  Swisher, 
was  born  in  New  Jersc}-  and  wa.s  of  German  ex- 
traction. Her  father,  Abraham  Swisher,  removed 
from  New  Jersey  to  Ohio,  making  Pickaway  County 
his  home.  There  he  continued  the  farm  labors  in 
which  he  had  formerly  been  engaged,  improving  a 
good  tract  of  land.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
died  on  the  home  farm  in  Wyandotte  County  after 
having  reared  four  children,  of  whom  our  subject 
is  the  second.  The  others  are  Harriet,  Abraham 
and  Joseph. 

^♦I'i'^"-' 

"^  OHN  GRAY  WIIEELOCK.  We  are  pleased 
to  represent  this  gentleman  in  this  Biograph- 
ical Album,  as  he  is  one  of  the  earliest  na- 
ii^J'  tive- born  citizens  of  Pike  County  and  is  one 
of  its  most  prominent  farmers  and  stock  raisers. 
He  has  ver}'  large  farming  interests  in  Kinderhook 
Township  and  in  the  thirty-five  years  that  he  has 
lived  there  has  done  as  much  as  any  man  in  the  de- 
velopment of  its  agriculture  and  in  the  promotion 
of  its  welfare. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Atlas  Township,  Febru- 
ary 16,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  one  of  its  earliest 
settlers.  Dexter  Wheelock,  who  was  a  native  of 
Berkshire  County,  Mass.  He  was  a  drummer  boy 
in  the  War  of  1812  under  Capt.  Leonard  Ross,  and 
remained  with  his  company  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  being  present  at  the  battle  of  Sacketts  Harbor 
and  other  important  engagements  with  the  British. 
After  the  war  he  made  his  wa^^  to  New  York,  where 
he  learned  the  trade  of  a  cooper  and  was  there  mar- 
ried about  1820,  Elsie  Gray,  a  native  of  New  York 
becoming  his  wife.  They  at  once  started  for  Pike 
County,  111.,  but  stopped  on  the  way  at  Pittsburg, 
where  he  worked   at    his    trade  for   awhile.     They 


454 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


then  proceeried  ou  flatboats  down  the  Ohio  to 
Shawneelown,  tliis  State,  where  they  embarked  in 
an  ox-cart  for  their  destination  in  Atlas  Township. 
They  located  there  in  1821,  and  Mr.  Wheelock  fol- 
lowed his  trade  until  his  health  failed  when  he  en- 
gaged in  tavern  keeping.  lie  managed  the  hotel 
the  next  twelve  years,  and  then  started  a  general 
store  in  Atlas  which  he  kept  until  1849.  In  that 
year  he  went  across  the  plains  to  California,  and 
there  died  in  the  month  of  October.  His  widow 
survived  him  many  j-ears,  her  death  finally  occur- 
ring in  Payson,  August  31,  1881,  and  there  her 
mortal  remains  were  deposited  in  the  cemetery  at 
that  place.  She  was  the  mother  of  two  children, 
Eliza  E.,  now  Mrs.  Harrington, who  lives  in  Payson, 
Adams  County,  and  our  subject  who  was  her  sec- 
ond child. 

Mr.  Wheelock  grew  to  man's  estate  in  Pike 
County  and  received  the  advantages  of  an  excel- 
lent education,  laying  its  foundation  in  the  primitive 
log  schoolhonse  with  its  puncheon  benches  of 
pioneer  times.  Ho  also  attended  school  at  Pitts- 
6eld,  Barry  and  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  continueil 
to  live  with  his  parents  until  he  established  a  home 
of  his  own,  marrying  Augusts,  1819,  Miss  Julia 
Green,  daughter  of  Henr^'  and  Emeline  (Long) 
Green.  Mrs.  Wheelock  is  likewise  a  native  of  At- 
las Township  and  was  born  January  31,  1832.  She 
was  reared  in  the  place  of  her  birth  and  used  to  at- 
tend school  in  the  same  old  log  schoolhonse  where 
our  subject  first  went.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Ireland  tuid  her  mother  of  Delaware.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wheelock's  marriage  has  been  productive  to 
them  of  seven  children,  three  daughters  and  four 
sons,  of  whom  the  following  is  recorded:  Eliza 
\married  Robert  K.ay,  of  Payson;  Laura  married 
Samuel  Thompson,  who  died  in  July,  1889,  and  she 
now  lives  in  Chicago;  Mary  married  D.  King,  of 
Payson ;  Dexter,  the  eldest  son,  lives  in  Kinder 
hook  Township;  John  H.  is  a  farmer  in  that  town- 
ship; George  K.  is  a  civil  engineer  in  Chicago; 
Stanley  is  a  student  in  the  Michigan  University  at 
Ann  Aibor.  this  being  his  second  term  in  that  in- 
stitution. 

When  our  subject  was  first  married  he  took  up 
his  residence  in  Atlas  Township,  and  devoted  him- 
self to    fMrniing    and    stock-raising.     In    1853    he 


moved  to  Stark  County,  111.,  where  he  carried  on 
the  same  business  until  1855.  In  the  month  of  No- 
vember that  year  he  moved  into  a  log  house  on  the 
place  where  he  now  resides  and  made  that  humble 
abode  his  home  for  eleven  years.  He  then  went  to 
Payson  for  the  sake  of  the  better  school  advantages 
that  place  offered  for  his  children.  He  returned  to 
the  old  place  in  1878  and  has  lived  here  ever  since. 
He  has  replaced  the  original  dwelling  just  de. 
scribed  by  a  handsome  frame  house  and  has  greatly 
increased  the  value  of  his  property  by  the  numer- 
ous other  improvements  that  be  has  made.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wheelock  have  here  one  thousand  acres 
of  choice  highly  cultivated  land,  which  in  all  par- 
ticulars is  considered  one  of  the  best  and  most  de- 
.sirable  farms  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  AVheelock's 
chief  business  is  stock-raising  and  he  has  made  a 
success  of  this  department  of  agriculture. 

Our  subject  ranks  among  the  first  citizens  of  his 
township  and  has  often  been  a  leader  in  its  jtublic 
life.  He  is  allied  with  the  Democratic  [larly  and 
cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Eranklin  Pierce 
and  has  never  given  his  support  to  any  other  part3- 
bnt  once.  He  was  at  one  time  Supervisor  repre- 
senting his  township  on  the  Count}-  Board  four 
years  and  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  six  years;  has 
been  Assessor,  Trustee,  School  Director,  Road 
Overseer  and  was  one  of  the  first  Sny  Levee  Com- 
missioners. He  IS  now  Notary  Public.  He  was  at 
one  time  Postmaster  when  the  mail  was  carried  by 
stage,  the  post-office  being  the  little  log  house  which 
was  his  first  residence  on  the  place  where  he  now 
lives. 

S^B^ 


i 


\|gS^ELSON  WILKINS.  No  business  enterprise 
I  j)  in  wdiich  a  man  can  engage  requires  more 
ill,  ^  energy,  (latience  and  perseverance  than  that 
of  founding  or  carrying  on  a  newspaper.  Particu- 
larly is  this  truewh^n  the  seat  of  the  enterprise  is  a 
small  town.  The  editor  enjoys  none  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  his  city  brethren,  but  is  expected  to 
send  forth  a  sheet  that  will  comiiare  favorably  with 
theirs  and  present  to  its  readers  all  the  general 
news  as  well  as  the  items  of  local  interest.  The 
man  who  can  successfully  prosecute  such  an  enter- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


455 


prise  is  certainly  deserving  of  ereiiil  and  commen- 
dation. 

The  Weekly  Transcript,  of  Perry,  Pilce  County, 
is  edited  and  published  by  Messrs.  Wilkins  &  Un- 
derwood and  is  a  spicy  publication,  in  so  far  as  the 
local  work  is  concerned.  It  is  a  six-column  folio, 
with  patent  inside,  and  it  is  therefore  for  tlie  local 
department  of  news  items  and  general  re.iding  that 
the  editors  deserve  special  cicdit.  Its  present 
status  is  largely  due  to  the  ability  of  the  subject  of 
tliis  notice,  who  assumed  control  of  the  sheet  July 
24,  1885,  taking  in  his  partner  in  December,  1889. 
The  paper  was  instituted  in  1880  by  a  Mr.  Cobb, 
but  later  run  by  George  E.  Goodhead,  wlio  was 
succeeded  by  our  subject.  It  is  now  run  as  an  in- 
dependent political  sheet,  the  editors  wisely  believ- 
ing that  they  can  do  more  to  advance  the  interests 
of  the  public  by  fighting  under  an  independent 
banner  than  by  allowing  politics  to  control  them. 
The  junior  member  of  the  firm  is  a  prominent  young 
man  of  the  town,  ablj-  filling  the  position  of  Prin- 
cipal of  the  public  schools. 

Mr.  Wilkins  was  born  in  Ross  County.  Ohio.  May 
12,  1842,  to  Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Howen)  Wilkins. 
He  was  eleven  years  old  when  his  parents  came  to 
Pike  County,  111.,  settling  on  a  farm  near  Barr}-. 
There  the  family  resided  until  1867  when  the}' 
[  removed  to  Perry  where  the  father  and  mother 
still  live,  retired  from  active  life.  Mr.  Wilkins  is 
now  seventy-five  and  his  wife  seventy-three  years 
of  age  They  are  people  of  intelligence  and  Chris- 
tian character,  both  being  identified  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  (  hurch  in  whicti  Mr.  Wilkins  has 
been  Class-Leader  and  Trustee  for  many  years.  Our 
subject  is  the  eldest  but  one  of  the  nine  children 
born  to  the  good  couple,  and  of  the  family-  but  one 
h.as  been  removed  by  death. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
'  becoming  well  versed  in  pr.nctical  knowledge.  His 
I  first  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer,  which  he 
I  abandoned  when  the  war  broke  out  to  respond  to 
the  second  call  for  troops.  He  was  enrolled  August 
I  22,  1862,  in  Company  D,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, his  commanding  officers  being  Capt.  J.  E. 
Richards  and  Col.  G.  W.  K.  Bailey.  The  regiment 
was  sent  to  Missouri  and  entered  into  tiie  smoke  of 
battle  first  at  Hartsville.     The  boys   subsequently 


went  South  and  in  April,  1863,  took  part  in  the 
battle  at  Magnolia  Hills.  Miss.,  and  later  at  Black 
River  Bridge  near  Vicksburg.  There  young  Wilk- 
ins ri'ceived  a  gunshot  wound  in  the  right  elbow, 
b}-  which  the  use  of  his  arm  was  forever  lost.  He 
w.'is  shot  the  17tli  d.ay  of  May,  confined  to  the  hos- 
pital until  the  12lh  of  October,  and  then  honorably 
discharged  for  disability. 

Returning  to  his  former  home  Mr.  Wilkins  oc- 
cupied himself  as  best  he  might  in  various  lines  of 
business  until  he  engaged  in  newspaper  work.  He 
has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  eight 
years  and  been  Collector  for  some  time  in  Ferry 
Township.  He  is  now  X'ill.age  Clerk  and  Notary 
Public,  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  so  also  is 
his  partner.  He  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  h.as  high  standing  in  that  religious 
body  and  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Wilkins  is  presided 
over  by  an  intelligent  and  Christian  woman  who 
was  known  in  hei-  maidenliood  as  Miss  .Sarah  A. 
Smith.  She  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Maj-  5, 
1852.  but  was  living  in  Pike  County  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage.  Like  her  husband,  she  is  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  She 
has  borne  her  husband  six  children:  .lames  E., 
Arthur  E.,  John  E..  Jlinnie  A.,  Florence  A.  and 
Nettie  E.,  a  bright  and  happy  grou])  who  cheer 
the  home  with  their  increasing  intelligence  and 
pleasant  waj'S. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Wilkins  are  Spencor  II.  and 
Elizabeth  (McWirt)  Smith,  natives  of  Ohio,  whose 
marriage  took  place  in  Cincinnati.  In  early 
life  Mr.  Smith  learned  the  trade  of  a  mechanic 
which  he  followed  in  Ohio  until  about  185y.  He 
then  removed  to  Fulton  County,  this  State,  and 
the  following  3"ear  to  Pike  County,  devoting  him 
self  to  agriculture  until  1870.  Since  that  time  he 
has  been  carrjing  on  the  business  of  a  painter,  his 
present  home  being  in  Griggsville.  lie  is  now 
past  threescore  and  his  wife  is  about  the  same 
age.  Both  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church  and 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  Democrat.  Their  family  consists 
of  eight  children,  all  married. 

Mr.  -Smith  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War,  be- 
longing to  an  Ohio  regiment.  He  escaped  wounds 
but  endured  a  trying  experience  on  board  a  vessel 


456 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


which  was  nearl}'  lost  at  sea  while  tlie  regiment  was 
retuiiiing  home.  By  an  accident  during  a  storm 
the  vessel  was  nearly  sunk  and  those  who  escaped 
drowning  were  left  without  food.  A  number  of 
the  soldiers  killed  themselves  rather  than  endure 
the  pangs  of  starvation.  For  eighteen  daj-s  the 
survivors  were  without  food  and  finally  cuts  were 
drawn  to  see  wiio  should  be  killed  to  furnish  suste- 
nance for  the  others.  Just  before  the  unfortunate 
victim  was  struck  by  what  would  liave  been  a  fatal 
blow,  land  was  sighted  and  the  unfortunates,  with 
hope  renewed,  staj'ed  the  blow  and  were  finally 
rescued. 


<S^  DWARD  IRVING,  Supervisor  of  Chambers- 
l^  burg  Township,  Pike  County,  makes  his 
/ILa^  home  on  section  10.  and  is  a  very  success- 
ful and  enterprising  farmer  and  stockman.  His 
farm,  a  view  of  which  will  be  seen  on  another 
page,  is  well  improved  and  he  •.villingl\-  puis  forth 
unusual  energy  to  bring  about  superior  results; 
the  estate  which  he  owns  in  connection  with  his 
brother,  K.  M.  Irving,  embraces  seven  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  highly  cultivated  soil.  Tliree  3-ears 
ago  this  brother  went  to  Missouri  where  he  en- 
gaged in  a  general  merchandise  business. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Chambersburg.  Jaiaiar}- 
12,  1847,  and  is  ason  of  Cliristoi^her  Irving  whose 
parents  were  Scotch,  and  wiio  lived  and  ditd  in 
their  native  country.  Cliristopher  came  to  America 
when  3'oung,  and  lived  for  a  time  at  New  Glasgow, 
Nova  Scotia,  at  wliicli  point  lie  learned  the  wao^on- 
maker's  trade  and  also  became  a  skilled  mechanic. 
He  next  removed  to  Massacluisetts,  and  was  mar- 
ried at  Fall  River  to  Miss  Mary  Ramsbotham,  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ramsbotham,  and  a 
native  of  Massacluisetts.  Her  parents  were  also 
born  in  the  Bay  State,  but  when  quite  old  removed 
to  Illinois  and  died  at  the  home  of  their  daughter, 
the  father  being  over  ninety  years  of  age  and  the 
mother  (,.,ly  slightly  younger.  They  were  both 
active  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  After  their 
marriage  Chiistopher  Irving  and  his  wife  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  in  Naples  for  a  year  and  then  com- 
ing to  Chambersburg  in  1839,  and  the  former  after 


pursuing  his  trade  for  a  time,  purchased  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  latid.  He  died  in  1859 
when  forty-five  years  of  age;  his  wife  is  still  living 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Margaret  Chenoweth,  m 
Chambersburg  Township,  and  is  at  this  writing  in 
her  seventy -sixth  3-ear.  She  is  very  active  and 
takes  great  interest  in  church  matters,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church. 

The  subject  of  tliis  sketch  was  carefully  reared 
by  his  mother  after  the  father's  death,  which  occur- 
red when  he  was  only  twelve  years  of  age.  He  has 
always  devoted  his  time  antl  attention  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  is  generally  conceded  to  be  a 
splendid  business  man.  He  was  married  in  Cham- 
bersburg Township  to  Miss  Mahala  Chenoweth,  the 
daughter  of  Arthur  and  Mary  (Shoemaker)  Cheno- 
weth, natives  of  Indiana.  She  was  born  in  Perry 
Township,  October  18,  1845.  Her  father  started 
across  the  plains  to  California,  but  before  reaching 
the  Rocky  Mountains  died  and  found  a  liiial  rest- 
ing place  in  the  bosom  of  the  great  wild  plain.  The 
mother  is  living  with  her  third  husband  Burch 
Dimmitt,  in  Chambersburg,  and  is  seventy-five 
years  of  age.  Both  were  members  of  tlie  Christian 
Church. 


<;f)AMES  R.  WILLIAMS  has  long  been  con. 
liected  with  the  farming  interests  of  Pike 
County  and  is  one  of  the  leading  agricul- 
turalists of  Barr3'  Township,  where  he  has 
as  fine  a  farm  as  may  lie  found  in  tliis  part  of  the 
county-.  He  was  born  in  Overton  County,  Tenn., 
February  14,  1817.  and  his  father,  John  R.  Will- 
iams is  thought  to  have  been  a  native  of  the  same 
county.  Jonathan  Williams,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  and  reared  in  England 
and  when  a  young  man  came  to  Amc-rica  accom- 
panied by  a  brother.  The  latter  never  married  but 
died  when  young. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  pioneer  of 
Overton  County',  going  there  when  it  was  in  its 
wildest  condition  and  when  he  stood  a  chance  of 
having  his  scalp  removed  from  his  head  almost  any 
day  by  the  hostile  Indians  vvho  were  numerous  in 
I'Jiftt  section  of  the  countiy.   A  few  of  the  families  of 


Residence  of  Jame5  R.Williams, Sec  36.  Barry  Tr  Pike  Co. III. 


Residenceof  Edward  Irving, 5ec. 10. ChambersburgTp.PikeCo. III. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


459 


tlie  place  gathered  together  and  built  log  houses 
known  as  block  houses  or  forts,  in  which  they 
could  rcninin  in  safety.  The  grandfather  carried 
on  his  occupation  of  a  farmer,  cleared  a  farm  and 
was  a  resident  there  some  years.  Subsequently  he 
removed  to  Indiana  and  settled  fourteen  miles 
southeast  of  Indiana|)olis  on  Flat  Rock  Creek, 
where  he  improved  a  farm  and  there  at  a  ri|ie  old 
age  closed  his  eyes  in  death. 

John  Williams  was  reared  and  married  in  Over- 
ton County.  Tenn.,  and  continued  lo  live  there 
until  1823.  He  tlien  went  to  Indiana  and  located 
in  Morgan  County  on  a  tract  of  land  which  his 
eldest  son  had  (ireviouslv  purchased.  He  entered 
with  zeal  upon  the  pioneer  work  of  clearing  it  and 
developing. a  farm  when  his  career  was  prematurely 
closed  by  his  death  in  the  same  f.all.  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet (Renow)  Williams  is  thought  to  have  been 
a  native  of  Tennessee.  Her  father,  a  native  of 
Wales,  was  a  Haptist  preacher  and  a  pioneer  of 
Overton  County,  Tenn.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
resided  with  her  children  until  her  death  in  1836 
in  Morgan  County,  Ind. 

.lames  R.  Williams,  of  whom  we  write,  was  one 
of  thirteen  children  and  was  in  his  sixth  year  when 
his  parents  removed  to  Indiana,  the  removal  being 
made  with  a  two-horse  wagon,  and  cooking  utensils 
were  taken  along  that  the  family  might  cook  their 
meals  when  they  camiied  on  the  way.  Upon  their 
arrival  the  father  built  a  log  cabin  of  which  the 
cliiraney  w.is  made  of  earth  and  sticks  and  the  roof 
covered  with  clapboards  fastened  on  with  wooden 
poles  instead  of  nails  to  hold  them  ilown  and  the 
floor  was  made  of  puncheon.  Deer,  bear,  panthers 
and  wolves  were  numerous  and  often  annoying  to 
the  earlj'  pioneers. 

Mr.  Williams  continued  to  live  with  his  mother 
until  her  death,  twelve  years  after  that  of  his  fa- 
ther. In  1836  he  went  to  that  part  of  the  Torritor}- 
of 'Wisconsin     now    included    in    Iowa    and    then 
known  as  lil.ack  Hawk's  purchase.     He  found  Bur- 
lington an  insignificant  hamlet  with  one   store  and 
a  few  saloons  in  log  cabins  called   Tom   and  .Terry 
j    shops.     The  bar  was  made  after  the  most  primitive 
fashion  by  placing  forked  sticks  in  the  ground  and 
j    laying  bark  instead  of  a  board  across.  Mr.  Williams 
I    selected  a  tract  of   Government  land   twenty-two 


miles  north  of  Burlington  that  seemed  to  meet  his 
requirements.  It  was  unsurveyed  but  vvhen  it  was 
put  on  the  market  he  bought  it  at  -^1.25  an  acre. 
He  liuilt  on  the  land,  improved  eight}' acres  and 
lived  there  until  1842  when  he  sold  out  and  came 
to  Pike  County,  of  which  he  has  been  a  resident 
ever  since.  For  the  long  period  of  forty-four  years 
he  has  occupied  the  |)lace  where  he  now  resides. 
It  is  represented  by  a  view  on  another  i)agc  and  is 
one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr. 
Williams  has  planted  one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
orchards  in  the  State,  comprising  seveut^'-six  acres 
of  choice  fruits  of  many  varieties. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  the  first  time  Maich 
10,  1845,  to  Betsey  A.  Baldwin,  a  native  of  llie 
State  of  New  York.  She  departed  this  life  in  Pike 
Count}"  November  1;'),  1845.  The  second  marriage 
of  our  subject,  which  took  place  November  1 ,  1816. 
was  with  Mrs.  Mary  (Jackson)  Blair.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williams  have  one  child  living  who  was  born 
Februarj'  5,  1854,  and  is  named  John  R.  He  is 
now  cashier  of  the  American  Brake  Company  at  St. 
Louis.  Of  their  other  children  the  first-born,  named 
Helen,  who  was  liorn  on  the  15th  of  January,  1848, 
died  May  21,  1868;  their  second  child,  Joseph, 
born  September  14,  1849.  died  .August  26,  1  871  ; 
Calvin,  the  fourth  child,  born  March  15,  1857,  died 
in  November,  1888.  Mr.  and  JMrs.  Williams  and 
three  of  their  children  were  all  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church  with  which  our  subject  and  his 
wife  are  still  connected.  Mr.  Williams  united  with 
the  first  Baptist  Church  ever  organized  in  the  4'er- 
ritory  of  Iowa,  which  was  located  at  Rock  Spring, 
Des  Moines  County,  and  he  has  remained  true  to 
the  faith  ever  since. 

Mrs.  Williams  was  born  in  Richland  Township, 
Oswego  County,  N.  Y..  September  16,  1814.  Iler 
father,  Joseph  Jackson,  was  a  native  of  Connecti- 
cut and  her  grandfather,  Amos  Jackson,  was  of 
New  England  biilli  and  early  English  ancestry. 
He  spent  his  entire  life  as  a  farmer  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  Mrs.  Williams'  father  went  when 
quite  young  lo  live  witli  an  uncle  who  resided  in 
Cambridge,  Mass.  This  uncle  was  a  learned  man, 
engaged  in  the  profession  of  teaching  and  kept  a 
preparatory  school  neiir  Harvard  College.  Mr. 
Jackson  was  thus  enableil    to   receive  a  thorough 


460 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


educalion  altliough  lie  did  not  care  for  a  profes- 
sioiial  life  but  engaged  in  faiining  wlien  he  had  to 
adopt  a  calling.  He  went  from  Massachusetts  to 
the  State  of  New  York  aniJ  carried  on  agriculture 
in  Oswego  County  until  1822.  In  that  3'ear  he 
left  his  family  there  and  came  West  to  search  for 
a  location.  He  landed  at  Louisiana,  Mo.,  and  for 
a  time  was  engaged  as  a  carpenter  and  then  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  Government  land  where  Plea.sant 
Vale  now  stands  and  when  the  land  came  into 
market  entered  it  at  the  ottice  at  (^uincy  for  %1  25 
per  acre.  In  1824  his  family  joined  him  and  he 
soon  built  on  his  land  and  dwelt  there  the  remain- 
der of  his  life. 

The  mother  of  Mis.  Williams  was  Mary  Cunning- 
ham in  her  maiden  days;  slie  was  a  native  of  New 
England  and  passed  her  last  years  in  New  York. 
Our  subjecfs  wife  was  very  young  wlien  her 
mother  died  and  she  then  went  to  live  with  an  un- 
cle and  aunt  in  Richland  Township  and  came  with 
them  to  I'ike  County  in  1824.  After  the  second 
marriage  of  her  father  she  returned  to  the  parental 
iiome  and  was  reared  amid  tlie  pioneer  scenes  of 
Pike  County,  for  her  relatives  had  come  hither  in 
in  the  very  earliest  days  of  its  settlement.  Indians 
were  very  numerous  and  were  frequent  callers  at 
the  house  and  Mr.s.  Williams  easily  learned  their 
language  and  frequently  traded  with  them.  There 
were  no  markets  here  then  and  the  peo|)lc  lived 
chiefly  on  the  products  of  the  farm.  They  raised 
cotton,  flax  and  wool,  anil  ilrs.  Williams  and  her 
mother  and  sisters  used  to  card,  spin  and  weave 
and  make  all  the  cloth  in  use  by  the  family,  in- 
cluding .all  the  clothing.  She  attended  the  primi- 
tive log  schoolhouse  with  its  rude  furnisliings  and 
resi'led  with  her  fatlier  until  her  marriage  at  the 
age  cf  twenty-one  years  to  William  Blair. 

Mr.  Blair  was  born  in  Ohio  and  was  a  son  of 
William  M.  and  Martha  (Wyatt)  Blair.  He  was 
young  when  his  parents  removed  to  In<liana  and  as 
there  were  no  free  schools  in  that  Slate  Mien,  he 
was  taught  b3'  his  mother  and  b}'  close  application 
to  his  books  obtained  a  good  education.  He  came 
from  Indiana  to  Pike  Count}-  with  his  parents  in 
182!)  and  lived  with  them  until  his  marriage.  At 
that  time  he  settled  on  land  south  of  Barry-  which 
lie  sold  a  year  later  in  order  to  engage  in  the  mer- 


cantile business.  He  was  a  resident  of  this  place 
until  liis  death  and  was  verj^  prominent  in  its  public 
and  political  life.  He  was  twice  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature and  died  in  Springfield  while  attending  a 
session  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Illinois  in  1845. 
Mrs.  Williams  was  thus  left  a  widow  with  five 
children — Sophia,  Lucinda  J.,  Ann,  Emil}'  and  Al- 
bert. Sophia  married  Dr.  J.  H.  Thomas  and  lives 
at  Pleasant  Hill;  Lucinda  and  Emily  died  young; 
Ann  married  Dr.  I.  N.  .Stewart  and  lived  in  Macon 
Count3%  Mo.;  Albert  is   an  attorney  in  St.  Louis. 


DMOND  A.  PINERO,  City  Attorney  at  Har- 
din,  is  one  of  the  most  talented  and  promi- 
nent members  of  the  bar  in  Calhoun  County. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  cit}'  of  New  Orleans,  where 
his  birth  took  place  May  26,  1838.  He  is  of  French 
descent  and  is  a  son  of  Prosper  A.  Pinero,  who  was 
born  in  Bayonne,  France.  The  grandparents  of 
our  subject  were  natives  and  lifelong  residents  of 
■ill at  country. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  the  land 
of  his  nativity,  and  was  the  only  member  of  his 
family  who  ever  came  to  America.  In  the  year 
1838  he  crossed  the  waters  to  this  country,  and  lo- 
cated in  New  Orleans,  where  he  carried  on  his  oc- 
cupation as  a  wig  maker.  He  resided  in  that  city 
about  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  St.  Louis 
which  was  then  a  small  place.  He  followed  his 
trade  there  and  made  that  his  home  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
September  4,  1872.  He  had  married  in  early  life 
Esther  Mendes  DeCainpos,  who  died  in  St.  Louis 
October  20,  1860.  Tiiey  reared  two  children,  our 
subject  and  a  daughter  Aline,  who  married  Noah 
Reavis.  a  farmer  of  St.  Louis  County,  Mo. 

F]dmond  A.  Pinero  passed  his  boyhood  days  in 
St.  Louis,  and  w'as  educated  in  its  public  schools. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  commenced  the 
study  of  law  with  Kiiim  &  Harding  of  St.  Louis. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1860,  with  tine  quali- 
fications for  the  work  before  him,  and  he  practiced 
in  St.  l^ouis  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  In 
1863  he  took  up  Ills  residence  in  this  State,  settling 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


J61 


[  in  Giafton,  Jersey  County.  The  most  of  his  life 
there  was  passed    in    various  ollicial  capacities,   he 

'  serving  as  Collector.  Overseer  and  Constable,  and 
he  was  also  President  of  the  City  Council. 

In  18G5  Mr.  Pinero  formed  a  partnership  witii 
Robert  A.  King  to  practice  law,  which  partnership 
existed   until    1867  when  he  entered  into  parlner- 

\  ship  with  George  W.  Herdman,  the  present  Circuit 
.Judge  of  this  circuit,  in  Jerseyville,  and  they  con- 
tinued together  in  that  city  until  1869,  when  our 
subject  had  to  give  up  his  profession  awhile  on 
account  of  ill-health.  He  returned  to  Grafton 
anil  established  a  bank  with  his  father-in-law,  the 
lion.  William  II.  Allen,  and  continued  to  manage 
it  successfnlly  until  187.3.  In  that  year  he  went 
back  to  St.  Louis,  and  entered  into  a  partnersliip 
with  W.  H.  Pogue  and  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  1875  he  severed  his  connection 
with  Mr.  Pogue  and  became  associated  with  .Tudge 
A.  A.  Goodrich,  now  of  Chicago,  and  w.as  with  him 

'  one  year.     At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  once 

I  more  became  a  resident  of  Jerseyville,  where  he  en- 
!  tered  into  partnership  with  T.  J.   Selby  and    prac- 
:  ticed  law  until  1878,  when  both  went  to   Nebraska 
and   settled  in  Tecuraseh,  where  our  subject    en- 
i  gaged  in  his  profession  until  1886.     In   that  year 
be  came  back  to  Illinois  and   has   since  resided   in 
I  Hardin  with  the  exception  of  a  few   months.     He 
'  is  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  city,   and  be- 
I  sides  having  a  good  general  practice,  is  City  Attor- 
I  ney  for  Hardin  and  is  tlie  Public  Administrator,  to 
which  position  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Fifer,  and 
has  all  the  business  that  he  can  attend  to. 
I     Mr.  Piuero  and  Miss  Irene  A.  Allen  were  married 
'in  the  month  of  April,  1865.     Mrs.  Pinero  is  a  na- 
tive of  Grafton,  Jersey  County,  this  State,  and   a 
I  daughter  of  the  well-known  Hon.  William    H.   Al- 
'len.     Her  father  was   a  native  of    New  Bedford, 
JMass.,  and   her    mother    whose   maiden  name  was 
I  Maria  Mason,  was  born  in  Edwarlsville,  111.     Mr. 
land  Mrs.  Pinero  have  a  delightful  home  and  are 
I  happy  in  their  wedded  life.     Three   cliildren   have 
come  to  them.  Prosper  A.,  Marie  Elise,  and  Ed- 
imond  A.,  Jr. 

Mr.  Pinero  possesses  a  pleasant  personality-,  is  a 
true  gentleman,  always  courteous,  cordial  and 
frank,  and  is  warmly  regarded  by  the  entire  com- 


munil}'.  lie  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has  min- 
gled much  in  public  life.  He  was  Notary  Public 
in  Nebraska,  and  has  also  held  that  oflice  in  Mis- 
souri and  Illinois.  In  Jerseyville  he  was  City  At- 
torney and  City  Clerk,  and  was  also  Assessor.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Calhoun  Lodge  No.  792  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.;  of  Jerseyville  Cha|)ter,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  of 
Jit.  Iloreb  Commandery  K.  T.,  of  Tecumseh,  Neb. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  which  he  joined  in  1870. 


-♦^^z 


BEN  ALVIN  BUTTERFIELD  owns  and 
occupies  the  Butterfield  homestead  on  sec- 
tion .34,  Griggsville  Township,  this  being 
the  tract  of  land  on  which  his  parents  located 
when  they  came  to  Pike  County.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  were  Leonard  and  Susan  (Lanipson) 
Butterfield,  of  whom  a  more  extended  mention  is 
made  in  the  sketch  of  Henry  W.  Butterfield  on  an- 
other page  in  this  Ai.bim.  Suffice  it  to  say  in  this 
connection  that  the}'  endeavored  to  mold  their 
lives  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity and  that,  although  quiet  and  unassuming, 
they  did  much  to  aid  in  the  elevation  of  the  moral 
and  social  status  of  the  communities  in  which  they 
lived  and  to  advance  the  material  prosperit3-  of 
the  section. 

Our  subject  was  born  October  16,  1845,  on  the 
f;u-m  which  he  now  occupies,  reareil  in  this  town- 
ship and  pursued  his  studies  here.  While  he  was 
still  quite  young  he  became  well  versed  in  agricul- 
tural affairs  and  to  the  business  of  farming  and 
stock-raising  has  devoted  himself  from  his  youth 
up.  The  most  of  the  land  which  he  owns  is  under 
thorough  cultivation,  the  place  is  well  stocked  with 
good  breeds  of  domestic  animals  and  supplied  with 
those  conveniences  which  make  of  it  a  comfortable 
home.  Agriculture  and  stock-raising  are  proving 
remunerative  under  the  good  management  of  Mr. 
Butterfield,  who  endeavors  to  keep  up  with  the 
times  and  post  himself  regarding  new  and  approved 
methods,  while  not  too  hasty  in  dropping  the  old. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Butterfield  and  .Miss  Marv 
Weeks  was  solemnized  at  the  bride's  home   in   this 


4G2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


township.  Mrs.  Butterfield  was  born  in  the  Buck- 
eye State  May  29,  184'J,  is  a  bright  intelligent 
woman  and  possessed  of  an  estimable  cliaraeter. 
iSlie  has  borne  her  husband  three  cliildren — S. 
Bessie,  M.  Alice  and  Carrie  B.  The  mother  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
Butterfield  is  a  sound  Republican  in  politics,  is  a  re- 
liable citizen,  and  as  such  deserves  and  receives  the 
respect  of   his  fellow  men. 

The  parents  of  Mis.  Butterfield,  Ezekiel  and 
Elizabeth  (Weeks)  Weeks  were  born  in  Ohio, 
grew  to  maturity  and  married  in  .September  o, 
1848  there  and  some  years  after  their  marriage 
came  to  this  State.  They  Iirought  with  them  their 
daughter  Mary,  tiieir  first-born  and  at  that  time 
their  only  child.  They  settled  on  a  small  farm  in 
the  township  tliat  is  still  the  home  of  their  daugh- 
ter. There  the  wife  and  mother  died  in  April  8, 
186.3  when  in  middle  life.  She  belonged  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  was  highly  re- 
garded by  all  who  knew  her.  The  husband  and 
father  is  still  living,  now  sixty-six  years  of  age,  and 
making  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Butter- 
field. He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Although  not 
identified  with  any  religious  body  he  is  favorably 
known  to  his  neighbors  and  is  a  bright  and  genial 
old  gentleman. 


OENA  HOUSE.     This    lady    may   well    be 
numbered  among  the  agriculturists  of  Pike 


County,  as  she  not  onl}'  owns  a  beautiful 
^S)  farm  but  |)ersonally  superintends  its  culti- 
vation and  manages  all  her  business  affairs  wisely 
and  well.  The  estate  upon  which  she  resides  is 
knfiwn  as  the  Stony  Point  Farm  and  is  favorably 
located  on  section  1  1,  Pleasant  \'alo  Township.  It 
consists  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine 
land,  nearly  all  under  cultivation,  well  stoi:ked  and 
thoroughly  improved  in  every  particular. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  in  Pike 
County,  April  21,  1843.  Her  parents,  Orlando  and 
Orindu  (Gard)  Yearly,  were  born  in  the  Buckeye 
State  and  came  hither  in  an  early  d.ay,  locating  on 
what  was  known  as  the  John  Boyd  place  and  making 


it  their  home  until  Mr.  Yearly  died.  His  death  was 
occasioned  by  a  bullet  wound  received  while  hunt- 
ing in  1848.  Mrs.  Yearly  survived  him  ten  years. 
The  family  of  the  good  couple  consisted  of  three 
daughters — Lydia,  Roena  and  Orintha.  The  second 
daughter  contracted  a  matrimonial  alliance  in  18G0 
being  then  united  to  .lohn  fiimerson,  who  was  horn 
in  Ohio  about  1834.  Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Emerson  established  his  home  on  a  farm  near  New 
Canton,  removing  thence  about  fourj-ears  later  to 
what  was  then  known  as  Kinderhook  Prairie. 

After  a  time  the  Eraersons  changed  their  loca- 
tion to  that  now  occupied  by  our  subject.  The 
husband  bought  two  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  im- 
proved land  which  he  oiierated  until  called  hence, 
June  1,  1877.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the 
community  and  particularly  well  known  in  Masonic 
circles.  He  was  buried  with  the  funeral  rites  of  the 
order  and  a  large  assemblage  of  friends  gathered  ^o 
do  honor  to  his  memory'.  His  remains  were  de- 
posited in  the  Gard  cemetery  near  his  home. 

After  his  death  the  responsibility  of  rearing  the 
family  rested  upon  our  subject,  who  also  took  full 
charge  of  the  business,  settling  the  estate  and  carry- 
ing on  the  farm.  She  looked  carefull3'  after  the  in- 
tellectual training  of  her  children,  all  of  whom 
were  well  instructed,  some  pursuing  their  advanced 
studies  in  schools  and  colleges  some  distance  from 
home.  The  familj'  comprised  Orimla,  Harrison, 
Cicero,  John  and  Ellis.  The  last  named  is  deceased. 
Harrison  is  with  his  mother,  assisting  her  in  the 
management  of  the  farm.  The  others  are  in  Cali- 
fornia, to  and  from  which  State  Harrison  has  made 
three  trips.  This  j'oung  gentleman  attended  col- 
lege at  Galesl.urg  and  also  learned  telegraphy.  He 
is  a  very  intelligent  and  gentlemanl}-  young  man, 
who  is  considered  quite  an  addition  to  the  society 
of  the  neighborhood. 

On  October  25,  1878,  the  lady  of  whom  we  write 
became  the  wife  of  Andrew  House,  who  was  born 
in  Pike  County,  January  4,  1843.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  here  and  in  August  13,  18()2,  left  his 
home  to  enter  the  service  of  his  countr3'  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  C,  Ninety-.iinth  Illinois  Infantry. 
He  spent  three  years  at  the  front  bearing  himself 
as  became  a  man  in  the  duties  of  camp  and  field, 
and  winning  a  good  report  as  a  brave  and   faithful 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


403 


soldier.  He  was  honorably  disclmrged  July  31, 
1865,  and  returned  to  liis  native  county  in  which 
he  continued  to  reside  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  Wiiilc  in  the  service  he  received  a  bayonet 
wound,  and  also  contracted  an  affection  of  the 
bronchial  tubes  and  stomach  trouble  from  which  he 
never  recovered.  He  closed  his  eyes  in  death  Sep- 
tember 20,  1886,  and  his  mortal  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  in  Stony  I'oint  cemetery. 

Again  our  subject  was  left  a  widow  with  the  re- 
sponsibility of  the  business  thrown  upon  lier  shoul- 
ders, for  the  second  time  having  an  estate  to  settle. 
She  has  bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs 
and  now  owns  the  entire  farm.  Her  second  union 
was  blest  by  the  birth  of  a  son,  Edgar,  whom  she 
is  carefully  rearing  and  fitting  for  usefulness  when 
he  shall  have  grown  to  manhood.  Mrs.  House  is  a 
liberal-minded,  benevolent-spirited  woman,  broad 
in  her  views  and  open-handed  in  her  contributions 
to  worthy  objects.  She  is  a  consistent  Christian, 
her  membership  being  with  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church  at  Barry. 


ki-M-T' 


\l]  AMES  GAY,  who  is  now  living  in  retirement 
in  Atlas  Township,  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  most  active  and  enterprising  farmers 
and  stock-raisers  of  Pike  County  of  which 
he  was  a  pioneer,  and  by  his  labors  he  has  accumu- 
lated a  handsome  property  which  places  him 
among  the  wealthy  men  of  this  section  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Gay  was  born  in  Cool  Spring  Township,  Iro- 
I  dell  County,  N.  C,  February  5,  1814.     His  father, 
William  Ga}-,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county  and 
i  was  a  son  of  James  Gay  who  was  born  in  Ireland 
March  20,  1744,  and  came  to  America  in  176G.  He 
joined  the  fortunes  of  the  Colonists  anil  did  faith- 
ful service  in  the  Revolution   for  five  years.     He 
was  married   to   Margaret   Mitchell    December    1, 
1768,  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and   they  reared 
'  three  children.      He  was  a  |ilanter  and  owned  a 
j  plantation  of  two  thousand  acres.     In  his  will  he 
gave  each  of   his  children   three   hundred  acres  of 


land  and  three  of  his  grandchildren  two  hundred 
acres  apiece.  In  early  life  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  England,  but  later  became  a  Presby- 
terian and  (lied  strong  in  the  faith,  his  death  occur- 
ring in  April,   18]  9. 

William  Gay  was  bred  on  his  father's  plantation 
in  North  Carolina.  In  1830  he  st.artcd  from  his 
earl3'  home  with  a  four-horse  team  and  drove  across 
the  country  to  Monroe  County,  Ind.,  cam[)ing  by 
the  way  at  night.  He  bought  forty  acres  of  land 
and  farmed  there  till  his  death  July  21,  1836, aged 
sixty-two  3'ears.  He  was  a  very  religious  man,  was 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  w.as 
verv  strict  in  his  observance  of  Sunday,  on  which 
day  he  would  not  shave  or  perform  any  secular 
work.  In  his  political  views  ho  was  a  Whig.  He 
was  blessed  in  his  wedded  life,  he  having  taken  as 
his  wife  Annie  Rutledge,  who  was  born  in  Rowan 
County,  N.  C.  She  was  like  himself  a  blue  Pres- 
byterian and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  3-ears. 
Her  father  John  Rutledge  is  supposed  to  have  been 
born  in  Pennsj'lvania  and  was  of  Irish  i)arentage. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  carried  on  his  work  in  North 
Carolina,  where  he  died  in  middle  life.  There  were 
ten  children  born  to  the  parents  of  our  suliject,  of 
whom  nine  were  reared,  namely:  Abner  W.,  John, 
Marv,  Margaret.  James.  Martha,  Adeline,  Abel, 
William  T.  and  lliel  K.,  only  five  of  whom  are  now 
living. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  passed  his  early  life  in 
North  Carolina  till  he  was  seventeen  years  old. 
His  education  was  obtained  in  the  ])riniitive  log 
schoolhouse  of  ohl  times  with  its  slab  iienches, 
greased-paper  windows  and  open  fireplace.  At  the 
age  mentioned  he  moved  to  Monroe  County,  Ind., 
and  lived  there  till  February-  13,  1834,  when  he 
came  to  this  county  on  horseback.  All  his  capital 
was  vested  in  his  pony  and  saddle  and  he  had  not 
a  penny  wherew.  th  to  pay  for  his  first  breakfast 
after  he  arrived  here.  He  was  stalwart,  vigorous 
and  ready  to  work  and  soon  obtained  employment 
at  which  he  earned  ,tO  cents  a  day.  He  subse- 
quently rented  land  and  farmed  it  on  shares.  When 
he  came  here  he  found  the  country-  in  a  very  wild 
condition.  Deer,  turkeys  and  wolves  were  numer- 
ous and  he  killed  many  in  those  days  and  had  ven- 
j    ison  for  his  wedding  dinner  of  his  own  killing. 


46i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mr.  Ga}'  worked  hard  about  five  years  and  with 
wise  economy  saved  his  earnings  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time  bought  an  interest  in  eighty  acres 
of  land  with  George  Schwartz,  witti  whom  he  l<ept 
baciielor's  liall  in  1836  and  1837,  their  land  being 
situated  on  section  2,  of  Ross  Township.  After  mar- 
riage our  subject  lived  on  a  rented  farm  on  section 
27.  Atlas  Township.  He  carried  on  agriculture  as 
a  renter  the  ensuing  six  years  and  after  buying 
other  lands  bought  his  present  farm  in  1855.  This 
comprises  one  hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he 
has  placed  under  the  best  of  improvement  and  has 
it  well  tilled.  He  built  his  present  fine  frame  liouse 
in  1867  and  a  large  frame  barn  in  1860.  He  is 
quite  an  extensive  landowner,  having  about  seven 
hundred  acres  all  told,  and  still  has  the  first  land  he 
ever  bought.  He  has  raised  a  great  deal  of  stock 
of  all  kinds,  making  a  specialty  of  Short-horn  cat- 
tle. Southdown  sheep  and  finely  bred  horses. 

Mr.  Gay  and  Miss  Amelia  Yokem  were  united  in 
marriage  Maj-  30,  1839,  and  to  them  has  been 
vouchsafed  an  unusually  happy  and  lengthy  wedded 
life  of  more  than  half  a  century,  wherein  they  have 
faithfully  shared  each  other's  joys  and  sorrows. 
Mrs.  Gay  was  born  October  31,  1819,  in  Pike 
County,  Mo.  Her  father  Solomon  Yokem,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  was  born  in  Culpeper 
County,  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Potomac  River. 
He  moved  to  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  and  served  a 
five  years'  apprenticeship  at  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith and  then  worked  seven  years  as  a  journey- 
man. He  married  Elizabeth  Butler  and  they  had 
one  child  born  in  that  State  before  they  went  to 
Missouri  in  1816.  They  settled  among  the  pioneers 
of  Pike  County  and  lived  there  till  they  removed 
to  Pike  County,  this  State,  in  1834,  where  they 
settled  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township.  Mr.  Yokem 
worked  at  his  trade  and  also  farmed.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-one  in  1810.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  in  1790,  lived  to  be 
seventy-eight  years  of  age.  She  was  the  mother  of 
seven  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  namely:  William,  Amelia,  Catherine, 
Henr}-,  Ambrose  D.,  Francis  M.  and  Mary  A.,  the 
two  last  being  twins. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gay  have  had  the  following 
children:        William     Henrj-,     Annie     E.      (Mrs. 


Brown);  Caroline,  (Mrs.  Ellis) ;  Marion,  Charles  E., 
James  C,  Julian  O.,  George  A.,  and  Elmer  E. 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gay  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church  and  have  been  since  1880. 
Previous  to  that  time  Mrs.  Gay  had  belonged  to 
the  Methodist  Church  for  twent3--eight  years. 
They  are  people  of  true  Christian  character  whose 
genuine  kindness  of  heart  and  many  charitable 
deeds  have  won  them  warm  affection  in  the  com- 
munity where  so  many  years  of  their  life  have  been 
passed.  Mr.  Gay  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
intelligence  and  keeps  well  informed  on  all  subjects 
of  interest.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican. 
He  has  held  local  offices,  was  Assessor  of  the  Town- 
ship one  year.  Road  Commissioner  for  seven  years, 
.School  Director  for  a  like  length  of  time  and  School 
Trustee  three  years. 


^IPRIEN  LAMAR  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  the 
native  born  citizens  of  Calhoun  County,  of 
wiiich  he  is  now  a  respected  farmer,  owning 
and  occupying  a  good  farm  located  about  two  miles 
north  of  Hardin.  He  was  born  on  the  present  site 
of  Hardin,  December  24,  1830.  His  father,  who 
bore  the  same  name  as  himself,  was  a  native  of 
France,  an<l  coming  from  there  to  the  United  States, 
settled  on  the  present  site  of  Hardin  and  was  one 
of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Calhoun  County.  His 
useful  career  was  cut  short  by  his  untimely  death 
in  his  pioneer  home  in  1831.  His  wife  survived 
him  until  1840,  when  she  too  passed  away.  Her 
name  in  her  maiden  dajs  was  Lida  Digerlie. 

Her  parents  were  natives  of  Canada  and  were  of 
French  ancestrj".  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age  and  was  taken  care 
of  by  his  uncle  until  he  was  able  to  earn  his  own 
living.  He  was  obliged  to  start  out  in  life  on  his 
own  account  when  he  w.as  very  j'oung.  In  his 
j'outhful  dajs  but  very  little  farming  was  done  in 
this  county  the  land  being  timber  .and  the  people 
were  employed  to  a  very  great  extent  in  getting 
wood,  hoop  poles,  staves,  etc.,  and  our  subject  was 
thus  employed  for  seven  years. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Lamar  bought 


PORTRAIT  AND  15I0GRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


465 


eighty  acres  of  land  in  Hardin  Precinct,  whicli  he 
soon  sold  however  imd  purchased  one  luinilred  and 
sixty  acres  of  (lovernment  lend  in  tlie  same  pre- 
cinct. He  cleared  a  portion  of  it  and  lived  therejn 
about  five  years,  when  he  bought  nhere  he  now 
resides.  His  present  farm  contains  fort3'-nine  at  res 
of  finely  tilled  land,  supplied  with  neat  buildings 
and  all  necessar}'  improvements.  Mr.  Lamar  has 
here  a  fine  orchard  of  about  nine  acres  of  choice 
fruit  from  which  he  derives  a  good  income.  He  is 
industrious,  is  a  man  of  good  habits,  and  bv  thrifty 
and  wise  management  has  been  enabled  to  secure  a 
competency. 

Our  subject  has  had  the  valuable  co-operation  of 
a  goo<i  wife  since  1858  when  he  was  wedded  to 
Miss  Sarah  C'arpunk}'.  Jlrs.  Lamar's  father,  John 
B.  Carpunky,  was  a  Canadian  by  birth  and  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Pike  County.  He  was  married 
there  to  Rachael  .Tohnson.  who  now  resides  wiih 
her  daughter  in  Hamburg  Precinct.  Her  par- 
ents were  amung  the  earl\-  settlers  of  Pike  County, 
locating  there  when  Illinois  was  a  Territory-.  Mr. 
Carpunky  came  to  Calhoun  Countj'  with  his  family 
in  1840  and   spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  here. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lamar  have  the  following  seven 
children  living:  Maria.  Charlie,  Joseph  Z.,  August, 
Dennis,  Katie  and  Mollie.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lamar 
are  members  of  St.  Michael's  Catholic  Church  and 
are  greatly  esteemed  in  their  neighborhood  for 
llieir  personal  worth. 


ji^^  OLON  HUNTLEY  is  numbered  among  the 
^^^  progressive,  enterprising  and  well-to-do 
'\£_^j  farmers  and  stock-growers  of  Pike  County 
who  have  done  important  work  in  develop- 
ing and  extending  its  agricultural  interests,  and 
have  materially  added  to  its  wealth.  Our  subject 
was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  August  30, 
1836.  His  parents,  Harlow  and  Elmira  (Partridge) 
Huntley,  were  natives  respectively-  of  New  York 
and  Massachusetts.  His  father  became  a  carpenter 
and  carried  on  that  calling  at  a  foundry  in  Erie,  Pa. 
He  had  been  married  in  his  native  State  and  at  first 
settled    in     Alleghany    County,    N.     Y.,    whence 


he  wnt  to  Eric  and  subsequently  left  Pennsylvania 
for  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  whence  he  came 
with  Ills  family  to  Pike  County  with  a  team  in 
1813.  He  located  on  section  15,  Iladley  Township, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  a  log  schoolhouse  until 
he  built  a  cabin  for  the  shelter  of  his  wife  and 
children.  He  then  entered  energetically  upon  the 
task  of  clearing  his  eighty  acres  of  land  to  which  he 
subsequently  added  by  further  purchase  one  hund- 
red and  sixty  acres  on  sections  ',)  and  10.  At  that 
time  deer,  wolves  and  all  kind  of  wild  animals 
were  here  in  abundance,  as  the  country  was  still 
thinly  inhabited  and  in  a  wild  condition.  In  1855 
Mr.  Huntley  opened  a  general  store  in  Barry,  but 
was  not  successful  in  that  venture  and  lost  all  the 
money  he  had  put  into  it.  He  then  came  to  live 
with  his  son,  our  subject,  and  died  in  his  home  in 
1880  at  an  advanced  age.  His  wife  died  in  1877 
and  they  were  buried  side  by  side  in  the  cemetery 
at  Barry.  The  following  six  sons  and  six  daughters 
were  born  of  their  marriage:  Lyman,  Eliza, 
Roxana,  Martin,  Laura,  Solon,  Luron;  William, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  and  was  killed  at 
Shiloh;  Julia,  ]Marth.'i,  Pardee;  Ilattie  (deceased;. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  tlie  sixth  child  in  order 
of  birth  and  the  third  son  of  his  parents.  He  has 
always  lived  in  single  blessedness,  his  sisters  look- 
ing carefully  after  his  comfort,  Julia  and  Martha 
now  having  charge  of  the  house.  He  was  but  seven 
3ears  old  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Pike 
County,  and  here  he  was  reared  under  pioneer  in- 
fluences to  a  stalwart  manhood.  He  went  to  school 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  which  was  the  first  home  of  the 
family  after  their  arrival  here,  and  he  also  attended 
school  in  Barry  one  term.  He  remained  with  his 
parents,  assisting  in  the  farm  work  and  helping  his 
father  in  his  business  till  he  was  twenty-four  years 
old.  Then  the  enterprising  young  man  invested 
his  mone}-  in  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  on  which  he  has  ever  since  resided.  He  has 
improved  the  place  greatlj'  since  it  came  into  his 
possession,  has  cleared  the  land,  has  it  neatly  fenced 
anil  has  i)laced  upon  it  a  well  appointed  set  of 
buildings.  Prosperity  has  followed  his  work  as  he 
has  invested  his  monej'  judiciously  and  is  now  the 
proprietor  of  nine  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine 
land,:ill  under  fence  and  well  improved,  he  having 


466 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


foimerh-  owned  a  thousand  acres,  but  subsequently 
reduced  the  acreage  of  his  farm  by  the  sale  of 
eighty  acres  of  land.  He  is  |)rincipally  eiigiiged  as 
a  stock-raiser,  but  at  the  same  time  raises  grain 
very  extensively.  He  has  about  one  hundred  and 
sixt}'  hcr.d  of  cattle  and  one  hundred  hogs,  having 
sold  another  hundred  lately-. 

jNIr.  Huntley  is  classed  among  the  leading  citizens 
of  the  township  and  his  liberality  and  public  spirit 
have  done  nuich  to  advance  its  growth.  He  was 
connected  with  the  Republican  party  till  187G,and 
since  then  has  used  bis  influence  in  the  interests  of 
the  labor  movement.  His  fellow-citizens  have 
shown  a  due  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  he 
possesses  much  ability,  is  a  man  of  fine  business 
talent,  showing  rare  sagacity-  and  forethought  in 
the  management  of  his  aflfaiis,  by  calling  him  to  the 
position  of  Town  Clerk  which  he  lield  two  years, 
and  for  a  like  length  of  lime  he  ably  represented 
Hadley  Township  on  the  Pike  County  Board  of 
Sup(  r visors. 


i_^  ON.  FRANCIS  M.  GREATHOUSE.  This 
/'  j;  name  will  be  recognized  by  the  greater  num- 
ber of  our  readers  as  that  nf  an  honored  resi- 
le dent  of  Hardin, Calhoun  Count}'.  He  has  been 
a  valued  public  servant  and  is  one  of  the  most  em- 
inent law3'crs  In  the  county.  Besides  his  knowledge 
of  his  i)rofession,  he  gained  much  literarj'  culture 
during  his  younger  3'ears  and  laid  the  foundation 
for  the  extended  information  he  now  possesses.  He 
has  ever  manifested  an  interest  in  those  movements 
which  would  advance  the  material  prosperity  or 
elevate  the  intellectual  and  moral  status  of  the 
community,  and  his  influence  has  ever  been  on  the 
side  of  right  and  justice. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Bonaparte  Grealhouse, 
was  born  in  Henderson  County,  K}-.,  and  there 
reared  to  manhood.  He  went  to  Indiana  and  in 
Mt.  Vernon,  Posey  County,  married  Nancy,  daugh- 
ter of  Donahue  and  Jane  Williams,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  same  county  as  himself.  About  1.S28 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grealhouse  removed  to  Pike  County, 
this  State,  and  took  up  the  duties   of  pioneer  life. 


At  that  time  Atlas  was  the  county  seat  and  where 
the  flourishing  city  of  PittsBeld  now  stands  there 
was  no  village.  Mr.  Grealhouse  bought  a  tract  of 
land,  partly  timber  and  partly  prairie,  and  built 
thereon  the  log  house  in  which  our  subject  was 
born.  Being  industrious  and  possessed  of  good 
judgment  he  prospered  and  acquired  a  landed 
estate  of  about  six  hundred  acres.  He  died  in 
1850  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  but  his  widow 
survived  until  1872.  Mr.  Gi-ealhouse  was  an  old- 
line  Whig  and  was  one  of  the  early  Commissioners 
of  Pike  Count}'. 

Our  subject,  who  is  one  of  seven  children,  was 
born  in  Milton,  Pike  County,  March  20,  1839.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  place  and  Pitlsfield,  and  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years  began  his  legal  studies  with  W.  R.  Archer, 
in  the  latter  town.  He  continued  his  study  of  the 
law  under  N.  M.  Knapp,  of  Winchester  and  T.  G. 
C.  Davis,  of  St.  Louis.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  the  latter  cit}-  in  18G5  and  five  3ears  later 
took  up  his  permanent  residence  in  Hardin.  He  is 
well  versed  in  the  principles  of  law  and  equity, 
skillful  in  the  presentation  of  cases  to  judge  and 
jury,  and  wise  in  his  counsels  to  those  who  seek 
his  advice.  He  has  therefore  gained  a  high  stand- 
ing among  the  professional  men  of  this  county  and 
has  become  known  in  the  surrounding  territory  as 
an  able  lawyer. 

At  the  bride's  home  March  11,  1859,  the  rites  of 
wedlock  were  celebrated  between  Mr.  Grealhouse 
and  Miss  Belle  Morris.  This  lady  was  born  in 
Milton,  Pike  County,  her  parents  being  Berry  and 
Sytha  Morris.  She  is  a  lady  of  intelligence,  of  cordial, 
friendly  spirit,  and  possesses  much  wisdom  regard- 
ing home  duties  and  those  she  owes  to  society.  The 
marri.age  has  been  blest  by  the  birch  of  six  children, 
three  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz:  Henry  C, 
Clara  M.  and  Lulu  B.  Ilenry  married  Elizal)clli 
Buerger  and  Clara  became  the  wife  of  Charles  A. 
Watson,  both  families  living  in  Hardin.  Lulu  15. 
is  a  teacher,  capable  and  respec^ted. 

The  Hon.  F.  M.  Grealhouse  belongs  to  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  He  was  elected  County  Judge  in 
1877  and  served  one  term.  In  1882  he  was  sent 
to  the  State  Legislature.  He  has  also  been  Master 
of  Chancery  one    term  and    has  served  as  State's 


^"^^ 


LEWIS. H. BALDWIN. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


469 


Attoincy  nine  years.  Me  lias  been  a  meniber  of 
tlie  Village  IJuard  of  Trustees  and  in  his  private 
capacity  lias  exhibited  the  same  wisdom  and  energy' 
as  in  public  life.  He  belongs  to  Calhoun  Lodge 
No.  729  F.  ifc  A.  M.,  and  to  Calhoun  Lotlge  IS'o. 
444  L  O.  O.  F. 


— i»^»»-^»aP» 


i^Jjf- •<^^5-» 


\f  EWIS  II.  BALDWIN.  A  goodly  number 
of  the  pioneers  of  Pike  Couuty  have  been 
^,  called  from  the  scene  of  their  earthly  labors, 
leaving  behind  them  a  record  of  usefulness  in  the 
material  and  moral  world  which  makes  their  names 
highly  honored  by  the  present  settlers.  One  of 
Ihij  number  is  the  subject  of  these  paragrajjhs. 
whose  portrait  appears  on  the  opposite  page.  He 
was  born  near  Litchfield,  Conn.,  in  1810,  and  died 
at  his  home  on  section  25,  Fairmount  Township, 
March  G,  1S7(J.  lie  came  of  an  old  New  England 
family,  presumably  of  English  ancestry  and  through 
birth  and  training  possessed  the  sterling  qualitii's 
which  have  become  typical  of  the  New  England 
character. 

■  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  John  and  Sarah 
(Gunn)  Baldwin,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  near 
Litchfield,  Conn.,  being  members  of  the  agricultural 
community.  John  Baldwin  died  when  in  the  prime 
of  life,  his  son,  our  subject,  being  then  but  three 
years  of  age.  Sarah  Baldwin  survived  her  hus- 
band some  years  and  died  when  quite  old.  Both 
parents  were  of  the  old  Presbyterian  faith,  strict  in 
their  belief  as  was  the  habit  of  the  dwellers  in  New 
England.  They  had  a  large  family  of  seven  sons 
and  three  daughters,  all  but  one  of  whom  lived  to 
maturity,  came  West  and  the  greater  number  died 
in  the  Prairie  State. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
was  reared  at  the  place  of  his  birth  and  during  his 
j'outh  Ifarned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  As  that 
work  did  not  agree  with  his  health  he  did  not 
follow  it  .ifter  he  became  of  age  but  adopted  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer,  in  which  he  has  been  very 
successful,  lie  was  unmarried  and  still  young 
when  he  turned  his  footsteps  westward;  making  his 
home  for  a  time  in   Harrison   Countv,   lud.,    and 


thence,  in  tlie  fall  of  1835,  journeying  to  Pike 
County,  111.  Here  he  made  a  settlement  in  New 
Salem  Township  and  began  the  labors  of  a  pioneer, 
taking  up  the  burdens  which  belonged  to  that  time 
with  the  energy  and  cheerfulness  which  ever  charac- 
terized him.  After  a  few  years  he  sold  his  purchase 
of  eighty  acres  and  rented  land  in  Perry  Township, 
residing  thereon  about  three  j-ears. 

At  the  expiration  of  that  time  Mr.  Baldwin 
bought  and  moved  on  to  another  new  farm,  which 
was  his  home  until  the  day  of  bis  death.  From  a 
small  beginning  his  possessions  grew  to  the  extent 
of  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  lanii,  upon  which  the 
various  impiovements  had  been  made  whii;h 
stamped  it  as  the  abode  of  taste  and  plentj-.  Mr. 
Baldwin  was  a  practical  farmer,  making  of  his 
calling  both  an  art  and  a  science.  He  was  a  friendly 
and  obliging  neighbor,  generous  alike  to  all,  and 
identified  himself  with  the  best  interests  of  the  sec- 
tion. He  was  not  an  ollice-seeker  but  was  a  stanch 
supporter  of  Republican  principles.  Better  than 
all  else  he  was  an  exemplary  Christian,  having  for 
some  years  prior  to  his  demise  been  identified  with 
the  United  Brethren  Church. 

In  Griggsville  Township  the  solemn  rites  were 
celebrated  which  united  the  lives  and  fortunes  of 
Mr.  Baldwin  and  Miss  Maria  J.  EUedge.  The 
parents  of  the  bride  were  Boone  and  Rebecca 
(Bell)  EUedge,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  the 
Carolinas  but  accomp.anied  their  parents  to  Ken- 
tucky while  yet  unmarried.  In  Clark  County  they 
were  joined  in  wedlock  and  in  1817  removed  to 
Harrison  County,  Ind.,  making  that  their  home  until 
1836,  when  they  came  to  Pike  County,  III.  Their 
journey  hither  was  performed  overland  and  their 
settlement  was  made  in  Griggsville  Township  on 
an  almost  unbroken  farm.  Five  years  after  their 
arrival  Mr.  EUedge  died  st  the  age  of  sixty  odd 
years.  Mrs.  EUedge  survived  him  some  years, 
breathing  her  last  in  the  same  township  when  about 
seventy  3ears  old.  They  possessed  in  a  high  degree 
the  kindly  traits  which  were  so  characteristic  of  the 
pioneers  and  were  much  liked  liy  all  who  knew 
them.     Both  belonged  to  the  Baptist  Church. 

Mrs.  Baldwin  and  four  other  members  of  her 
parents'  family  were  born  in  Clark  County.  Ky., 
the  date  of  her   birth   being   November    14.    KS16. 


470 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Slie  was'quite  young  when  her  parents  came  to  the 
Praire  State  and  here  much  of  the  training  which 
fitted  iier  for  usefulness  was  received.  Slie  was  a 
true  lielpmate  to  hor  husband  and  a  wise  and  loving 
mother  to  lier  ciiildren.  An  earnest  Christian,  she 
has  endeavored  to  faitli fully  discharge  every  duty 
which  lay  before  her,  and  has  won  the  high  esteem 
(if  many  friends.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Charles  W.,  Sarah  A.,  and  Thomas 
V.  died  young.  John  B.  and  Rebecca  J.  are  also 
deceased,  both  having  left  families.  S.  David  was 
killeil  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun,  leaving 
a  widow  and  one  child;  .James  married  Luella 
^Villiams  and  operates  a  farm  in  Fairraount  Town- 
ship; Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  William  Gray, 
a  farmerjn  New  Salem  Township;  Abigail  G.  is  the 
wife  of  William  Smith,  who  now  owns  and  operates 
ihe  Bahlwin  homestead. 


TIS  A.  HASKINS  who  resides  on  section  3, 
Hardin  Township,  is  one  of  the  wealthiest 
""^^  citizens  of  Pike  county.  His  landed  pos- 
sessions aggregate  some  seventeen  hundred  acres 
:ind  he  raises  stock  in  large  numbers.  The  family 
l()  which  Mr.  Ilaskins  belongs  is  of  English  origin, 
ills  father,  Abijah  Haskins,  was  a  native  of  Massa- 
cliusetts  and  a  carpenter  by  trade,  but  in  connection 
with  that  occupation  carried  on  farming.  In  the 
Bay  State,  where  she  was  born  and  reared,  he  met 
and  married  Deborah  Briggs.  and  unto  them  were 
born  eleven  children  who  grew  to  mature  years, 
though  only  two  of  the  family  are  now  living.  The 
mother  died  in  Massachusetts  at  the  age  of  fort}'- 
five.  after  which  Mr.  Haskins  was  again  married 
:uul  by  his  second  union  three  children  were  born. 
The  birth  of  our  subject  occurred  on  November 
21,  1816,  in  the  old  Bay  State,  where  he  was  edu- 
cated and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  began  life  for 
himself.  In  his  father's  shop  he  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  and  was  engaged  on  the  construction 
of  the  first  building  in  which  the  cars  for  the  Old 
Colony  Railroad  were  made.  About  1838  he  went 
to  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  worked  for 
nine  months,  but  the  following  year  he   turned    his 


face  to  the  setting  sun,  determined  to  try  his 
fortune  on  the  broad  prairies  of  the  AVest.  The 
first  winter  after  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  he  worked 
at  his  trade  in  Alton  and  then  went  to  Godfrey, 
where  he  erected  a  house  for  ]Mr.  Turner.  The 
failure  of  the  bank  about  that  time  caused  him  to 
lose  all  of  his  hard  earned  savings  and  he  then 
sought  employment  in  Edwardsville,  111.,  whence 
he  was  called  to  Carrollton  to  erect  a  house  for 
Elam  F^ldred.  We  afterward  again  find  him  in  Al- 
ton, whence  he  returned  to  Edwardsville  but  as 
trade  was  very  dull  that  year  he  was  obliged  to 
work  in  the  harvest  fields  to  provide  for  his  support. 

It  was  while  residing  in  Edwardsville  that  on 
iMarch  12,  1844,  ]Mr.  Haskins  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Nanc3'  Thomas  who  was  born  in  Greene 
County,  111.,  August  21,  1822,  being  one  in  a  fam- 
ily of  twelve  children,  ton  of  whom  are  now  living. 
Her  father,  Samuel  Thomas,  was  a  native  of  South 
Carolina,  born  September  13,  1794,  but  was  reared 
in  Kentucky.  He  married  Elizabeth  Isle}',  who  was 
born  in  Tennessee,  Septeml)er  2,  1796,  and  in  1818, 
the  year  in  which  Illinois  was  admitted  to  the 
I'nion  they  settled  in  Greene  County.  Thej-  were 
the  first  to  locate  north  of  Macoupin  Creek.  The 
death  of  the  husband  occurred  in  1873  and  his  wife 
died  two  years  later. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Haskins  came  to 
Pike  County  locating  on  a  farm  in  Newburg  Town- 
ship where  he  made  his  home  for  a  3'ear,  after 
which  he  purch.ased  a  tract  of  timber  land.  lu  the 
autumn  of  1851  he  became  owner  of  the  farm 
which  has  now  for  almost  forty  years  been  his 
home.  It  had  previously  been  improved  in  a  limited 
degree  but  not  having  been  kept  up  it  had  almost 
relapsed  into  its  primitive  condition.  His  family 
moved  into  a  little  log  cabin  and  with  characteris- 
tic energy  he  devoted  himself  to  the  development 
of  the  land.  The  first  year  he  made  enough  to  p.ay 
for  the  farm  and  two  years  later  in  1854  he  buUt 
the  residence  which  is  now  the  home  of  his  son. 
On  his  arrival  in  Illinois  Mr.  Ilaskins  had  but  $40 
in  money  and  a  kit  of  carpenter's  tools,  but  he  is 
now  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  this  section  of 
the  State,  the  result  of  his  own  efforts,  his  industry, 
perseverance  and  good  management.  His  home  is 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  county.     It   was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


471 


erected  in  1873  at  a  cost  of  $6,000,  is  tastefully 
and  be.iiitifully  furnislied  and  supplied  with  all  the 
comforts  and  many  of  the  luxuries  which  go  to 
make  life  worth  the  living,  including  books,  a  fine 
piano  and  other  evidences  of  culture  and  refine- 
ment. The  outbuildings  are  in  keeping  with  the 
dwelling,  he  having  two  large  and  well  built  barns, 
the  dimensions  of  which  are  43x62  feet  and  30x20 
feel.  As  before  stated,  he  owns  seventeen  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Pike  Count}'  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  hundred  acres  the  entire  amount  is 
under  cultivation.  He  rents  a  large  portion  of  this 
and  it  yields  him  an  excellent  income.  His  stock  is 
as  tine  as  can  be  found  in  the  county  and  he  now 
has  three  liundred  head  of  cattle,  sixty  head  of 
lidrscs,  five  hundred  head  of  hogs  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty  head  of  sheep.  He  has  some  of  the  best 
roadsters  and  draft  horses  to  be  found  an3-where, 
and  his  tean),  Bellfounder  and  Messenger,  which 
he  brought  from  Pennsylvania,  can  hardly  be  ex- 
celled and  would  delight  the  ej-c  of  the  most  fas- 
tidious lover  of  horses. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ilaskins  are  the   parents    of  four 
children  who  have  grown  to  mature  years.  William 
Henry,  the  eldest,  born  January  5,    184.5,   married 
Emma  Yokera,  by  whom  he  has  eight    living  chil- 
dren, and  lives  on  his    father's   farm.     Ardelia  E., 
born  August  29,  1847,  is  the   wife    of  Moses   Mc- 
!    Faddenand  their  union  has  been  ble.ssed  with  three 
cliildren  of  whom   one,  Lillian,  is  living;   Mary  J., 
horn  July  20,  1852,  is  the  wife  of  T.  N.  Hall  whose 
'    sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Samuel  T., 
who  was  born  October  23,  1857,  and  pursued  a 
I    course  of  study  in  the  Jacksonville  Business  Col- 
I    li'ge,  is  still  at  home.     The  mother  of  this  family 
'    was  called  to  her  final  rest  Februar}'  16,  1885,  and 
her  remains  were  interred  in  the  West  Cemetery  of 
I    Pittsfield. 

Mr.  Ilaskins  has   taken    considerable   interest  in 

educational  matters  and  provided  his  children  with 

such  advantages  as  would  fit  them  for  the  practical 

I    duties  of  life.     In  liis  political  views  he  is    liberal 

'    but  generally  votes  with  the  Republican  party.  He 

I    has  held  the  otlicc  of  Road  Supervisor  but  has  never 

sought  or  desired    political  preferment,    l)is    time 

being  fully  occupied  with  his  business  interests    in 

which  he  has  been   eminentlv  successful.     It   is    a 


self-evident  fact  that  he  possesses  business  ability 
of  a  high  order,  or  he  would  not  have  met  with  the 
prosperity  which  has  .attended  his  efforts.  He  is 
now  well  along  in  years,  \et  to  see  him  one  would 
hardly  think  he  had  p.assed  the  prime  of  life,  while 
the  energy  he  displays  would  seem  to  warrant  one 
in  that  conclusion.  He  has  avoided  litigation,  has 
been  involved  in  but  two  lawsuits,  in  both  of 
which  he  came  out  victorious.  He  pfiys  his  debts 
promptly,  having  in  his  whole  business  career  only 
twice  given  a  note. 


— ^-i-i'=^<s=»i-M- 


ICHAEL  KINSCHERFF.  Scattered  over 
the  New  World  are  settlements  of  Ger- 
^  man-born  citizens,  and  none  who  have  emi- 
grated to  our  shores  have  manifested  a 
higher  average  of  thrift,  steadiness  and  reliability 
than  these.  Particularly  is  this  true  in  the  agricul- 
tural districts  and  to  the  German  farmers  our  coun- 
try owes  much  for  the  rapid  development  of  some 
sections  of  her  territory.  Calhoun  County  is  not 
without  her  share  of  these  enterprising  men,  and 
none  are  better  deserving  of  representation  in  a 
volume  of  this  nature  than  Michael  Ivinscherff,  now 
a  resident  of  Crater  Precinct. 

The  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light  Dec- 
ember 13,  1841,  in  Bavaria,  German}',  where  he 
was  reared  to  manhood  under  the  care  of  worthy 
parents,  Nicholas  and  Elizabeth  Kinscherfl.  Under 
the  efficient  school  laws  of  the  Empire,  he  received 
a  good  education  in  his  native  tongue  and  he  has 
since  gained  a  fair  knowledge  of  English.  In  early 
life  he  obtained  a  knowlege  of  the  details  of  farm 
life  and  determined  to  devote  himself  to  the  calling 
in  which  his  ancestors  h.id  labored.  Becoming 
fully  persu.ided  tliat  the  New  World  would  afford 
a  broader  field  for  his  energies  than  his  own  land, 
he  bade  adieu  to  home  and  friends,  and  reaching 
Havre,  France,  took  passage  on  a  steamer  from 
which  he  landed  in  Portland,  Me.,  after  an  ocean 
voyage  of  eighteen  days. 

Mr.  Ivinscherff  at  once  made  his  w.ay  to  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  where  for  a  time  he  was  employed  as  a 
teamster.  In  1865  became  to  Calhoun  County,  HI., 


472 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


purchasing  tlie  farm  in  Crater  Precinct  now  owned 
by  Chris  Shuman.  He  subsequently  settled  on  sec- 
lion  10,  where  he  is  still  living  and  where  he  has 
acquired  three  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of 
land.  Financially  self-made,  Mr.  Kinscherff  has 
set  an  example  of  jiersistent  and  painstaking  indus- 
try which  may  well  be  emulated  by  younger  men, 
who  might  reap  an  equal  reward  if  they  would  be 
content  to  follow  in  his  footsteps. 

In  December,  1865,  our  subject  contracted  a 
matrimonial  alliance,  having  won  for  his  wife  Mag- 
lialena  Leiser.  This  lady  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
man}', March  21,  1S43,  and  was  in  her  ninth  year 
when  her  parents,  Thomas  and  Barbara  Leiser,  emi- 
grated with  their  family  to  America.  Tiiej-  spent 
a  sliort  time  in  Greene  County,  III.,  whence,  in 
1853  they  came  to  Calhoun  County,  settling  in 
Carlin  Precinct  where  both  parents  died.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kinscherff  are  the  parents  of  six  children, 
named  respectively,  Frances,  John,  Bernhard,  Al- 
bert, Emma  and  Catherine.  The  first-born  is  now 
the  wife  of  W.  B.  Kamp. 

The  political  affiliation  of  Mr.  Kinscherff  is  with 
tlie  Democracy  and  his  religious  membership  is  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  holds  the  otBce 
of  Judge  of  Elections  in  Crater  Precinct  and  is 
School  Director  in  the  district  in  which  he  lives. 
While  his  personal  affairs  and  the  associations  of 
home  fill  his  mind,  they  do  not  exclude  some  con- 
sideration of  the  rights  and  privileges  of  his  fel- 
low-men, but  he  finds  time  for  and  takes  enjoyment 
ill  lending  a  helping  hand  to  those  projects  wiiich 
will  increase  the  jirosperity  of  this  section  of  our 
great  commonwealth. 


TEPHEN  McDonald,  Probate  Judge  of 
Calhoun  County,  was  born  on  the  farm  he 
now  occupies  near  Hardin,  November  21. 
1815.  He  is  the  son  of  a  refined  and  hon- 
orable coui)le  who  were  well  educated  for  their  day, 
and  whose  aim  it  was  to  bestow  upon  their  children 
the  most  careful  home  training  and  best  educational 
advantages  which  the  increasing  facilities  of  the 
countrv  would  allow.     Growing  to  manhood  under 


such  favorable  auspices,  our  subject  became  a  thor- 
oughly educated  man  and  one  of  unbounded  en- 
ergy and  good  principles.  He  has  won  a  high  degree 
of  woildly  success  in  the  accumulation  of  a  fine 
property  and  a  share  in  public  honors  during  an 
extended  period.  His  public  record  is  unimpeach- 
able and  his  private  character  without  a  stain. 

John  McDonald,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  that  State  grew  to 
manhood.  He  came  thence  to  the  Prairie  State, 
made  his  home  for  a  time  in  Shawneetown,  then 
took  up  his  abode  in  this  countj'  among  its  early 
settlers.  He  lived  for  a  time  in  Gilead  Precinct, 
but  later  removed  to  Hardin  Precinct,  buying  a 
tract  of  timber  land  on  section  23.  He  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  teachers  of  this  count}',  and  also  one  of 
its  first  Sheriffs,  serving  in  the  shrievalty  three 
terras.  He  likewise  served  the  people  of  this  sec- 
tion as  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  He  died  in 
1847,  leaving  a  widow  and  seven  children,  the  lat- 
ter named  respectivelj' :  Mary,  John,  James,  Ferdi- 
nand, Charles,  Annie  and  Stephen.  The  mother 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Nancy  Red.  She  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  died  on  the  home  farm 
in  1883. 

Our  subject  was  but  two  years  old  when  his  fa- 
ther died,  but  he  remained  with  his  mother  on  the 
homestead,  attending  the  district  schools  until  he 
was  eighteen  years  old.  He  then  entered  Notre 
Dame  University  at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  pursued 
his  studies  there  a  year  and  then  taught  several 
terms  of  school.  With  that  exception  and  the  time 
devoted  to  his  official  duties,  he  has  been  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  now  owns  fifteen  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  the  greater  part  in  Calhoun 
County.  He  has  an  orchard  of  sixty  acres,  over  M 
one -half  of  which  is  devoted  to  Ben  Davis  apples,  ~ 
and  the  rest  to  many  different  varieties.  The  build- 
ings u))on  tlie  home  farm  are  substantial,  commo- 
dious, and  conveniently  arranged,  and  every  effort 
is  made  to  enhance  the  comfort  of  the  occupants 
and  secure  the  proper  care  for  stock  and  crops. 
Elsewhere  in  this  volume  will  be  noticed  a  view  of 
the  residence  of  Judge  McDonald  with  its  rural 
surroundings. 

In  1872  Judge  McDonald  led  to  the  hymeneal 
altar  Miss  Elizabeth  McGinnis,  daughter  of  John 


..residence:  of  JOHN    RETZER.SEC.IG.CARLIN  TP.  CALHOUN  CO.  1  LL. 


RESIDENCE  OF  STEPHEN  M^.DON  ALD,5EC.23.HARD!  N    PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO.  I  LL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


475 


and  Bridget  McGinnis,  natives  of  Ireland.  Mrs. 
.MuiJonalil  was  boin  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  is  well  iu- 
furnied,  agreeable  in  manners  and  efficient  in  lioii.se- 
Imld  affairs.  She  lias  borne  licr  husband  nine  chil- 
dren, named  respectivel}- :  Frauds,  Edward,  .lauu's 
(deceased),  Clarence.  Clara,  Annie.  .Tohn,  Leo  and 
Charles.  Mr.  and  ]Mrs.  McDonald  belong  to  St. 
Norbert's  Church  in  Hardin.  !Mr.  McDonald  is  a 
Democrat.  lie  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk  in  1872, 
served  in  that  capacity  two  terms  and  in  the  fall  of 
1880  became  Judge.  He  has  hehl  his  place  U|)(]n 
the  Bench  ten  years  and  the  people  in  general  are 
well  satisfied  with  his  rulings. 


-?a- 


^^ 


^OIIN    RETZER,    the    popular    and   efficient 
Postinasler  of  Cliffd;de.  has  the  honor  of  be- 
ing a  native  of  Calhoun  Countj-,   which   is 
slill  his  home.     He   was   horn   January  12. 
18G2,  and  is  a  representative  of  one  of    the   early 
and   highly  respected  families  of  the  community. 
His  parents  Sebastian  and  Theresa  Retzer,   natives 
of   (iernian}',  emigrate;!   from    the  Fatherland    to 
America,  and  settled  in  Elk  County,   Pa.,  whence 
they  came  to  Calhoun  County.  111.,  at  an  early  day. 
Both  are  still  living  and  tlicir  home  is  the  farm  on 
which  they  located   on    their  arrival  in    1860.     It 
was   then  in  its  primitive  condition,  not   a    furrow- 
having  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made,   but 
with  the  assistance  of  his  sons,  Mr.    Retzer  trans- 
formed  the  wild  land  into  a  rich  and  fertile    farm, 
and   subsequentl3'  added   to  his   possessions  which 
now  aggregate  several  hundred   acres.     His   resi- 
dence is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
count}'  and  in  that  home  which  is  supplied  with  all 
the  comforts  of  life  he  and  his  wife  expect  to  spend 
their  remaining  days  surrounded  by  the  loving  care 
and  interest  of  children  and  friends.    Of  their  fam- 
ily, George  and  John  are  farmers  of  this  county ; 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  .lolin  Robeon;  Augustine  is  de- 
ceased ;  Theresa  and  William  complete  the  number. 
John  Retzer,  whose  oatse  heads  this  sketch,  has 
been  known  to  the  people  of  this  county  from  early 
boyhood  and  a  life  unmarked  by  tricker}-   or   un- 
scruplous  dealing,  but  characterized  by  honesty  and 


integrity,  has  made  him  many  friends.  In  his  youth 
he  assisted  in  the  cultivation  of  the  old  homestead, 
and  acquired  his  education  in  the  log  schools  which 
were  common  at  tliat  d.ay,  and  such  as  those  in 
which  man\-  of  our  men  of  national  reputation  ac- 
quired their  rudimentary  knowledge.  Throughout 
his  business  career  he  has  engaged  in  farming.  He 
chose  as  a  helpmate  on  life's  journe}'  Miss  Mar^' 
Benz,  daughter  of  John  Benz  of  Carlin  Precinct, 
the  wedding  ceremony  being  performed  on  the  IGth 
of  April,  1885.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living:  John  was 
born  on  March  2;5,  1887;  Otis  was  born  October  2, 
1888;  one  child  died  in  infancy'. 

Mr.  Retzer  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
acres  of  land,  constituting  a  farm  which  is  second 
to  none  us  regards  the  neatness  with  which  it  is 
kept  and  the  high  state  of  cultivation  under  which 
it  has  been  placed.  The  reader  will  notice  on  an- 
other page  a  view  of  his  linely  improve.!  home- 
stead. His  property  is  the  work  of  his  own  hands, 
and  is  but  the  just  reward  of  his  industry  and  un- 
ceasing activity.  In  politics  he  inarches  in  line 
with  his  worth}'  father,  holding  aloft  the  banner  of 
Democracy.  He  has  served  as  School  Director  of 
his  district,  and  in  1887  was  appointed  Postmaster 
of  Cliffdale,  whicii  position  he  still  occupies  as  the 
result  of  faithful  and  prompt  discharge  of  duty. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  memliers  of  the  Catholic 
Church  of  Kampsville. 


■^i'*> 


-o»o.-^©JX1®-«>*<>~ 


WTLLIAM  H.  WILSON.  This  gentleman  is 
a  reiu-esentative  English-American  citizen 
and  one  whose  qualifications  of  mind  and 
character  have  given  him  a  prominent  position  in 
the  local  affairs  of  Pike  County  for  man}'  years. 
He  is  identified  with  every  public-spirited  move- 
'  ment,  has  been  one  of  the  organizers  of  several  en- 
terprises which  promised  to  advance  the  welfare  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  section  of  the  State,  and 
j  whether  laboring  for  himself  or  the  public  is  ener- 
getic and  zealous. 

The  Wilson  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  de- 
scendant is  of    pure   English   blood.     The  grand- 


476 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


father  Hutchins  Wilson  was  born  in  Berkshire  and 
spent  llie  greater  part  of  his  life  there  as  a  builder 
and  painter  of  coaches.  lie  died  in  Rending  full 
of  jeais  and  honor.  He  belonged  to  the  Church  of 
England.  He  was  first  married  to  Rachel  Hulcup, 
an  English  lady,  who  died  in  the  prime  of  life, 
leaving  three  children,  of  whom  the  father  of  our 
subject  was  the  youngest.  Grandfather  Wilson 
subsequently  married  Mrs.  Mars'  Davis  who  lived 
to  a  ripe  old  age,  surviving  her  last  husband. 

Henry  Wilson,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  London,  England.  May  1,  181 G,  and  being 
quite  small  when  his  mother  died  was  reared  bj-  an 
aunt.  He  received  a  good  education  in  two  private 
.schools  and  after  completing  his  studies  became  a 
grocer's  clerk.  In  accordance  with  the  English 
custom  he  served  an  apprenticeship  and  when 
twenty-two  years  old  opened  a  store  in  Lower  Lon- 
don. He  was  engaged  as  a  grocer  eleven  years, 
during  this  time  being  married  to  Miss  Catherine 
S.  .Stralton,  a  native  of  Berkshire  and  of  pure 
English  lineage.  After  closing  out  his  grocerj'  in 
the  metropolis  Mr.  Wilson  established  another  in 
ijwindon,  Wiltshire,  making  that  his  heme  a  few 
years.  He  then,  with  his  wife  and  four  children 
living  of  the  eight  who  had  been  born  to  thera,  set 
'  out  fur  America. 

The  party  left  Liverpool  in  April,  LS.55,  on  a 
sailing-vessel  and  after  a  voyage  of  nearly  seven 
weeks  landed  in  New  Yoik  City,  whence  by  land 
and  waler  they  continued  their  journey  to  Griggs- 
ville.  Pike  County,  111.  Some  months  later  the}' 
located  on  a  farm  in  the  northern  part  of  Perrj' 
Township  and  in  1868  removed  to  Ihnt  now  occu- 
pied by  our  subject  and  his  father.  The  farm  is 
pleasantly  located  on  section  28,  near  the  town  of 
Perry,  and  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the 
county.  It  now  consists  of  nearly  four  hundred  acres 
of  land  which  has  been  highly  improved  and  is  well 
stocked  with  domestic  animals  and  farm  machinery. 
Here  Henry  AVilson  is  passing  his  declining  years 
in  quiet  enjoyment,  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts 
of  life  and  blest  by  the  loving  care  of  the  other 
members  of  the  household.  His  good  wife  was 
called  from  time  to  eternity  February  27,  1879. 
After  coming  to  America  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
son   became    identified     with     the     Presbyteriai 


Church.  The  only  members  of  their  family  circle 
now  living  are  our  subject  and  his  sister  Mar}', 
wife  of  Calvin  Harrington,  a  farmer  iu  Griggsville 
Township. 

William  II.  Wihou,  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
was  born  in  London,  England,  September  16, 
1845,  but  has  lived  in  the  township  which  is  now 
his  home  since  he  was  ten  years  of  age.  Since  he 
has  attained  to  years  of  discretion  he  has  been 
doing  business  with  his  father  as  a  general  farmer. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the  Seventj'- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  Col.  Jacques  commanding, 
and  was  enrolled  in  Companj^  H,  under  Capt. 
Morgan,  now  of  Quincy.  Sis  months  later  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Forty-fourth  Regiment  and  hon- 
orably discharged  September  5,  1865  after  a  j'ear's 
service,during  which  time  he  bad  not  come  in  direct 
contact  with  the  enemy.  He  escaped  unhurt  from 
the  dangers  which  beset  pickets  and  scouts  but  suf- 
fered from  disease,  though  be  never  failed  to  rejjorl 
for  duty. 

At  the  home  of  Jotham  and  !Mahala  (Hobbs) 
Bradbury  in  Griggsville  Township,  Pike  County, 
the  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  between  our  sub- 
ject and  Miss  Cornelia,  daughter  of  the  host  and 
hostess.  The  bride  was  born  December  12,  18-47, 
in  the  township  in  which  her  marriage  took  place. 
She  is  the  eldest  child  in  a  family  consisting  of 
four  sons  and  three  daughters,  two  of  the  sons 
being  now  deceased.  Her  parents  are  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  respectively',  came  to  this 
State  in  early  life  and  afler  their  marriage  set- 
tled on  a  farm  where  they  were  actively  engaged 
until  1889.  They  then  retired  from  the  more  ardu- 
ous toils  of  life  and  took  possession  of  a  pleasant 
home  in  the  village  of  Griggsville.  The}'  are  well 
known  in  their  township,  are  highlj'  respected  and 
belong  to  the  Baptist  Church.  They  are  now  quite 
well  advanced  in  j'ears,  Mr.  Bradbury  having  been 
born  in  1824  and  Mrs.  Bradbury  in  1822. 

The  family  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  consists 
of  three  children — Grace  I.,  Edith  B.  and  Cather- 
ine J.,  into  whose  minds  and  hearts  the  parents 
have  ever  endeavored  to  instill  the  principles  of 
morality  and  religion  and  so  fit  them  for  useftd  ca- 
reers. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  belong  to  the  Pres- 
bjterian  Church,   in  which  the  husband  holds  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


477 


[wsilions  of  Elder,  Trustee  and  Clerk  of  the  Board. 
He  and  his  father  are  sound  in  the  Republican 
doctrines  and  our  subject  is  Chairman  of  the  Cen- 
iral  Committee  of  Lis  township.  Mr.  Wilson  be- 
longs to  lilne  Lodge  No.  95,  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  at 
Perry.  He  is  an  ofticer  in  the  Illinois  Valley  Fair 
Association,  which  he  helped  to  organize,  and  is 
also  Secretary  of  the  Griggsville  Mutual  Fire  and 
Ligiitning  Insurance  Company,  of  which  he  was 
formerly  Treasurer  four  j^cars.  The  latter  asso- 
ciation includes  six  townships  and  has  a  capital  of 
^•2-22,O00.  Our  subject's  eldest  daughter  (irace  I. 
is  teaching  in  the  Grammar  department  of  the 
Perry  High  School. 

— #-#- ^ 


hA  RS.  LUCY  F.  (GRABB)  McATEE.  This 
V  lady  is  greatly  resjiected  in  Barry  Town- 
ship where  she  has  made  her  home  for 
many  years,  for  her  social  qualities  and 
her  fine  character.  She  is  the  widow  of  Elijaii 
McAtee  who  was  formerlj'  one  of  the  leading  far- 
mers of  this  place  and  a  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Alfred  Grabb.who  during  his  lifetime  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  figures  in  the  public  and  political 
life  of  this  county. 

Mrs.  McAtee  was  born  in  Somerset,  Pulaski 
County,  Ky.,  January  1,  1821.  Her  father  was 
born  pear  Pittsylvania  Courthouse,  Bedford  Coun- 
ty, Pa.,  and  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Grabh.  The  latter 
was  of  German  ancestr\-  and  went  from  Yiiginia  to 
Pennsylvania  and  finally  removed  with  liis  family 
to  Kentucky  in  an  early  day  of  its  settlement  and 
located  in  Pulaski  County.  He  was  a  silversmith 
and  followed  his  trade  in  Somerset  and  there  died. 
Jlrs.  Mc^Atec's  father  was  a  natural  mechanic 
and  in  early  life  worked  at  different  trades.  In 
18;}0  he  started  with  his  wife  and  six  children  for 
Illinois  and  made  the  entire  journey  overland.  He 
located  in  Pike  County  and  thus  became  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  this  region.  He  bought  a  tract 
of  wild  land  near  the  present  site  of  Kinderhook 
and  in  the  log  house  which  he  erected  thereon  his 
family  made  their  pioneer  home.  At  that  time 
Indians  still  lingered  here,  deer,  wolves  and  other 


wild  animals  were  plentiful  and  the  country  was  in 
a  very  sparsely  settled,  uncivilized  condition. 
There  were  no  railways  for  many  years,  St. 
Louis,  the  nearest  city,  was  but  a  small  place,  and 
for  some  time  produce  and  stock  was  taken  on  a 
fialboat  to  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Grabb  finally  built  a 
hewed  log  house  to  replace  the  humble  cabin  and 
later  erected  a  more  commodious  brick  residence. 
Some  years  after  settlement  here  he  removed  to 
St.  Louis  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business 
awhile  and  then  came  back  to  this  part  of  the 
county  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Barry.  He  was  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  force  of  character,  was 
self-educated  and  was  very  inttuential  in  public  and 
political  affairs,  as  he  was  a  fluent  talker  and  took' 
an  active  interest  in  everything  th.at  pertained  to 
the  public  welfare  of  county  or  State.  He  was  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  elected  in  Barry  and  was 
one  of  the  early  County  Commissioners.  In  1840 
he  was  elected  Sheriff  and  in  1845  was  sent  to  the 
Legislature,  proving  himself  to  possess  fine  quali- 
fications for  whatever  position  he  might  be  called 
upon  to  hold.  The  last  years  of  his  life  he  lived 
retired  in  Barry,  dying  in  1867  and  thus  passed 
from  the  scenes  of  his  usefulness  one  of  our  most 
honored  pioneers.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife, 
mothtr  of  Mrs.  McAtee,  was  Jemima  Greer.  She 
died  in  Kentucky  in  1824,  and  the  father  of  oursnb- 
ject  marrieil  a  second  time,  taking  as  his  wife  a 
Miss  January.  The  tour  children  of  the  first  mar- 
riage who  were  reared  to  maturity  are:  Lafayette, 
who  resides  in  Peru.  La  .Salle  County;  Mrs.  McAtee; 
Eudora,  and  Alfred,  the  latter  of  whom  are  now 
deceased.  Of  the  sixteen  children  born  of  the  sec- 
ond marriage  the  following  are  living:  Saraii.  a 
resident  of  Barry;  Joseph,  ex-Circuit  Judge,  a  res- 
ident of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.;  Otie,  a  banker  in  Law- 
rence, Kan.;  Susan,  of  Rockport,  Mo.;  William,  an 
attorney  at  Adrian,  Mo.;  Frances,  of  Chicago,  and 
Henrietta,  of  Barry.  The  following  are  deceased: 
Burwell,  Eliza,  Melvina,  Stanilas  and  Henry. 

Our  subject  was  about  ten  3'ears  old  when  .she 
came  to  this  county  with  her  father  and  can  remem- 
ber well  the  incidents  of  pioneer  life  here.  Tlie 
family  were  obliged  to  live  after  the  most  primitive 
fashion  and  her  mother  used  to  spin,  weave  and 
make  all   the   cloth    used    in   the    family  and  she 


478 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


taught  her  daughter  the  art  of  spinning  and  weav- 
ing. vShe  resided  with  her  fatlier  till  her  marriage 
in  1841  to  Elijah  McAtce. 

Mr.  McAtee  was  Ijorn  in  Kentucky.  His  father, 
Hezekiah  McAtee,  one  of  the  early  jiioneers  of  this 
county  was  born  in  Maryland  in  17G9  and  moved 
from  there  to  Kentucky  and  thence  to  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  in  182.5.  He  was  a  iiioneer  there  and 
n  1827  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike 
County.  He  bought  a  tract  of  land  on  section  7, 
Barry  Township,  on  whicli  he  built  a  house  and 
resided  there  till  death  brought  his  life  to  a  close. 

Mr.  McAtee  inherited  tiie  old  home  and  was 
actively  engaged  in  the  management  of  the  farm 
for  many  3'ears,  dwelling  thereon  till  his  life  was 
rounded  out  in  1888,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  seventy- 
five  vears.  He  was  well-known  in  the  community 
and  his  character  was  such  as  to  command  the  con- 
sideration and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  His  marriage  with  our  subject  was  blessed 
to  them  by  the  liirth  of  four  children,  of  whom  two, 
Fannie  and  P^rank  are  deceased.  Those  living  are 
Sarah  and  Alfred  H.  A  sketch  of  Alfred  appears 
elsewliere  in  this  work.  Sarah  Isabel  married  Albert 
Leach,  and  is  the  mother  of  five  children,  namely: 
F.  Estelle,  Lu(;y,  Carrie,  Frank  and  Lucile.  Estelle 
mnrried  J.  F.  Laird  and  they  have  one  child  named 
Geneva. 


1  FORGE  M.  POPE  has  been  a  resident  of 
Calhoun  County  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and 
within  that  time  has  improved  a  good  farm 
and  has  placed  himself  among  the  solid  men  of 
Hamburg  Precinct,  where  he  is  actively  engaged  in 
his  business  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  He  is  a 
native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  was  born  March 
1  5,  1 833,  to  John  Z.  and  Barbara  (Ernst)  Pope,  who 
were  also  Bavarians  by  birth.  His  early  life  was 
passed  in  the  land  of  his  nativity  and  his  education 
was  conducted  in  its  excellent  schools,  where  he 
not  only  became  conversant  with  the  common 
branches  but  was  taught  Latin  and  French,  and 
since  coming  to  this  country  has  added  to  his 
linguistic  accomplishments  by   becoming    a   good 


(I 


English  scholar.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  serving 
an  apprenticeship  of  four  3-ears.  For  a  short  time 
he  followed  his  calling  as  a  journeyman  in  Ger- 
many, and  then  in  the  fall  of  1852,  ambitious  to 
improve  his  prospects  and  to  make  more  of  life  than 
he  could  in  his  native  Bavaria  he  emigrated  to 
America,  taking  passage  at  Hamburg  on  a  sail  ves- 
sel and  landing  in  New  York  Cit}'  after  a  vovage 
of  thirty  days.  He  made  his  way  to  Detroit,  3Iich., 
where  he  remained  a  short  time  and  then  secured 
employment  as  a  carpenter  on  the  Great  Western 
Railroad  then  being  built,  and  was  thus  engaged 
aliout  six  months.  As  soon  as  navigation  opened 
on  the  lakes  he  went  to  the  Lake  Superior  region 
and  carried  on  his  trade  there,  being  employed  as  a 
mining  carpenter.  He  worked  in  that  capacity 
some  ten  years  and  in  186-1  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
where  he  carried  on  his  trade  one  year. 

In  18C5  our  subject  became  a  resident  of  Calhoun 
County,  locating  then  on  his  present  farm  in  Ham- 
burg Precinct.  In  1872  he  returned  to  Germany 
and  for  some  three  months  enjoyed  himself  among 
the  pleasant  scenes  of  his  childhood.  In  1885  he 
revisited  his  old  home,  making  a  stay  there  of  three 
months  and  then  returned  to  his  adopted  countr}', 
where  he  had  formed  manj'  pleasant  ties  and  with 
which  he  had  many  pleasant  associations.  He  mar- 
ried in  Januf.ry,  1854,  taking  as  his  wife  Catherine 
Brown,  a  native  of  German}',  and  their  happy 
union  was  productive  to  them  of  seven  children  of 
whom  the  following  four  are  living:  Alice,  wife  of 
F.  M.  Hasty,  of  Calhoun  County;  Emma,  Helen 
and  Rosa.  In  the  month  of  March,  1873,  the  home 
of  our  subject  was  desolated  by  the  death  of  his 
beloved  wife  who  had  shared  with  him  the  joys 
and  sorrows  of  life  for  nearly  twenty  j-ears,  and 
had  been  a  loving  companion  and  devoted  friend, 
and  to  their  children  a  wise  and  gentle  mother. 

When  Mr.  Pope  came  to  Hamburg  Precinct  and 
settled  on  his  land  it  was  in  a  wild  state,  and  it  is 
only  by  hard  and  well-directed  labor  that  he  has 
been  able  to  place  it  under  fine  cultivation  and 
make  it  one  of  the  well-improved  farms  of  the  pre- 
cinct. It  comprises  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  whose  well-tilled  fields  yield  abundant 
harvests.     There  was  much  timber  standing  on  the 


DANIEL  BURNS 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


481 


1  iii'J  when  he  took  possession  of  it  and  he  cut  and 
took  away  from  it  seven  liundied  cords  of  wood. 
lie  is  carrying  on  his  farmino;  interests  verj'  profit- 
alily  and  has  a  comfortable  income  from  the  pro- 
ceeds of  his  labor.  He  is  a  man  of  good  mental 
cal'bre.  possessing  decided  opinions  of  liisown  and 
having  broad  views  of  life.  In  politics  he  is  inde- 
pendent, always  voting  for  the  man  and  not  for  liie 
party.  He  has  done  good  service  in  Hamburg  Pre- 
cinct as  School  Trustee,  and  never  fails  to  give  his 
fupijort  to  whatever  will  advance  education  and 
religion  in  his  community.  He  is  a  Swedenborgian 
in  his  religions  belief  and  is  in  every  w.ny  a  man  of 
true  integrit}-. 


:a-^ 


m 


ANIEL  BURNS.  A  goodly  number  of  the 
agriculturists  of  Pike  County  have  been  so 
successful  in  their  chosen  calling  that  they 
have  been  enabled  to  retire  from  active  life  and 
enjojthe  comforts  which  tiieir  industrious  conduct 
has  deserved.  Among  this  number  is  Daniel  Burns, 
now  occupying  a  pleasant  home  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Griggsville  wiiich  he  purchased  in  the  fall  of 
1888.  He  is  now  somewhat  advanced  in  years  but 
having  inherited  a  strong  constitution  and  broken 
it  down  by  no  bad  habits  he  is  h.ale  and  hearty  and 
likely  to  live  many  jears.  His  career  has  been 
in.irked  from  bo3hood  liy  steadiness,  reliability  and 
honor,  and  he  has  gained  a  good  standing  among 
the  citizens  wherever  he  is  known.  So  peaceable 
and  generous  has  he  been  that  he  li.is  never  been  a 
participant  in  a  lawsuit.  The  readers  of  this  vol- 
ume will  be  pleased  to  see  on  another  page  a  por- 
trait of  this  pioneer  and  worthy  citizen. 

Daniel  Burns,  Sr.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Scotland  and  came  of  a  good  family  of  the 
old  stock.  He  was  but  a  boj'  when  he  left  his  na- 
tive land  and  took  passage  on  a  sailing-vessel  for 
.\nieriea  in  company  with  two  elder  brothers — 
William  and  Robert.  The  three  brothers  settled 
in  Pennsylvania,  this  being  before  the  Revolu- 
tionar}'  AVar,  during  which  William  and  Robert 
fouglitin  the  Colonial  Arnij'.  Daniel  Burns  made 
his  home   near  Pittsburg,   learned    the   trade  of  a 


tanner  and  followed  the  same  until  after   he  came 
West. 

In  Pittsburg  Mr.  Burns  contracted  a  matrimonial 
alliance,  the  bride  being  Elinor  A.  Algo,  who  was 
born  in  Ireland  but  accompanied  her  [jarents  to  this 
country'  during  her  girlhood.  After  their  marriage 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burns  lived  in  ten  different  States.  In 
1831  they  left  their  home  in  the  Chickasaw  Jloun- 
tains  in  Mississijipi  and  came  to  this  State,  journey- 
ing up  the  Mississippi  River  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
thence  up  the  Illinois  on  an  old  steam  barge  to 
Griggsville  Landing.  They  reached  this  point  April 
20,  and  making  their  home  two  miles  south  of  the 
Landing  in  Flint  Township  are  numbered  among 
the  earliest  settlers  of  the  county.  Mr.  Burns  se- 
cured some  of  Uncle  Sam's  land  which  had  been 
occu[)ied  by  a  Frenchman  named  Trebo,  who  had 
made  whiskey  and  sold  |the  same  to  the  Indians. 
The  red  men  were  still  to  be  found  in  this  section 
in  considerable  numbers  and  lingered  here  for  some 
years  after  the  Burns  family  located. 

Daniel  Burns,  Sr.,  and  his  good  wife  lived  to  see 
the  county  well  improved  and  took  an  active  part 
in  the  pioneer  labor,  enduiing  many  hardships 
during  the  first  few  3'ears  here  when  the  only  meat 
they  had  was  wild  game  and  food  of  all  kinds  was 
scarce.  The  first  year  they  were  obliged  to  send 
to  Kentuck}'  for  corn  to  plant.  Mr.  Burns  was  a 
fine  marksman  and  killed  much  wild  game,  even 
being  able  to  kill  small  game  a  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant with  his  olil  rifle  a  few  years  before  his  death. 
He  was  a  man  of  unusual  physical  vigor,  never 
having  a  day's  illness  and  never  wearing  glasses  to 
assist  him  in  reading.  He  died  June  17,  18-58,  at 
the  extreme  age  of  ninetj'-fivej'ears.  His  wife  had 
passed  away  November  4,  1857,  when  sevent3''-five 
years  old.  She  was  also  strong  and  hearty,  having 
great  powers  of  endurance.  Both  possessed  the 
sturdy  virtues  which  shone  so  conspicuously  in 
pioneer  life  and  make  their  memories  revered  by 
their  memories  their  family  and  friends.  Mr. 
Burns  was  a  Methodist  in  religion  and  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  The  mortal  remains  of  the  good 
couple  are  interred  on  the  land  they  first  secured 
from  the  Government,  the  place  being  kept  sacred 
by  their  descendants. 

The  parental  familj-  included  six  daughters  and 


482 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


sons,  our  subject  being  the  youngest.  The  others 
are:  Sarah  J.,  now  deceased,  who  married  and  left 
one  child;  David,  wlio  was  accidentally  drowned  in 
the  Illinois  River  while  coming  from  St.  Louis  to 
his  home  when  twenty-nine  years  old;  Rebecca, 
who  died  after  her  marri.age  and  the  birth  of  two 
children,  both  now  deceased:  William,  who  die<l  in 
this  county  leaving  two  children ;  Mrs.  Mary  Jump, 
a  widow,  whose  home  is  in  New  Salem. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  was  born 
near  Natchez,  Miss.,  April  27,  1828.  He  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm  in  Flint  Township, 
this  county,  in  the  improvement  of  which  he  as- 
sisted. When  a  little  more  than  twenty  years  of 
age  lie  married  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Detroit 
Township,  where  assisted  by  his  faithful  wife  he 
succeeded  in  securing  and  improving  two  good 
farms  aggregating  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
acres.  Eighty  acres  of  this  land  was  secured  from  the 
Government  and  most  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  entire  estate  were  made  b3'  our  subject.  Mr. 
Burns  is  a  man  of  intelligence,  genial  spirit  and 
cordial  bearing,  a  sound  Democrat  in  political 
views  and  a  member  of  the  Slethodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

The  lady  who  ably  assisted  in  building  up  tlie 
fortunes  of  our  subject  and  shared  his  joj'S  and 
sorrows  until  July  26,  1877,  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Charlotta  Burland.  She  was  born  in  lilngland 
April  6,  1826,  accompanied  her  parents  to  this 
country  in  girlhood  and  grew  to  maturity  in  Flint 
Township,  where  her  marriage  rites  were  solemnized. 
Kind-hearted  and  affectionate,  and  from  girlhood 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  she 
is  entitled  to  the  loving  remembrance  of  friends 
and  relatives. 

Mr.  Burns  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance in  Detroit  Township,  his  bride  being  Miss 
Verlinea  J.  Ammerman.  This  lady  was  born  in 
Maries  County,  Mo.,  October  31,  18.51,  her  parents 
being  Isaac  and  Lina  (Sitton)  Ammerman.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ammerman  were  born  in  Missouri  in 
Osage  and  Pike  Counties,  respectively,  and  began 
their  wedded  life  in  Maries  County.  They  occu- 
pied a  farm  there  until  1875  when  they  removed 
to  this  State,  locating  in  Detroit  Township.  Pike 
County.     There  Mrs.  Ammerman  died  October  Ki. 


1880.  when  fifty-four  years  old.  Her  father,  the 
Rev.  Jesse  Sitton.  was  a  minister  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  to  which  the  daughter  belonged  for  some 
time,  though  in  her  last  years  she  was  identified 
with  the  Christian  Church.  Mr.  Ammerman  is  still 
living  on  a  farm  near  Milton.  Although  not  a 
member  of  any  religious  body  he  is  moral  and 
honorable  in  his  dealings  with  those  about  him. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

Our  subject  has  three  daughters,  all  married 
and  living  in  Detroit  Township.  He  has  had  thir- 
teen grandchildren,  of  whom  three  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Burns  has  in  his  possession  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  ever  taken  from  the  tombs  of  the  Mound 
Builders.  It  is  a  bald  eagle  cut  from  blue  stone  on 
a  resting  piece,  and  was  found  by  bis  father  and 
others  who  were  digging  a  grave  at  Griggsville 
Landing  over  fifty  years  ago.  Another  specimen 
of  the  same  kind,  a  frog,  a  bowl  and  a  copper 
gouge,  the  last-named  harder  than  steel,  together 
with  the  relic  owned  by  Mr.  Burns  were  found  at 
the  head  of  a  chief  who  was  buried  sitting  upright. 


-^-1^= 


E^ 


OSES  EATON  BAXTER,  a  retired  mer- 
chant of  Griggsville,  was  born  in  Francis- 
town,  Hillsljoro  County,  N.  H.,  September 
7,  1812.  His  paternal  grandfather  came 
to  America  when  quite  young,  settling  in  Massa- 
chusetts, where  Jonathan  Baxter,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  1770.  The  latter  married 
Addie  Wilkins,  and  they  reared  a  family  of  eight 
children:  Fanny,  Levi  R.,  Betsey,  Enos  K.  and  Jon- 
athan Jr.,  are  deceased.  The  living  membeys  of  the 
family  circle  are:  William  Bradford,  a  farmer  in 
Mt.  Sterling,  this  State:  Moses  E.,  our  subject; 
Lydia  B.,  now  the  wife  of  Isaac  A.  Hatch  of  Griggs- 
ville. The  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  removed  to 
New  Hampshire  about  18U6  and  died  in  Hillsboro 
County  in  1862  at  the  age  of  ninety-two  years. 
The  mother  passed  away  in  18.31  wlien  about  four- 
score years  old. 

Our  subject  had  but  limited  school  privileges  and 
is  virtually  self-educated.  Being  ambitious  to  gain 
knowledge  he  studied   by  the  light  of  the  torch  or 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


483 


the  tallow  dip  until  late  at  night,  .after  having  spent 
tlie  d.i}'  in  liard  work.  Buying  his  time  of  his 
fatlier  when  he  was  eiglitecn  ye.ais  old,  lie  stalled 
out  in  life  for  himself,  and  sohl  Connecticut  clocks 
ill  .Maine,  making  some  money  in  this  way.  Before 
lie  was  twenty-one  he  had  begun  a  mercantile  ca- 
reer at  Hillsboro  and  he  was  also  engaged  in  the 
same  business  in  Bradford  for  some  years.  At  one 
time  he  was  employed  in  a  store  in  Boston,  where 
he  learned  lessons  of  enterprise  whicii  proved  val- 
uable aids  to  him.  In  a  wholesale  store  of  that  city 
he  (hew  a  salaiy  of  Sl.OOO  per  annum,  a  large 
amount  for  those  days,  and  indicative  of  the  value 
set  upon  his  services. 

In  18.56  Mr.  Baxter  sold  out  his  business  and 
came  West  leaving  his  family  to  follow  when  he 
was  settled.  He  was  soon  engaged  with  Mr.  Hatch 
in  the  sale  of  merchandise  in  Griggsville  and  not 
long  afterward  opened  a  meat  market,  whicli  he 
ran  in  connection  with  a  son  for  twenty  years. 
Some  ten  years  since  he  retired  from  business,  and 
lias  been  taking  his  ease,  enjo3-ing  the  fruit  of 
his  former  industry'.  Mr.  Baxter  has  not  only  been 
active  in  business,  but  in  politics  and  municipal  af- 
fairs, lie  has  spent  much  time  and  money  working 
for  the  best  good  of  the  country  and  has  frequently 
been  solicited  to  hold  a  prominent  position  in  po- 
litical matters.  He  has  acceded  to  the  wish  of  the 
people  and  championed  the  better  cause. 

Mr.  Baxter  was  a  selectman  in  Bradford,  N.  H. 
for  ten  years,  during  nine  of  which  he  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board.  He  also  held  the  offices  of  Collec- 
tor of  Taxes  and  Overseer  of  the  Poor  many  terms, 
and  served  in  the  State  Legislature  for  two  years. 
In  the  cil3'  which  is  now  his  home  Mr.  Baxter  has 
been  in  the  City  Council  and  served  as  Chairman 
of  the  Board.  He  has  done  much  to  further  the 
cause  of  education  and  although  not  identified  with 
any  church,  is  a  constant  attendant  and  a  liberal 
supporter  of  religious  work.  He  was  initiated  into 
the  M.asonic  Order  about  the  year  1848  in  Bradford, 
N.  IL,  and  entered  the  Griggsville  Lodge  with  a  de- 
mit. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
P.  Howe  was  solemnized  in  Warner,  N.  H.,  in  1834. 
The  bride  was  born  in  Merrimac  County  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Joel  and    Sophia    (Patterson)    Howe 


She  is  of  English  ancestry  on  her  father's  side, 
while  the  Patterson  family  came  from  Ireland.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Baxter  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  War 
of  1812  and  two  of  his  brothers,  aged  twelve  and 
fourteen  j-ears,  were  drum  major  and  fife  major 
during  the  same  contest.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howe  had 
seven  children,  Jlrs.  Baxter  being  the  first-born. 
The  others  who  are  now  living  are.  Miller,  who  was 
named  in  lioner  of  Gen.  ililler,  and  is  the  father 
of  the  well-known  hotel  man.  Willis  Howe,  and  So- 
phia, wife  of  George  A.  Hook,  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baxter  have  had  but  one  child,  a 
son  who  is  a  member  of  the  lirm  of  Baxter  &  Pratt 
of  Griggsville.  He  came  with  his  mother  to  tliis 
place  a  few  months  after  the  father  had  located 
here.  Mrs.  Baxter  is  an  active  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  during  the  many  years  in 
which  she  has  been  known  to  this  community  has 
ever  been  regarded  as  a  woman  of  great  worth  of 
personal  character  and  great  usefulness  in  home 
and  society. 

Edwin  W.  Baxter,  son  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  July  9.  1837.  He  attended 
the  district  schools  until  sixteen  years  old,  then  re- 
ceived a  partial  academic  training  in  Hopkins  and 
New  London.  He  began  clerking  in  a  mercantile 
establishment  in  Warner  earl}'  in  the  j'ear  1856,  re- 
maining there  until  he  came  to  this  State.  Here  he 
has  been  engaged  with  his  father  in  farming  and 
butchering  during  a  period  of  some  fifteen  years. 
In  1871  he  entered  the  grain  and  stock  business  at 
Griggsville,  devoting  his  attention  to  the  new  en- 
terprise while  retaining  a  moneyed  interest  in  the 
old.  In  1873,  in  company  with  I.  Bryant,  he 
started  in  a  grocery  business,  soon  bu3-ing  his  part- 
ner out  and  carrying  on  the  business  alone.  He 
continued  his  grain  and  stock  buying  until  1880, 
when  he  formed  the  present  partnership  with  George 
E.  Pratt.  The  firm  of  Baxter  &:  Pratt  erected  a 
large  building  which  they  now  occupy  and  their 
business  increased  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  en- 
large their  edifice  in  1889. 

Mr.  Baxter  was  married  in  Xew  Hampshire 
April  18,  1857,  to  Helen  M.  Harvey,  a  native  of 
the  same  State  and  daughter  of  Ira  and  Mary  C. 
(Bean)  Harvey.  The  union  has  been  blest  by  the 
birth  of  sis  children,  three  sons  and  three   daugh- 


484 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ters.  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Parker  of  New 
London;  Helen  M.  married  Henry  C.  Brakefleld, 
now  a  retired  business  man  of  Grigssville;  Jimma 
15.  is  the  wife  of  Prof.  R.  M.  Hitch  of  Kansas  City; 
Harvey  E.  and  George  E.  are  with  their  father  in 
the  store;  Artiuir  is  still  studying  and  preparing 
liimself  for  tiie  future. 

E.  W.  Baxter  is  now  a  member  of  tiieCity  Coun- 
cil and  has  served  several  terms  heretofore.  He 
has  been  School  Director  nine  terms  and  for  eight 
\ears  has  been  Township  Treasurer  of  the  School 
[■'und;  he  has  also  held  minor  offices.  He  belongs 
to  tlie  Masonic  fraternity,  has  been  Master  several 
times  and  held  other  Chairs.  He  is  one  of  the 
foremost  merchants  of  the  place,  and  like  his 
father  before  him,  is  ever  found  bearing  a  part  in 
matters  which  will  advance  the  \irosperity  of  the 
community  in  a  material,  educational  or  moral  sense. 
He  and  his  wife  and  three  daughters  belong  to  the 
Congregational  Church  in  this  place. 


f|(_^JRAM  .S.  CHURCHILL,  of  the  firm  of 
Weddington  &  Churchill,  proprietors  of 
the  Exchange  Mills  at  Kinderhook,  and 
dealers  in  grain,  flour,  meal  and  feed,  is  one 
of  the  native  born  citizens  of  Pike  County,  who 
have  risen  to  positions  of  prominence  among  the 
luisiness  men  of  the  community.  He  was  born  in 
Ivinderhook  Township,  November  25,  1853,  and  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Almon  S.  Churchill,  who  was  one 
of  the  leading  pioneers  of  this  townshi|)  and  county 
for  many  3cars.  He  was  born  in  Genesee  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  reared  to  the  life  of  u  farmer  in  the 
place  of  his  birtli. 

When  he  had  attained  )-cars  of  maturity  Mr. 
Churchill  married  jNlary  A.  Hunn,  a  native  of 
Hartford,  Conn.,  who  lived  in  that  city  until  she 
was  fifteen  3-ears  of  age,  when  she  accompanied 
her  parents  toBatavia,  N.  Y.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Church- 
ill were  married  about  the  year  18:32  and  then  came 
directly  to  Pike  County,  111.,  making  the  journey 
with  a  span  of  ponies.  Mr.  Churchill  had  pie- 
vionsly  visited  this  locality,  his  father  and  brother 


having  located  here  prior  to  lliat  time.  When  he 
came  iiere  with  iiis  bride  he  settled  on  section  23, 
Kinderhook  Township,  and  began  life  with  a  cash 
capital  of  |i2.oO.  He  traded  an  overcoat  for  eighty 
acres  of  land,  giving  a  little  difference.  He  built 
many  houses  in  Barry  and  Kinderhook  Townships, 
and  was  well  known  throughout  this  locality. 

After  accumulating  considerable  propert3'  Almon 
Churchill  retired  from  active  labors  and  passed  his 
last  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  a  life- 
time of  toil.  He  received  in  a  full  degree  the  es- 
teem and  confidence  which  his  life  of  unswerving 
integrity-  demanded.  He  passed  away  in  1886  and 
his  remains  were  placed  by  the  side  of  his  wife  in 
Kinderhook  Cemetery.  The  wife  died  in  1884. 
They  were  the  parents  of  five  Children,  four  sons 
and  one  daughter:  Samuel  and  Almon  .7.  are  de- 
ceased; William  E.  is  a  resident  of  Kansas  City; 
Hiram  S.,  our  subject;  Nancy  M.  is  the  wife  of  J. 
R.  Fox,  of  Kinderhook  Township. 

Our  subject  was  tlie  fourth  son  of  his  parents  and 
was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  Kinderhook 
Township,  which  was  his  birthplace.  He  remained 
wiili  his  fatlier  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  having 
full  charge  of  the  farm  for  awhile.  On  December 
27,  1874,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Martha  C, 
daughter  of  CUiarles  and  Louisan  Smith.  Like  her 
husband  Mrs.  Churchill  is  a  native  of  Pike  County 
and  was  born  in  the  same  township  as  himself  in 
June,  1854.  Her  marriage  with  IMr.  Churchill  has 
been  blest  to  them  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  of 
whom  the  following  is  the  record:  Delia  A.  w.is 
born  in  September,  1875;  Bessie,  in  August,  187G; 
Frederick,  in  August,  1877;  Charles,  in  December, 
1879  :  Frank,  in  July,  1882  and  Nellie  in  July,  1886. 
All  reside  at  home  and  are  being  carefully  trained 
and  educated. 

Mr.  Churchill  and  his  partner  are  carrying  on  an 
extensive  and  flourishing  business  as  proprietors  of 
the  Exchange  !Mills  and  a  grain  elevator  at  Kinder- 
hook. They  handle  about  fourteen  carloads  of 
flour  each  year  and  ship  from  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  cars  of  wheat  annually. 
Besides  his  milling  interests  our  subject  has  a  fine 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  seventeen  acres  of  rich 
and  fertile  land,  located  on  sections  13,  14  and  23, 
in  Kinderhook  Township,  and    from   its  rental   he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


485 


receives  a  good  income.  It  is  under  suhstantial 
improrement.  and  is  supplied  with  anopie  buildings 
including  a.  brick  house,  of  wliicli  the  main  build- 
ing is  36x38  feet  in  dimensions  and  the  L  24x20 
feet,  the  main  part  being  two  stories  in  heiglit;  and 
a  large  barn  40x100  feet  in  dimensions.  His  town 
residence  is  the  finest  and  most  attractive  dwelling 
in  the  city  of  Kinderhook.  It  is  a  commodious 
two-story  frame  structure  30x36  feet  in  dimensions 
and  of  a  modern  style  ">f  architecture. 

Mr.  Churchill  is  a  wide-awake,  progressive  m.in, 
possessing  force  of  character  and  a  good  insight 
into  the  best  methods  of  conducting  business,which 
traits  have  brought  him  success  and  have  made 
him  a  credit  to  the  citizenship  of  his  native  county. 
He  has  decided  opinions  of  his  own,  which  he  ex- 
presses fearlessly  and  frankh'  when  occasion  offers. 
This  is  espeeiallj'  true  in  regard  to  his  political 
views,  as  he  does  no";  affiliate  witk  any  party  but 
supports  a  man  regardless  of  party  connections. 


-^5 


DWARD  DOOCY.  County  Judge  of  Pike 
1^  Countj'.  In  the  political  histor}^  of  this 
district  few  men  are  better  known  than 
Judge  Doocy,  who  is  a  lawyer  of  marked  ability, 
and  an  upright  and  honorable  judge.  He  stands 
foremost  among  those  of  his  profession,  and  his 
course  since  he  became  a  member  of  the  Judiciary 
has  but  strengthened  his  reputation  as  a  man  of 
wisdom  and  probity.  He  has  often  been  called 
upon  to  take  part  in  the  administration  of  public 
affairs.  From  1879  to  1883  he  was  City  Attorney 
of  Griggsville.  filling  that  position  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all. 

A  native  of  Pike  Countj-,  Mr.  Doocy  was  born 
in  Griggsville.  October  21,  1851,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Sarah  (Tracy)  Doocy,  natives  of  Ire- 
land. His  parents  were  both  born  in  Connt^' 
Tipperary.  The}-  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
in  1848,  coming  directlj*  to  St.  Louis,  then  in  1851 
to  Pike  County,  settling  in  Griggsville,  where  the 
father  passed  his  remaining  years.  In  1874  he 
passed  from  earth,  while  still  in  life's  prime,  being 
forty-nine    years  of   age.     The  widow  and  seven 


children  are  still   living,   the  mother  making    her 
home  in  Pittsfield. 

Our  subjact  is  the  eldest  child  of  the  family  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  good  education  in  the 
common  schools.  He  then  passed  through  the 
Griggsville  High  School,  and  afterward  became  a 
student  in  the  Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1871.  After  being 
graduated  he  taught  school  for  one  term  in  Griggs- 
ville, and  then  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the 
office  of  Judge  James  Ward,  of  Griggsville.  Later 
lie  was  with  the  Hon.  W.  G.  Ewing,  then  of  <Juincj', 
novv  of  Chicago. 

By  close  application  to  his  books  our  subject  be- 
came well  grounded  in  the  fundamental  principles 
of  law,  and  applied  for  admission  to  practice  at  the 
bar  of  Illinois,  being  admitted  in  the  January  term 
of  1874  by  the  Illinois  Supreme  Court.  During 
the  ensuing  eight  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
practicing  his  profession  in  Griggsville,  and  secured 
a  large  number  of  clients.  In  1882  he  was  nomi- 
nated by  the  Democratic  party  for  Count}'  Judge 
and  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority.  In 
order  to  discharge  the  duties  of  the  office  he  re- 
moved to  Pittsfield,  and  in  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, 1882,  assumed  the  duties  of  the  position.  The 
people  were  so  well  pleased  with  his  services  that  in 
1886  they  re-elected  him,  and  again  in  18li0  he  was 
re-elected  by  a  handsome  vote.  His  continued 
election  to  this  office  speaks  far  better  than  words 
of  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  held  and  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  him  by  the  people. 

A  very  important  event  in  the  life  of  Judge 
Doocy  was  his  union,  December  28,  1S86,  with 
Miss  Clara  L.  Butler,  of  Griggsville.  This  estima- 
ble lady  is  the  daughter  of  E.  W.  Butler,  an  early 
settler  and  a  prominent  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zen of  Pike  County,  whither  he  came  from  Connec- 
ticut. Judge  Doocy  and  his  wife  have  a  charming 
home,  and  their  gracious  hospitality  attracts  to  it 
many  friends.  Two  daughters  have  been  born 
of  their  union,  one  who  is  deceased  and  one  liv- 
ing named  Clara  Louise.  In  1886  the  Judge 
formed  a  law  partnership  with  IIenr\'  Bush,  un<ler 
the  firm  name  of  Doocy  &  Bush,  and  they  have  a 
good  practice  in  the  Circuit  and  State  Courts. 

Judge  Doocy  has  served  one  year  as  a  member 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  tlie  Board  of  Trustees  of  Pittsfield,  and  for  the 
past  two  years  has  been  President  of  the  Board  of 
Education,  and  at  all  times  and  on  all  occasions  he 
is  among  the  first  to  [jromote  any  sclieme  for  the 
advancement  of  the  city  or  county.  His  legal  at- 
tainments are  of  a  high  order,  and  he  has  by  no 
means  ceased  his  studies  since  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  His  decisions  are  marked  by  a  tliorough 
knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  ease  under  con- 
siileralion  and  by  the  justice  and  wisdom  with 
which  they  are  rendered.  In  his  bearing  he  is 
dignified,  j'et  genial,  and  his  pleasant  social  quali- 
ties make  him  a  general  favorite. 


m 


ELIJAH  G.   LYON.     Among  the  attractive 
farms    with    which  Pike   County   abounds, 
:  should  be  noted  that  of  the  gentleman  above 

named,  which  consists  of  five  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Pleasant  Vale  Township,  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  being  fenced  and  under  cultivation. 
The  residence  is  pleasantly  lojL-ated  on  section  3, 
and  is  a  substantial,  homelike  structure,  accompan- 
ied bj-  the  usual  farm  buildings  and  supply  of  small 
fruits  nud  orchard  trees.  It  will  be  seen  at  a  glance 
that  the  estate  is  intelligently  handled,  and  good 
taste  is  equally  evident  in  the  surroundings  of  the 
dwelling. 

The  eyes  of  our  subject  opened  to  the  light  in 
Hampshire  County,  Va..  January  7,  1823.  His  fa- 
ther, Elijah  Lyon,  was  born  in  Nevv  Jerse\'  and  in 
his  bo.yhood  taken  to  Virginia,  being  reared  on  the 
farm  which  was  the  birthplace  of  our  subject.  The 
senior  Elijah  Lyon  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Margaret  Linthacnm,  who  was  born  in  Loudoun 
County,  Va.,  but  reared  in  the  same  neighborhood 
as  her  husband.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lyon  established  a  home  between  the  north  and 
south  branches  of  the  Potomac  River,  twelve  miles 
from  Cumberland,  Md.,  and  eighteen  miles  from 
Romncy,  Va.  Tliey  weie  the  parents  of  thirteen 
children,  and  reared  three  daughters  and  seven  sons 
to  manhood  and  womanhood.  These  bore  the 
names  of  Elinor,  John.  Archibald,  Ann,  Philip  B., 
Noah,  Julia  Ann,  Elijah  C}.,  David   W.  and  Joseph 


F.     All  have  passed  over  the   river  except  Philip 
B.,  E.  G.,  and  J.  F. 

Our  subject  grew  to  maturity  in  his  native  State, 
spending  his  boyhood  and  30uth  in  acquiring  an 
education  and  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm.  He 
came  by  steamboat  to  Adams  County,  111.,  arriving 
November  10,  1843,  and  remaining  until  the  latter 
part  of  May,  18 IG,  when  he  returned  to  the  old 
home.  During  his  residence  in  this  State  the  young 
man  worked  upon  a  farm  and  he  also  spent  some 
time  in  study  at  Greencastle  school,  adding  to  the 
education  he  had  already  received  in  the  subscrip- 
tion schools  of  Virginia.  After  his  return  to  his 
n.ative  State,  he  taught  three  months,  the  school 
being  organized  on  the  subscription  method. 

In  the  fall  of  1847  Mr.  L\on  again  came  to  this 
State,  and  buying  a  farm  of  ninet}'  acres  on  Stone's 
Prairie,  for  which  he  paiil  §2  i)er  acre,  he  cleared 
the  plpce  and  established  himself  as  a  farmer.  He 
built  a  frame  house  16x20  feet,  and  being  too  poor 
to  hire  it  plastered,  did  it  himself,  and  proudly 
boasts  that  he  did  a  good  job.  At  anj'  rate  he 
w  as  able  to  find  employment  at  plastering  during  the 
fall  seasons  for  several  years.  He  fenced  the  place, 
broke  the  sod,  and  finally  added  lifty-eight  acres  to 
his  farm  and  placed  upon  it  better  buildings.  His 
location  was  in  the  timber,  and  commonly  called 
the  bear  thicket.  It  was  said  that  after  the  "Lyon" 
came  the  '-bears"  disappeared. 

In  1849  Mr.  Lyon  took  a  helpmate  and  compan- 
ion in  the  person  of  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  Solomon 
and  Nancy  (Kerkley)  Shinn.  Mrs.  Lyon  was  born 
March  30,  1828,  near  Clarksbnrg,  Harrison  County, 
W.  Va.,  her  parents  being  natives  of  the  same 
State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shinn  settled  in  Adams 
County  in  183G,  where  they  continued  to  reside  un- 
til called  hence,  the  wife  in  1861,  and  the  husband 
in  1863.  Mrs.  Lyon  is  the  youngest  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  vvhom  the  following  lived  to  maturity: 
William,  who  died  in  1881 ;  Raymond  died  in  Cali- 
fornia; Susan,  the  widow  of  John  L3'on;  Abuer, 
who  is  living  in  Ft.  Scott,  Kan;  Franklin,  a  minis- 
ter, who  died  in  t!;e  pulpit;  Emeline,  who  passed 
away  when  twenty-five  years  old ;  and  Julia  Ann. 
Mrs.  Lyon. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lyon  occupied  a  log 
cabin  on  Stone's  Piairie  until  his  farm   house  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


487 


built  on  section  26,  Payson  Township.  From  1857 
to  1860  Mr.  Lyon  devoted  a  part  of  iiis  tiiuc  to 
preacliing  the  gospel  in  Pike,  Adams  and  Greene 
Counties,  supporting  himself  while  so  doing.  In 
1862  he  enlisted  in  Comp.any  I,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fourth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  losing  his 
health  the  following  winter  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. Having  rented  his  farm  for  three  j'ears 
he  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  Christian  commis- 
sion, continuing  his  labors  in  that  worthy  cause  un- 
til the  close  of  the  war.  During  the  last  3-ear  in 
which  he  was  engaged  in  ministerial  labors  he  con- 
tracted a  throat  trouble  which  compelled  him  to 
give  up  his  duties  for  awhile.  At  present  he  is  de- 
voting his  .attention  entirely  to  agriculture. 

Mr.  Lyon  was  interested  in  the  .Springfield  ct 
EfBngham  Railroad,  and  lost  considerable  money 
in  that  unsuccessful  enterprise.  His  first  Presi- 
dential ballot  w.as  cast  for  Henr3'  Clay  and  since 
the  organization  of  the  Republican  part}-  he  has 
been  identified  therewith.  He  has  advanced  the  in- 
terests of  his  fellow-citizens  by  serving  as  School 
Trustee  five  years,  and  as  Township  Supervisor  two 
years.  His  religious  faith  is  that  expressed  in  the 
creed  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church  in  which 
he  was  ordained  as  minister.  Having  no  children  of 
their  own,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyon  have  taken  five  or- 
phans into  their  home  and  bestowed  upon  them  the 
loving  care  that  would  have  been  shown  to  their 
own  offspring  had  they  been  blessed  therewith.  Mr. 
Lyun  located  in  Pike  County  in  1884,  and  is  as 
highly  respected  in  his  present  home  as  he  was  in 
that  from  which  he  came. 

/^YRUS  McFADDEN,    who    for    three  years 

II     r  P''*Ji'>^'y  ^ore  the  blue  during   the  late  war 

^^'^^  and    faithfully    aided   his    country    in   her 

struggle  to   preserve  the   L'nion,  is  now  one  of  the 

leading  farmers  of  Hardin  Township,  Pike  County, 

residing  on  section  22.     He  is  well  and   favorably 

known  throughout  the  county  and  his   sketch   will 

I  therefore  be  received  with  interest  bj'  many  of  our 

I  renders.     He   was  born   in   Brown   County,  Ohio, 

[January    17,   1840,  being  tlie  seventh    child  in   a 


family  of  eight  children,  whose  parents  were  Jacob 
and  Elizabeth  (Dice)  McFadden.  The  family 
originally  came  from  Pennsylvania,  and  is  prob- 
ably of  .Scotch  extraction,  but  the  parents  of  our 
subject  were  natives  of  Virginia.  After  their  mar- 
riage they  emigrated  to  Ohio  where;  they  resided 
for  a  number  of  years,  when  in  18.51  they  came  to 
Illinois,  making  a  location  on  a  farm  on  section  22, 
Ilardin  Township,  Ihis  county.  The  death  of  the 
father  occurred  the  same  year  and  his  wife  died 
three  years  previous. 

Until  ten  years  of  age  Cyrus  McFadden  attended 
the  district  schools  of  his  native  county,  after  which 
he  continued  his  studies  in  the  Union  School  of 
Georgetown,  Ohio,  and  in  Pittsfield,  111.  He  was 
but  eleven  years  of  age  when  his  father  died  and 
he  then  went  to  live  with  his  brother  William. 
with  whom  he  afterward  returneil  to  Ohio.  He 
spent  two  summers  in  working  in  a  woolen  factory 
in  Georgetown  and  one  season  on  a  farm,  while 
during  the  winter  months  he  attended  school. 
After  two  .•'nd  a  half  years  we  again  find  him  in 
Illinois  working  on  his  brother's  farm.  At  the  a^c 
of  nineteen  he  rented  land  which  he  operated  on 
the  shares;  the  next  season  he  purchased  a  team  and 
again  rented  a  farm  but  circumstances  arose  which 
caused  him  to  abandon  agricultural  pursuits. 

Prompted  b}'  patriotic  impulses  which  he  could 
no  longer  resist,  in  the  autumn  of  1862  Mr.  McFad- 
den enlisted  in  Company  G,  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infantr}',  of  which  he  w.as  made  a  Corporal. 
The  regiment  was  sent  to  Benton  Barracks  and 
thence  to  Rolla,  Mo.,  after  which  he  participated 
In  the  engagements  at  Salem,  Huston,  West  Plains, 
Pilot  Knob  and  Genevieve.  This  was  followed  by 
the  battle  of  Milliken's  Bend,  after  which  the  regi- 
ment made  its  way  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  to  Port  Gibson.  Marching  thence 
to  Magnolia  Hills,  the  engagement  there  was  fol- 
lowed b}-  an  encounter  with  the  rebels  at  Edwards 
Depot.  Later  the  troops  marched  to  within  seven 
miles  of  Jackson.  Miss.,  and  at  the  battle  of  Cham- 
pion Hills  drove  the  enemy  to  Edwards  Depot 
where  they  captured  a  train  load  of  provisions. 
Then  came  the  battle  of  Black  River  Bridge,  fol- 
lowed by  the  long  siege  of  ^'icks^)urg.  A  charge 
was  made  on  the  rebel  works  on   the  22d  of  Ma^', 


488 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  Mr.  MeFadden  lay  out  under  the  fort  all  day 
and  at  uight  under  the  cover  of  the  darkness 
crawled  back.  He  was  present  at  the  surrender  of 
the  city  and  subsequently  with  his  regiment 
participated  in  the  hard  fought  battle  of  Jackson. 
Miss.  They  tore  up  the  railroad  track  between  that 
place  and  Pearl  River,  then  returned  to  Vicksburg, 
whence  they  went  to  Carleton,  near  New  Orleans. 
After  a  skirmisii  at  Brazier  City  they  returned  to 
New  Orleans,  whence  they  proceeded  on  steamers 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  during  which  they 
encountei-ed  a  storm  but  at  length  reached  land  in 
safety.  Nest  thej'  made  their  way  to  Matagorda 
Island,  and  subsequently  participated  in  the 
skirmish  at  Ft.  Esperanza.  They  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  Indianola,  Tex.,  and  the  following 
spring  returned  to  Matagorda  Island  and  thence 
went  to  New  Orleans.  Shortl)'  afterward  being  in 
ill-health,  Mr.  MeFadden  made  a  visit  to  his  home 
but  after  a  twenty  daj's'  furlough  rejoiced  his  regi- 
ment with  which  he  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.  Later 
a  skirmish  occurred  at  Kennerville,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  battle  at  Dauphin  Island  whence  they 
proceeded  by  vessel  to  Ft.  Gaines.  Following  was 
the  battle  of  Spanish  Fort,  then  came  the  engage- 
ment at  Ft.  Blakele}'  and  subsequently  Mobile  was 
captured.  The  brigade  to  vvhich  our  subject  be- 
longed was  the  first  to  enter  the  city.  They  next 
encountered  the  enemy  at  Spring  Hill  after  which, 
returning  to  Mobile  they  crossed  the  gulf  to  New 
Orleans  and  proceeded  up  Red  River  to  Shreveport. 
At  Baton  Rouge,  the  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Regi- 
tnent  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  and  at 
Springfield  was  discharged.  With  the  exception 
of  a  few  da^'s  spent  at  home  Mr.  MeFadden  was  al- 
ways with  his  regiment,  faithfully  following  the 
old  flag  which  nov,'  floats  so  proudly  over  the 
united  nation.  He  was  never  known  to  shirk  any 
task,  but  true  to  every  duty  he  did  effective  ser- 
vice for  the  Union  cause.  He  fortunately  escaped 
uninjured.  At  the  charge  of  Vicksburg  he  was 
struck  by  a  piece  of  shell,  which  cut  his  boot  and 
sock  but  did  not  injure  his  foot. 

The  war  over  Mr.  MeFadden  returned  to  Macon 
County,  111.,  and  also  made  a  trip  to  Kansas,  view- 
ing the  country'.  He  then  came  to  his  home  in 
Pike  County  and  |)urchased  eighty  acres  of  timber 


land  which  he  at  once  began  to  clear.  He  has  now 
sixt_v  acres  under  cultivation  and  the  value  of  the 
farm  has  been  greatly  enhanced  by  the  addition  of 
a  number  of  improvements.  His  residence  was 
erected  in  18G9  and  a  good  barn  was  built  in  1875. 
He  devotes  consideralile  attention  to  stock  raising, 
making  a  specialty  of  Short-horn  cattle  and  Poland- 
China  hogs.  He  has  some  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  the  latter  to  be  found  in  the  county  and  his 
shipments  have  been  quite  extensive. 

In  18G9  Mr.  MeFadden  wedded  Miss  Rebecca 
Mitchell,  who  was  born  in  Hardin  Township  in 
1850  and  is  the  daughter  of  Wright  and  Nancy 
(Sitton)  ISIitchell,  who  were  early  settlers  of  this 
county.  Her  father  died  in  1874  but  her  mother 
is  still  living  at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  Seven  chil- 
dren were  born  unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MeFadden  but 
onlj'  four  are  now  living — Nettie,  Frank  W., 
Charles  L.  and  George  A.  Our  subject  is  serving 
his  third  term  as  School  Director  in  his  district. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  a 
Republican  in  politics,  warmlv  advocating  the 
principles  of  his  party.  He  faithfully  discharges 
his  duties  of  citizenship  and  willingly  gives  his 
support  to  any  enterprise  for  the  iniblic  goo<i. 
Open-hearted  and  generous,  upright  and  honest,  he 
has  won  the  confidence  and  kind  regard  of  the  en- 
tire communit}'. 


^^i 


E.^s^ 


m 


'T'ACOB  AUER  occupies  an  important  place 
among  the  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  * 
Point  Precinct,  Calhoun  County.  He  was  \ 
born  iu  the  canton  of  Schaffhausen,  Switz- 
erland, on  the  8lh  of  .January,  1833.  His  fa- 
ther. Melchoir  Auer,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
canton  and  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Auer  who  was 
also  born  there  and  came  of  an  old  Austrian 
family-.  He  was  a  school  teacher  and  also  a  soldier 
and  fought  under  Napoleon.  He  taught  thirty- 
eight  years  and  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 

Melchoir  Auer  was  a  soldier  iu  the  Swiss  army 
in  1830  and  fought  in  the  l-'rcncli  Revolution.  He 
was  a  miller  l)^'  trade  and  carried  on  that  calling  in 
connection    with    farming    and    wine-making.     In 


RESIDENCE  OF  W.  H.  SMITH, SEC. 21,    RICHW00D5   PRECT,  CALHOUN  CO.  I  LL. 


V0NETREE"FARM.-RE51DENCEOF  JACOB  AUER,  SEC  2r.(R.l)  POINT  PRECT  CALHOUN    CO.  ILL. 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


491 


1K48,  accompanieil  by  his  wife  and  eight  children, 
he  came  to  America.  The  family  set  sail  from 
Havre  in  the  American  vessel  "Hargrave"  Oclober 
18.  The  vessel  was  wind  bound  in  the  harbor  of 
that  city  three  weeks  but  finall}'  set  sail  and  arrived 
at  New  Orleans  the  following  January  after  a  long 
voyage.  Mr.  Auer  went  directly'  to  St.  Louis  and 
resided  in  and  near  that  cit}'  until  1851,  when  he 
came  to  Calhuun  Count}'  and  bought  a  tract  of 
land  ivhere  our  subject  now  resides  in  Point  Pre- 
cinct. There  was  a  garden  patch  near  and  that 
with  a  small  shant\-  constituted  all  the  improve- 
ments. 

The  father  of  our  subject  immediately  entered 
upon  the  pioneer  task  of  developing  a  farm  from 
the  wilderness  and  was  a  resident  there  until  death 
closed  his  useful  career  in  December,  1874.  He 
was  twice  married;  his  first  wife,  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  was  Elizabeth  Neuknra,  a  native  of  the 
same  canton  as  himself.  There  she  spent  her  entire 
life.  d3'ing  in  1841.  His  second  wife  was  Nanna 
Haas  who  died  in  1860.  Four  of  the  first  family 
of  children  were  reared,  namelj':  Jacob,  of  whom 
we  write;  John  Gubo  who  lives  at  Bunker  Hill, 
Macoupin  County,  111.;  Conrad  of  whom  a  sketch 
appears  elsewhere,  and  Melchoir,  a  preacher  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  persuasion  and  a  member  of 
the  Illinois  Conference. 

Our  subject  was  well  educated  in  his  native  land 
ns   he   attended  school  quite  steadilj-   duiing  his 
hojhood.     AVlien   not  in  school  he  assisted  his  fa- 
ther on  the  farm  and  in  the  vinej'ard  and  gained  a 
good  insight  into  agriculture.     He  was  fifteen  years 
old  when   the  family  came  to  America  so  he  has  a 
still  vivid  recollection  of  the  beautiful  scenes  of  his 
old  home.     Soon  after  the  removal  to  St.  Louis  he 
commenced   to   learn  the  trade  of  a  cabinet  maker 
and  followed  that  and  the  trade  of  a  house  carpen- 
ter until   after  his  marriage,  since  which  event  he 
has  devoted  his  time  to  farming.      He  bought  the 
interests  of  the  other  heirs   in   the  old   homestead 
jwhich  comprises  one  hundred  acres  of  choice  land 
and  he  has   besides  two  hundred   acres  elsewhere. 
lis  farm  is  finely  tilled  and  its  improvements  are 
f  a  substantial   order,  including  good    buddings 
nd    everytiiing    necessary  to  carr}-  farming  to  a 
iiccessful    issue.     A   view  of  his   residence  and  a 


portion  of  his  fine  farm  will  be  noticed  on  another 
page. 

Mr.  Aner  has  had  the  cheerful  cooperation  of  a 
capable  wife  in  the  establishment  of  his  comfortable 
home.  Mrs.  Auer's  maiden  name  was  Julia  Marshall 
and  her  life  was  united  to  that  of  our  subject  Sep- 
tember 9,  1858.  She  is  a  native  of  this  county  aiui  a 
daughter  of  Jolin  and  Christiana  (U'czard)  Jlar- 
shall,  for  whose  history  see  sketch  of  Francis  Mar- 
shall. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Auer  have  four  children  living 
— Grant,  Ella,  Emma  and  Ida.  Ella  is  the  wife  of 
John  Dixon,  of  Golden  Eagle;  Emma  married  Dan 
Osborne,  of  Point  Precinct.  The  children  have  re- 
ceived excellent  educational  advantages  and  the 
son.  Grant,  is  at  present  engaged  in  teaching. 

Our  subject  is  numbered  among  the  most  pro- 
gressive and  intelligent  citizens  of  the  county  and 
ranks  among  the  skillful  farmers  of  the  precinct. 
Upon  all  subjects  of  general  and  local  interest  he 
keeps  informed  and  converses  well  upon  topics 
of  importance  and  interest.  In  his  domestic  rela- 
tions he  is  a  considerate  fatlier  and  a  devoted  hus- 
band while  his  neighbors  always  find  him  obliging 
and  helpful. 


:>.^*^-i" 


4-^ 


ILLIAM  II.  SMITH.  It  was  a  maxim  of 
Ignatius  Loyola  that  "He  who  does  well 
^  one  work  at  a  time,  does  more  than  all." 
The  success  which  has  met  the  efforts  of  our  sub- 
ject ,'s  due  to  his  unceasing  industry  in  the  direc- 
tion of  his  chosen  life  work,  that  of  agriculture. 
Early  left  an  orphan  and  compelled  to  make  his 
own  way  in  the  woi  Id  against  adverse  circum- 
stances, he  battled  and  conquered  the  obstacles 
confronting  him,  and  now  merits  and  receives  due 
praise  as  a  pioneer  of  Calhoun  Count}- and  a  valued 
citizen  thereof.  He  has  a  pleasant  home,  a  view  of 
which  with  its  rural  surroundings  m.ay  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

A  native  of  Lincoln  County.  Mo.,  Mr.  Smith 
was  born  December  20,  1828,  and  was  only  six 
years  old  when  death  robbed  him  of  his  father's 
care   and  protection.     After   that   sad    event    the 


492 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


faruil^-  continued  to  reside  in  Lincoln  County  until 
1843,  when  tliey  removed  to  Calhoun  County  and 
became  pioneers  of  this  section  of  country.  ■  Our 
subject  passed  his  boyliood  and  3-outh  in  the  usual 
manner  of  bo3S  on  the  frontier,  receiving  only 
limited  educational  advantages  and  becoming  thor- 
<iughl\-  acquainted  with  agricultural  pursuits.  In 
ccitineetion  with  his  brothers  he  worked  on  the 
liome  farm.  In  1846  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Criswell,  a  native  of  Illinois. 
This  estimable  ladj-  passed  from  the  busy  scenes  of 
earth  in  1870. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  resulted  in  tlie 
birtli  of  seven  children,  namely:  David  A.,  .James 
A.,  Mary,  .Sarah,  William  S.,  Eliza,  and  Richard  L. 
iM  r.  Smith  was  again  married  in  1871,  when  Mrs.. 
Martha  (Russell)  Branham  became  his  wife.  By 
her  former  marriage  Mrs.  Smith  had  four  children, 
two  of  whom  are  deceased;  the  others  .are — Delilah, 
ulio  married  .John  Baird  and  lives  in  Missouri,  and 
Elizabeth,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  S. 
Smith  and  resides  in  Batchtown.  Politically,  our 
subject  is  a  stanch  Democrat.  The  family  attend 
the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church  of  which  they 
are  consistent  members,  and  move  in  the  highest 
cii'cles  of  society,  and  wherever  they  go  tiieir  re- 
finement and  many  noble  personal  virtues  win 
t!  em  warm  and  firm  friends. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  those  who 
liave  achieved  success  for  themselves  without  ,as- 
s'slance  from  others.  AVhen  he  purchased  his  pres- 
f  nt  estate  it  was  covered  with  heavy  timber  and 
brush,  but  at  the  present  time  it  is  highly  cultivated 
;ind  improved,  lie  follows  the  most  modern  methods 
of  farming  and  keeps  posted  on  whatever  will 
.i.'-sist  him  in  ids  work.  lie  first  built  a  number  of 
log  cabins  and  proceeded  immediately  to  clear  up 
tlu"  land,  an  undertaking  that  required  both  cour.ige 
and  energy  and  in  which  he  was  remarkably 
successful.  He  now  owns  and  operates  one  of  the 
best  farms  in  Richwoods  Precinct  and  is  known 
throughout  the  entire  extent  of  Calhoun  County 
as  an  iionest  and  industrious  man. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject,  Andrew  Smith,  was 
born  in  Kentucky  whence  he  removed  to  Missouri 
and  became  one  of  tlie  pioneers  of  Lincoln  County. 
He  boui^ht  a  tract  of  Government  land  containing 


six  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  laid  out  a  town 
which  he  called  Alexandria  and  which  was  the 
count}'  seat  for  a  number  of  years.  After  residing 
tlieie  several  years  he  removed  to  Warsaw,  111., 
■where  he  died  about  1834.  His  wife  was  Miss 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Capt.  Riggs;  the  latter  was 
born  in  North  Carolina,  was  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and  later  removed  to 
Lincoln  Count}',  Mo.,  where  he  died.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  survived  her  husband  manj'  jears, 
dying  in  Calhoun  Count}'  in  1851. 


^^.,  HARLES  H.  LAUGHLIN  is  successfully 
prosecuting  the  calling  of  a  farmer  in  Pike 

Jfj  County,  his  home  being  pleasantl}'  located 
on  section  10,  Pleasant  Vale  Township.  He  is  a 
man  of  thought  and  intelligence,  well  read  and  in- 
formed, and  keenly  observant  of  all  that  is  trans- 
piring around  him  both  in  natural  phenomena  and 
in  the  actions  of  men.  His  life  has  been  a  busy 
one  and  he  has  lieen  useful  to  others  as  an  instruc- 
tor in  a  noted  institution  and  by  setting  an  ex- 
ample of  uprightness  and  man!}-  worth. 

Mr.  Laughlin  comes  of  good  families  of  the  Blue 
Grass  State,  his  parents  being  Simon  and  Rebecca 
,1.  Laughlin,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Kentucky. 
About  1831  Simon  Laughlin  came  to  Quincy,  111., 
to  look  at  the  country  and  selecting  a  location  five 
miles  northeast  of  the  city,  purchased  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  as  his  future  home.  He 
cleared  and  fenced  one  hundred  acres  of  the  tract 
and  there  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  until 
called  to  lay  down  the  burdens  of  life  in  Septem- 
ber, 1867.  His  marriage  was  solemnized  near 
Quincy  in  1835  and  was  blest  by  the  birth  of  eight 
sons — Charles,  Richard,  George,  Eranklin,  Tliom.as, 
John,  Mark  and  Simon.  Richard  and  Simon  are 
now  deceased.  Of  this  family,  Charles.  Franklin 
and  John  are  deaf  mutes.  The  revered  mother  is 
still  alive,  making  her  home  in  Quincy.  • 

The  gentleman  whose  life  will  be  briefly  sketched 
below  was  born  in  Adams  County,  III.,  June  26, 
1836.  He  grew  to  the  age  of  ten  years  on  his 
father's  farm  and  was  then  sent  to  Jacksonville  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


493 


be  educated  in  the  Illinois  Institute  for  the  Deaf 
and  Dumb.  During  the  ensuing  eight  j'ears  he 
pursued  llie  course  of  training  so  successfully  em- 
ployed tliere  under  skillful  instructors  and  after- 
ward spent  sixteen  years  as  a  teacher  in  the  same 
institution.  He  lived  in  Texas  four  and  a  half 
years  and  took  up  iiis  residence  in  Pike  Cnunty, 
111.,  in  1882.  He  bought  an  eighty-acre  tract  of 
land  one  mile  from  New  Canton  and  here  is  en- 
joying the  pleasant  associations  of  home,  sur- 
rounded b}'  neighbors  who  respect  him  and  blest 
with  the  comforts  of  life. 

The  order  and  refinement  manifested  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  Mr.  Laughlin's  home  is  mainly  due 
to  the  taste  and  efforts  of  his  wife,  formerly  Jliss 
iMary  S.  Vvaldo.  This  lady  was  born  in  Osceola, 
St.  Clair  County,  Mo.,  'Iul3-  1-1,  1837.  and  was 
united  in  marriage  to  our  subject  June  10,  18C7. 
Her  fatlierwas  a  nntive  of  Virginia  and  her  mother 
of  Connecticut,  and  their  family  consisted  of  the 
following  named  children:  Asenath,  Mary,  Isabella, 
Kllen  and  Lawrence.  The  last  two  named  are  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Laugldin  remained  with  her  parents 
until  she  was  about  twelve  3'ears  of  age,  when  she 
entered  the  Illinois  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and 
Dumb  to  be  taught  that  use  of  her  faculties  that 
would  counterbalance  the  lack  of  hearing  and 
speech.  She  [lursued  her  studies  there  si.x  3'ears, 
and  then  spent  four  years  in  imparting  her  knowl- 
edge to  others. 

To  iMr.  and  Mrs.  Laugblin  two  sons  have  been 
born — Waldo,  whose  birthplace  was  Jacksonville 
and  his  natal  da3'  October  2,  1868,  and  EI3',  who 
was  born  in  Texas  January  16,  1875.  The  young 
men  possess  active  and  comprehensive  minds,  are 
courteous  and  pleasant  in  their  manners  and  have 
been  well  grounded  in  the  principles  of  right  living. 

.Mr.  Laughlin's  honorable  and  upright  course  in 
all  the  affairs  of  life  since  he  became  a  resident  of 
I'ike  County  has  won  him  universal  respect  and 
lie  is  sure  to  be  identified  with  the  movements 
which  vill  elevate  the  social,  moral  and  material 
•status  of  the  communitj'. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Roger  and  Elizal)eth  Laughlin,  natives  of  the  Obi 
Dominion,  who  were  gathered  to  their  fathers  in 
Adams  County,    111.     The   grandparents    of    Mrs. 


Laughlin  were  Jediah  and  Mary  Waldo,  the  one  a 
native  of  New  York  and  the  other  of  Connecticut. 
The  later  3'ears  of  their  lives  were  spent  in  West 
A'irginia,  in  which  State  they  breathed  their  last. 


^EORGE  S.  EDWARDS,  a  well-known  resi- 
dent of  Pittsfield.  is  a  native  of  Pike  County 

^JA]  and  was  born  March  16,  1816,  in  what  was 
then  the  village  of  Pittsfield,  where  he  is  now  so 
successfull3'  engaged  in  business.  He  was  a  son  b3' 
the  second  marriage  of  George  T.  Edwards.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Angeline  Davis  ami  she 
died  in  Pittsfiekl  in  1854  wlieii  our  suliject  was 
but  eight  3'eais  old.  The  father  of  our  subject  is 
still  living  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Te.xas.  He  is 
a  native  of  Tennessee  and  was  born  in  1814. 

He  has  been  three  times  married.  B3'  his  first 
marriage  tliere  were  two  children — James  L.,  a 
physician,  and  now  a  resident  of  Texas.  George 
.S.  is  the  onl3-  child  living  of  the  second  marriage 
and  of  the  third  marriage  there  are  two  children 
living — Maggie  M.  wife  of  F.  Singleton  of  Texas; 
and  Abraham  L.,  now  of  Pittsfield. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  sketch  is  written, 
was  given  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Pittsfield,  and  gained  a  sound  knowledge  of  farm- 
ing by  working  on  farms  for  different  people  dur- 
ing the  summer.  After  leaving  school  be  established 
himself  in  the  livery  business  in  1860,  in  a  small 
way  in  a  frame  stable.  He  carried  on  his  business 
in  that  building  till  1870,  when  it  had  so  increased 
that  he  was  obliged  to  have  more  ample  stable 
accomodations  and  accordingl3'  moved  his  stock  to 
.a  large  brick  stable  on  the  south  side  of  the  public 
square.  This  stable  is  60x100  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  was  finel3'  equiiiped  by  Mr.  Edwprds  and 
stocked  with  good  horses,  buggies,  carriages  and 
hacks  and  everything  necessary  to  make  it  a  first- 
class  livery.  Besides  letting  horses  he  had  them 
for  sale,  and  was  also  engaged  in  breeding  trotting 
horses.  His  long  experience  as  a  liverj'man  has 
given  him  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  horse  so 
that  he  can  readily  distinguish  its  good  poinis  or 
bad  qualities,  und  he  is  considered  one  of  the  best 


494 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


judges  of  equine  llesli  in  this  citj'.  He  successfully 
managed  the  business  until  August.  1890,  when 
he  sold  out. 

Mr.  Edwards  nnd  Miss  Muria  Clarrett,  a  resident 
of  Piltsfield  and  a  native  of  Oliio,  were  united  in 
marriage  in  1880,  and  now  have  one  of  the 
brightest  and  most  attractive  homes  in  the  city. 
They  have  two  children  living — George  G.  and  Ida 
G.  Mr.  Edwards  is  a  man  of  prominence  in  this 
community  and  has  held  important  offices  in  cil\' 
and  county.  He  served  one  term  as  Trustee  and 
at  one  time  was  Sheriff  of  Pike  Count}'.  At  all 
times  he  is  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his 
native  city  and  county  and  with  true  public  spirit 
and  cliaracteristic  generosity  does  all  he  can  to 
advance  all  plans  devised  for  their  improvement. 


/p^EORGE  PRATT,  a  representative  business 
III  ,_— ,  man  and  farmer  of  Griggsville,  Pike 
^C^iJl  County,  where  he  is  dealing  extensive!}'  in 
real  estate  and  is  engaged  in  the  loan  business,  is  a 
descendant  of  early  New  England  Colonists  and 
was  born  in  Cohasset,  Mass.,  August  5,  1812.  He 
is  the  son  of  Job  and  Lucretia  (Oaks)  Pratt.  The 
first  of  the  family  to  come  to  America  from  the  old 
home  in  P^ngland,  arrived  in  the  tliird  ship  that 
came  to  these  shores  after  the  •'M.aydower,"his  name 
being  Phineas  Pratt.  He  had  been  armor  bearer  to 
the  king.  His  son's  name  was  also  Phineas.  He 
was  a  surveyor  of  the  early  Government  and  a 
noted  lawyer  of  that  day.  Zadoc  Pratt  was  a  de- 
scendant in  a  direct  line  of  Phineas  Pratt,  and  his 
son  was  the  noted  Judge  Pratt,  of  New  York  City. 
It  seems  the  original  members  of  the  family  to 
come  across  the  water  Iiad  separated  and  part  went 
to  Salem  Colony,  while  a  part  staid  witli  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colon}'.  Onrsubject  has  many 
times  been  to  Plymouth  Rock,  wiierehis  forefathers 
lahded. 

Thomas  Pratt,  the  grandfather  of  onr  subject, 
was  a  farmer  in  the  old  town  where  Mr.  Pratt  was 
born.  Me  married  a  daughter  of  Parson  Neil, 
whose  name  was  Betsey.  They  reared  a  family  of 
twelve  children  of  whom  tiie  father  of  our  subject 


was  one.  He  became 'a  farmer  and  lived  and  died 
on  a  farm  given  him  by  his  father  in  Cohasset.  He 
married  Lucretia,  daughter  of  Haugh  and  Susan 
(Lathrop)  Oaks,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  major 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  afterward  was  com- 
missioned in  the  navy.  He  was  Captain  of  a  ship 
and  on  one  occasion  captured  a  supplj-  ship  of  the 
enemy,  his  portion  of  the  salvage  from  which 
amounted  to  i!2,000.  With  this  money  lie  pur- 
chased a  homestead.  Mrs.  Oaks  was  a  daughter 
of  Col.  Lathrop,  of  the  Revolutionary  Arm}-.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lathrop,  the  maternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject,  reared  five  daughters  three  of  whom 
marritid  and  settled  in  Vermont.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  spent  her  entire  married  life  in  the 
town  which  has  been  before  mentioned  as  the  home 
of  the  Pratt  family  for  many  long  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  reared  a  family  of  five 
children,  George  being  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 
Of  the  other  members  of  the  familj'  circle  we  note 
the  following:  James  chose  a  seafaring  life,  be- 
came an  officer  on  shipboard  when  but  twenty-one 
years  old  and  master  of  a  vessel  before  he  was 
thirty:  he  died  at  sea.  Sarah,  who  is  now  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Brown,  of  Cohasset,  Mass. 
Job  was  a  mechanic  in  the  service  of  the  Govern- 
ment, his  liome  being  in  Cambridge,  Mass.;  he  is 
now  deceased.  Thomas  is  now  living  in  Alabama; 
he  was  a  Government  official  during  the  Civil  War, 
was  captured  by  the  rebels  and  being  offered  the 
position  of  nurse  for  rebel  prisoners  on  a  parole, 
he  took  care  of  a  young  man  who  proved  to  be  the 
son  of  a  rich  planter,  and  won  the  good  graces  of 
the  famil3\  They  succeeded  in  obtaining  the 
money  which  had  been  taken  from  him  at  the  time 
of  his  capture  and  hospitably  entertained  him  in 
their  home.  He  was  a  prisoner  of  war  a  longtime, 
but  finally  was  exchanged  and  came  North,  return- 
ing to  the  South  some  years  later  to  engage  in 
business. 

Job  Pratt,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  married 
a  second  time  to  Patience  Cole,  who  bore  him  one 
child  Harvey.  This  son  enlisted  at  the  first  call  for 
volunteers  and  served  throughout  the  Civil  War 
in  a  RLassachusetts  regiment.  He  participated  in 
manj'  of  the  bloodiest  engagements  of  the  war  and 
at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  though  he  escaped 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


495 


jieisonal  injur}-,  was  covered  with  blood  which 
gushed  from  the  wouuds  of  those  near  him.  He 
was  wounded  in  one  of  the  later  engagements.  He 
entered  the  service  as  a  private  but  was  a  non-com- 
missioned officer  after  being  enrolled.  Prior  to 
the  war  he  was  engaged  in  farming,  but  was  after- 
ward a  speculator  and  business  man. 

The  subject  of  these  notes  was  an  attendant  at 
school  and  a  participant  in  farm  labor  until  he  was 
sixteen  3ears  old,  when  lie  went  to  .?ea  and  followed 
a  seafaring  life  during  the  ensuing  six  jears.  He 
then  located  in  C'ambridgeport,  but  in  the  spring  of 
1837  started  for  Alton.  111.,  intending  to  go  into 
pork  and  beef  packing  there.  Not  liking  the  finan- 
cial outlook  of  that  place  he  came  to  Pike  Count}-, 
localfd  in  Griggsville.  and  began  packing  here 
doing  his  own  cooperage.  In  1S45  Mr.  I'ratt  en- 
gaged with  J.  D.  Battles  in  tlie  sale  uf  merchandise 
and  accumulating  some  means  began  to  deal  in 
real  estate,  ere  long  being  extensively  engaged  in 
that  business,  in  making  loans  and  buying  bonds 
and  other  securities.  He  is  still  carrying  on  the 
latter  part  of  this  work  and  in  connection  with  his 
son  Frank  now  supervises  over  four  hundred  acres 
of  land,  about  forty  of  whicli  is  in  the  corporate 
limits  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Pratt  has  been  quite  active  in  political  mat- 
ters and  in  the  civil  affairs  of  the  county.  He  has 
served  on  the  County  Board  five  j'ears,  has  been  a 
Commissioner  and  was  one  of  the  School  Board  for 
a  number  of  j'ears.  Following  the  exam|)le  of  his 
ancestors,  who  have  been  men  of  worth  and  integ- 
rity, holding  high  positions  in  Government  and 
social  affairs,  he  has  made  himself  useful  in  connec- 
tion with  all  that  will  advance  the  welfare  of  the 
comnuinity.  He  belongs  to  the  Congregational 
Cluirch,  having  first  united  with  that  religious 
body  in  the  East  and  having  been  a  Deacon  in  the 
society  in  Griggsville  forj-ears. 

June  12,  1838,  Mr.  Pratt  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Klizabeth  B.  Wilson,  the  wedding  rites  being 
solemnized  in  Griggsville.  The  bride  was  a  native 
of  Boston.  She  died  in  .March,  1845,  leaving  tvro 
children^— George  E.,  a  merchant  of  Griggsville, 
and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  E.  W.  Pluramer,  of  Scio, 
Rollins  Cuunty,  Kan.  Mr.  Pratt  was  again  mar- 
ried April   18,    1818,  his   bride   being    Emeline   J. 


Battles,  a  native  of  Boston,  and  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
J.  1).  and  Catherine  (Johnson)  Battles.  This  lady 
departed  this  life  June  28,  1868,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren— Albert  J.,  now  residing  in  Jacksonville,  and 
Franklin  Pearce,  a  resident  of  Griggsville.  Neither 
of  these  sons  arc  married.  A  third  matrimonial 
alliance  was  conlr.acted  by  Mr.  Pratt,  November 
18.  1869,  he  having  won  for  his  companion  Miss 
Anna  M.  Tyler,  daughter  of  Aaron  Tyler  and  a 
native  of  Bath,  Me.  Mrs.  Anna  Pratt  passed  away 
July  19,  1887. 


^-^«^-^ ^ 


liEORGE  W.  MOORE  is  a  highly-respected 
If!  . — .  citizen  of  Pike  County.  He  is  classed 
among  its  practical  farmers  and  his  farm  in 
New  Salem  Township,  on  section  13,  is  considered 
vi\e  of  the  best  in  the  vicinity.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  Moore,  who  was  born  in  Allegany  County, 
Mil.,  on  the  3d  of  June,  1799.  He  was  a  bas- 
ket-maker  by  occupation,  also  carried  on  farm- 
ing and  was  a  deer  and  bear  hunter.  John 
Moore,  .Sr.,  his  father,  was  a  native  of  England, 
and  w.as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution  serving 
through  the  entire  war.  He  was  a  farmer  anil 
silent  his  last  j-ears  in  New  Jersey.  The  father  of 
John  Moore,  Sr.,  was  born  near  London,  England, 
and  his  wife  was  born  near  Glasgow.  Scotland. 
They  died  in  tiie  old  country.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  emigrated  to  this  country  in  early 
life  and  settled  in  New  Jersej-.  Two  of  liis  sons 
went  to  New  York  and  became  residents  of  that 
great  metropolis. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sarah  Simpson 
before  her  inarri.age  and  was  born  near  Ilagers- 
town,  Md.,  April  15,  180-t.  She  was  married  in 
her  native  Stat-e  in  1824,  and  she  and  the  father  of 
our  subject  continued  to  live  there  until  five  of  their 
children  had  been  born.  Then  thej- settled  in  Har- 
rison County,  Ohio,  on  a  farm  and  were  among  the 
pioneers  of  that  section.  They  were  in  limited 
circumstances  and  were  very  hard-working  peo- 
ple. In  1844  thej-  once  more  became  pioneers  and 
settled  at  Rock  Island,  111.,  where  they  remained 
three  months.     From   there  they   went  to  Quincy 


496 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


wliere  lliey  staid  a  like  length  of  time  and  then  re- 
lumed to  Oliio.  In  1847  they  came  back  to  Illi- 
nois, and  after  a  short  stay  at  Quincy  came  to  Pike 
County  and  settled  on  section  12,  Mew  Salem 
Township. 

The  land  on  which  they  located  was  in  a  wild 
state  and  was  purchased  from  the  Government.  Mr. 
Moore  actively  entered  on  its  development,  first 
building  a  log  house  to  shelter  his  family,  and  he 
subsequently  put  the  land  under  cultivation,  set 
out  an  orchard,  and  made  many  other  valuable  im- 
provements. When  old  age  came  upon  them  the 
parents  of  our  subject  retired  from  their  labors  and 
made  their  home  with  him  until  death  called  them 
hence,  tlie  father  dying  July  16,  187G,  and  the 
mother  April  15,  188(j.  They  were  people  of  true 
worth,  were  earnestly  religious,  and  attended  di- 
vine .service  whenever  it  was  possible.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  she  of  the 
United  Brethren  Ciiurch.  They  reared  their  off- 
spring to  good  moral  lives  and  gave  them  ail  the 
education  possible  in  the  time  wlien  subscription 
schools. were  in  vogue.  Of  their  ten  cliildren,  seven 
sons  and  tiiree  daughters,  five  are  now  living — Mar- 
cus, Goulda  Ellen  (Mrs.  R.  Carnes),  our  sul)ject, 
Samuel  and  Hiram. 

George  W.  Moore  was  Ijorn  December  21.  183G, 
in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  the  place  of  his  birth  be- 
ing in  a  log  house  (in  the  farm  known  as  the 
'•George  Day  Farm."  He  was  eight  j'ears  old  vvhen 
his  [larents  came  to  Illinois  and  lie  attended  school 
at  a  subscription  school  in  the  Tenneriffe  District 
in  New  Salem  Township.  He  bad  the  ordinary 
experience  of  farmer  bo^s  and  had  a  large  amount 
of  work  to  do.  He  began  life  for  himself  when 
sixteen  years  of  age  working  out  on  a  farm  by 
the  montli,  day  or  week,  or  by  the  job.  He  has 
worked  for  $3  a  month  and  from  that  small  sura  up 
to  the  highest  wages  given.  He  was  thus  employed 
for  eight  years  and  then  invested  the  capital  he  had 
acquired  in  a  grocery  store  at  Griggsville,  which  he 
managed  just  one  3-ear.  He  sold  out  and  went  to 
Kansas  in  1866  and  settled  in  Butler  County  on  a 
farm.  He  engaged  in  teaming  buffalo  robes  from 
Wichita  and  Towanda,  Kan.,  to  Topeka,  and  con- 
signed to  H.  Durfee,  of  Leavenworth.  He  lived 
in  Kansas  during  its  transition  days  and  saw  much 


of  tlie  rough  side  of  life.  He  is  an  excellent  musi- 
cian and  was  often  called  upon  to  jjlay  the  fiddle  in 
a  log  schoolhouse  for  a  company.  Tlie  men  for 
wliom  lie  played  were  of  tlie  rough  frontier  type, 
and  would  hang  their  revolvers  on  the  wall  with  the 
tlireat  that  if  his  music  was  not  satisfactory  his 
head  would  be  shot  off.  F(jrlunately  for  iiim  they 
appreciated  his  fiddling;  he  would  receive  a  §10 
note  for  his  work  and  everything  would  pass  off 
[ileasantl}'. 

Mr.  Moore  remained  in  tliat  count}-  eighteen 
months  and  then  took  up  his  residence  in  Coffey 
Count}'  the  sime  State  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing for  the  late  Allen  Crocker.  He  was  with  him 
eighteen  months  and  then  came  back  to  Illinois, 
bringing  a  pony  with  him.  After  his  return  he  cut 
wood  for  his  brother  for  awhile  and  subsequently 
engaged  in  agriculture.  He  finally  established  a 
home  of  his  own  and  to  the  lady  whom  he  invited 
to  preside  over  it,  Frances  Ann  Dunham,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  May  17,  1870.  Mrs.  Moore  is 
a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Abel  Dunham  of  whom  a 
sketch  appears  in  this  volume,  and  comes  of  a 
widely-known  family.  She  was  born  April  5,  1851, 
in  Griggsville  Township  and  received  her  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools. 

After  marriage  our  subject  lived  in  this  township 
on  section  24  for  two  3'ears,  when  he  engaged  in 
farming  on  a  rented  farm.  He  then  took  up  his 
abode  on  his  present  farm  and  has  since  made  his 
home  here.  He  lias  seen  some  hard  times  during 
Ills  life  and  has  received  many  hard  knocks,  hut  lie 
has  triumphed  over  every  obstacle  and  has  achieved 
success  in  his  calling.  He  has  ninety  acres  of  land 
which  is  nearly  all  tillable,  and  he  is  prosperously 
engaged  in  mixed  farming,  raising  stock  and  grain. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren of  whom  the  following  five  are  yet  living: 
Orpha  B.,  Sarah  Emma,  Charles  Sherman,  Asa  New- 
ton and  Samuel  Ray.  They  are  being  carefully 
trained  by  their  parents  in  the  duties  of  life  and 
are  receiving  the  best  school  advantages  that  can  be 
obtained. 

Our  subject  is  a  man  of  worth  and  sound  integ- 
rity and  is  held  in  high  estimation  by  his  neighbors 
and  associates.  He  keeps  well  posted  in  politics  in 
which  he  takes  a  lively  interest  and  generally  sides 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


497 


with  ttie  Democrats,  thoiish  he  vnUid  for  Gen. 
(irnnt  in  1868  and  in  local  politics  supports  tiie 
man  whom  he  considers  best  fitted  for  the  office. 
He  has  been  a  Road  Commissioner  and  is  contribut- 
ing l;is  quota  to  the  improvement  of  New  Salein 
Township.  He  and  his  wife  are  sincere  Christians 
and  devoted  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church  and  have  lieen  active  workers  in  tiie  .Sun- 
day-school. Mr.  iVIoore  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  lodge  at  Perrj' 
since   18G,'3. 


.>|k^ 


ym. 


;|:0I1N  (i.  .AIcKINXKY,  .AI.  D..  of  Barry,  is 
one  of  the  le-iding  pliysifiiuis  of  Pike 
County,  iiis  learning  and  skill  placing  hitn 
among  the  foremost  ranks  of  his  profession. 
He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  the  town  of  Cadiz, 
Harrison  County,  December  27,  1835.  His  father, 
James  McKinncy,  is  thought  to  have  been  a  native 
of  the  same  State,  wiiile  his  giandfather,  George 
McKinney,  is  known  to  have  been  born  in  Ireland 
and  the  name  indicates  that  he  was  of  Scotch  origin. 
He  was  the  son  of  a  sea  captain,  who  for  some 
years  made  his  residence  on  the  Isle  of  l\Ian. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  reared   iuid 
married  in  his  native  land    and  after   the  <leath    of 
his  first  wife  came  to  America.    He  located  in  H.-ir- 
lison  Count}'   and  was  thus  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Ohio.     He  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  spent  his 
last  years  in   that  count}'.     lie  had  a  son  William 
I    by  his  first  marriage.     By  his  second  marriage  he 
I    reared  four  sons,  John,  George,   Fryar  and  James. 
James  McKinney  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpen- 
ter and  joiner  in  eaily  life,  and  cariigd  on  this  oc- 
cupation, in  Cadiz  until    1837.  In  that  year  he  left 
I   his  native  State  and  with  liis  wife  and  five  children 
came  to  Illinois  by  the  way  of  the  Ohio,  Mississippi 
and  Illinois  Rivers,  landing  at  Philliiis    P'erry,  the 
present  site  of  Valley  City.     He   located  one   mile 
southwest  of  Griggsville,   which  was   then    but   a 
small  village  with  one  or  two   stores.     There  were 
no  railways  and  the  surrounding  country  was  very 
sparsely  settled.  Deer,  wild  turkey  and  other  kinds 
of  game  was  plentiful,  and  often  furnished  the  pio- 


neer settlers  an  agreeable  variation  in  liieir  some- 
what monotonous  bill  of  fare.  The  land  in  this 
county  was  much  of  it  held  by  the  Government, 
but  Mr.  McKinney  was  too  poor  to  buy,  and  con- 
sequently  rented  land  the  (irst  three  years  of  In,-. 
stay  here.  His  father  then  sent  out  some  money 
and  he  entered  a  tract  of  Government  land  for  his 
two  sons — Cieorge  W.  and  John  G.,  said  tract  be- 
ing located  in  what  is  now  New  Salem  Township. 
Me  built  a  hewed  log  house  on  the  land  and  cov- 
ered the  roof  with  rived  shingles.  This  dwelling 
was  considered  the  best  house  in  that  section  of  the 
country  for  some  time. 

Mr.  McKinnc}'  continued  to  carry  on  his  trade 
the  most  of  the  time  and  wlu!n  not  thus  engaged 
worked  at  improving  his  land  and  lived  on  it  about 
twelve  years.  He  then  bought  a  tract  of  partly 
improved  prairie  lan<l  two  miles  northeast  of  Bity- 
lis.  He  resided  there  until  1864  when  he  disposed 
of  that  jjlace  and  removed  to  Sadorus  Township, 
Champaign  County,  where  he  invested  in  a  tract  of 
l)rairie  land  which  was  but  slightly  improved.  In 
1877  he  disposed  of  tliat  and  removed  to  Plain- 
ville,  in  Adams  Count}'.  He  bought  a  home  there 
and  later  purchased  lots  and  built  a  house  wherein 
he  dwelt  until  death  called  him  hence.  Although 
he  had  lived  on  a  farm  all  the  time  since  coming 
to  this  county  in  1837,  he  had  devoted  the  greater 
portion  of  his  time  to  his  trade  and  had  acquired  a 
competency. 

The  mother  of  our  suliject  was  Mary  (Orr)  Mc- 
Kinne}'  and  she  was  born  in  Cumberland  County. 
Pa.  Her  father,  James  Orr.  came  to  Illinois  in  ls;i,s 
and  spent  his  last  years  with  his  children  in  this 
State.  For  many  years  after  marriage.  Mrs.  i\lc- 
Kinne}'  cooked  by  the  fireplace  and  her  L-liildrt-n 
were  clad  in  homesi)un  that  was  the  work  of  her 
hands,  the  material  of  which  was  of  both  wool  and 
flax.  She  died  in  Champaign  County  at  a  ripe  age. 
Her  marriage  was  productive  of  seven  sons  and 
two  daughters — Elizabeth  D.,  George  \V.,  James 
O.,  John  G.,  Thomas  C,  Charles  Fryar,  AVilliam 
A.,  Mary  J.  and  Isaac  K.  Mary  J.  died  when  two 
years  old;  all  the  others  married  and  reared  fami- 
lies. 

Dr.  McKinney  was  in  his  second  yetir  when  he 
came  to  this  county  with   his  parents,  so  he  has  no 


498 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


recollection  of  other  than  his  adopted  home.  He 
attended  the  pioneer  schools  which  were  taught  in 
a  log  house,  heated  by  a  fireplace.  The  furniture 
was  of  the  most  piiniitive  kind  being  made  b}- 
splitting  poles  and  inserting  wooden  pins  for  legs. 
There  were  no  desks  but  holes  were  bored  in  the 
wall  and  ])ins  inserted  in  those  holes  on  which 
planks  were  laid  for  tiie  larger  scholars  to  write  on. 

As  soon  as  large  enough  our  subject  began  to 
assist  on  the  farm  and  remained  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage.  He  continued  farming  until 
18G3  and  then  his  health  having  failed  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  medicine  for  which  he 
iiad  a  decided  taste,  and  in  1863  commenced  to 
practice  at  Pleasant  Hill.  One  year  later  he  went 
to  Rockport,  and  was  engaged  as  a  physician  there 
three  years,  then  went  to  Kingston,  Adams  County, 
in  1867,  and  resided  in  that  city  until  1875,  when 
became  to  Bany.  After  establishing  himself  here 
he  rented  a  house  and  established  a  sanitarium. 
In  1885  he  erected  a  commodious  and  well  ar- 
ranged frame  building,  convenient!}'  located  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  is  managing  it  ver}'  success- 
fully.      • 

The  Doctor  has  established  a  large  practice  and 
is  aided  by  his  brother,  George  W.,  in  carrying  on 
the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery.  But  few 
physicians  in  the  county  have  been  better  prepared 
for  their  woik  tlian  our  subject.  He  is  finely  edu- 
cated and  is  well  abreast  of  the  times  as  he  has 
always  been  a  student  and  has  kept  himself  well 
informed  on  medical  matters.  He  was  graduated 
from  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  in  1867  and 
ambitions  to  gain  a  further  knowledge  of  medicine 
he  look  a  post-graduate  course  in  the  Medical  De- 
partment of  the  Northwestern  University.  In  1883 
he  puisucd  a  post-graduate  course  at  Rush  Medical 
College,  and  he  subsequently  attended  a  Polyclinic 
in  New  York  City,  his  certificate  bearing  date  of 
1887,  and  in  1889  he  made  a  trip  to  Europe  and 
visited  the  principal  hospitals  in  London,  Berlin. 
I'aris,  A'ienna  and  Dublin.  The  Doctor  is  a  valued 
member  of  ttic  State  Medical  Society  and  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  Medical  Association.  He  joined 
the  Masonic  fraternity  in  1861  at  New  Salem  .and  is 
now  identified  with  Barry  Lodge  No.  34;  and 
with  Barry  Chapter  No.  88,  R.  A,  M.  Our  subject 


is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
A  man  whose  professitmal  reputation  is  of  the 
highest,  who  is  a  gentleman  of  honor  and  un- 
doubted integrity,  the  Doctor  has  proved  a  valua- 
ble acquisition  to  the  citizenship  of  Barr^'. 

Dr.  McKinnej'  was  first  married  in  1856  to 
Elizabetii  Boulware.  She  was  a  native  of  this 
township  and  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Christina 
Boulware,  pioneers  of  Pike  County.  She  died  in  the 
month  of  June,  1861.  Our  subject's  second  mar- 
riage which  was  solemnized  in  November,  1863, 
was  to  Malinda  Vining.  This  estimable  Lady  was 
born  in  Adams  County  and  was  a  daughter  of  Ab- 
ner  Vining.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  sons — 
James  A.,  George  B.  and  Jerome,  of  whom  the  two 
former  are  students  at  the  State  Universities  at  Ur- 
baiia  and  Normal.  Our  subject  has  two  children 
living  by  his  first  marriage :  Hardin  W.  who  mar- 
ried Martha  Chamberlin  and  Nancy  E.,  wife  of 
Prof.  R.  W.  Kenady. 

LFRED   H.   McATEP:   owns   and  occupies 
one    of    the    oldest   homesteads    in     Pike 
County,  his  grandfather,  Ilezekiab  McAfee 
^  having    located  on  it  in  1827  when  it  was 

a  tract  of  wild  land.  Our  subject  is  oue  of  the 
l)rosperous,  progressive  and  wcll-to  do  farmers  of 
Barry,  his  native  pLace  and  is  well  known  and  re- 
spected by  the  entire  community.  He  is  the  only 
living  son  of  Elijah  and  Luey(Grubb)  McAtec 
of  wliom  an  extended  sketch  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  BiooKAriiiCAL  Ai.iiuji. 

He  of  whom  we  vvrite  was  born  on  this  old  home- 
stead September  4,  1857.  His  education  was 
gleaned  in  the  district  schools,  and  he  early  com- 
menced to  assist  his  father  on  the  farm,  and  thus 
gained  a  thorough  practical  knowledge  of  agricul- 
ture in  all  its  branches.  He  remained  vvith  his  par- 
ents until  his  marriage  February  6,  1875,  to  Klla 
Hancock.  Five  children  have  been  born  to  them: 
Lottie,  Emmett,  I  mo,  Harry  and  Jessie. 

Ever  since  the  old  homestead  came  into  his  pos- 
session, our  subject  has  managed  it  very  success- 
fully.    It  is  a  large   farm,  containing  some  three 


Ur.^   tOf. 


(J 


^i<r/3,07^ol 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


501 


hiinilre'l  aert'S  which  are  under  admirable  tillage 
and  yield  rich  liarvests.  The  huihlings  are  of  a 
neat  and  substantia!  order,  and  everytliing  about 
the  |)laee  betokens  tlie  presence  of  a  master  hand 
and  mind.  ISIr.  McAtee  is  a  man  of  sound  sense, 
of  intelligent  views  on  all  subjects  and  in  his  |)olit- 
ical  sentiments  is  a  decided  Democrat. 

In  this  biographical  review  of  tlie  life  of  our 
subject  and  his  wife,  we  are  pleased  to  introduce  an 
account  of  Mrs.  McAtee's  parents.  Her  father, 
George  A.  Hancock  was  born  in  Licking  County, 
Ohio,  September  10,  1830.  His  father,  Isaac  Han- 
cock, was  a  native  of  Shenandoah  County.Va.,  and 
went  from  tliere  to  Ohio  when  a  young  man.  He 
thus  became  a  pioneer  of  the  Buckeye  State,  and 
was  there  nianied  to  Cynthia  Ann  Ford,  a  nativa 
of  that  |)art  of  the  country.  He  resided  in  Ohio 
until  1843,  and  then  with  his  wife  and  live  cliil- 
dren,  he  once  more  look  up  the  march  for  a  more 
newly  settled  country  and  came  to  Illinois,  making 
the  journey  liither  with  teams.  He  located  in  I'ay- 
son  Towiisliii),  Adams  County,  where  he  rented 
Innd  for  a  time  and  then  bought  a  tract  of  wild 
land.  He  built  upon  it  and  improved  it  to  some 
extent  during  the  few  years  that  he  lived 
thereon.  He  then  sold  that  place  and  went  to  Mis- 
souri but  after  living  in  JIacon  County,  that  State, 
for  a  time  he  came  back  to  Illinois  ami  bought  a 
farm  in  Barry  Township.  The  last  years  of  liis 
life  he  lived  retired  in  the  village  of  Barry,  and  his 
widow  is  still  living  there. 

Mrs.  JIcAtee's  father  was  twelve  years  old  when 
he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents.  At  that  time 
(Juinoy  was  but  a  small  place  and  in  the  surround- 
ing country  deer,  wild  turkeys  and  other  kind  of 
game  was  plenty.  He  continued  to  live  wiUi  his 
parent."  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old  and  then 
engaged  in  milling  at  Payson  and  subsequently^ 
in  Barry  Township  at  the  St.  Louis  mill.  He  was 
thus  employed  eight  or  ten  ye.ijs  and  then  turned 
Ills  attention  to  farming.  In  18CS  hesetthd  on 
the  place  where  he  now  resides.  His  farm  has  one 
hundred  and  sixty-five  acres  of  finely-tilled  soil 
and  he  has  built  a  commodious  set  of  frame  build- 
ings and  planted  a  fine  orchard  of  fruit  trees  of 
various  kinds. 

Mr.  Hancock  and  Miss  Nancy  M.  Shepard,  were 


married  in  1856.  Mrs.  Hancock  was  born  in 
Adams  County.  111.,  and  is  a  daugliter  of  Thomas 
.1.  and  Jane  Shepard.  The  following  are  the  names 
of  seven  of  the  nine  children  now  living  who  have 
blessed  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Hancock's  wedded  life — 
Charles  M.,  George  II.,  Ella,  Belle,  Tina,  P^iank 
and  Lora.  Ella,  Mrs.  McAtee.  vvas  born  in  Adams 
County,  April  10,  1858.  Mr.  Hancock  is  a  shrewd, 
thrift}',  business-like  farmer,  and  has  been  prospered 
in  his  calling.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  firm 
Democrat. 


-€-*-^ ^ 


^_^  ON.  GEORGE  B.  CHILD.  It  is  doubtful 
I)  if  a  more  popular  man  could  be  found 
within  the  limits  of  Calhoun  County  than 
the  Hon.  George  B.  Child,  whose  portrait 
is  presented  on  the  opi)osite  page.  He  was  born 
in  IIar<lin  and  as  the  most  of  his  life  has  been 
spent  here  he  is  well  known  throughout  the  com- 
muniiy.  His  reputation  has  extended  into  the 
surrounding  country,  his  qualities  of  mind  and  traits 
of  character  have  been  thoroughly  canvassed,  and 
his  election  to  positions  of  public  trust  and  respon- 
sibility is  therefore  an  unmistakable  compliment  to 
his  jjcrsonal  worth.  Mr.  Child  is  still  quite  a  young 
man,  his  natal  day  having  been  June  12,  1851. 

Some  facts  regarding  the  ancestors  of  our  sub- 
ject will  be  of  interest  in  connection  with  his  own 
life  history.  His  grandfather,  Stephen  Child,  was 
born  in  Roxbury.  ]\Iass.,  and  was  descended  from 
one  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  who  arrived  on  Amer- 
ican shores  in  the  '••Mayflower."  An  arm  chair 
brought  by  the  sturdy  Puritan  is  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  our  subject.  Stephen  Child  followed  the 
life  of  a  farmer  near  Roxbury.  He  married  Sarah 
Weld,  who  was  also  a  native  of  the  old  Bay  State. 
To  the  good  couple  was  born  a  son,  Benjamin  F., 
whose  birthplace  is  now  included  in  the  city  of 
Boston,  but  was  at  that  time  an  outlying  farm. 
Benjamin  Child  was  educated  in  Hoxbury  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  in  the  wholesale  grocery 
store  of  John  W.  Thayer  on  Central  Wharf,  Boston. 
After  working  there  three  years  Mr.  Child  came 
to  Illinois  in   1835,  locating  on  the  present  site  of 


502 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Hardin  and  at  once  engnging  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits. The  locality  became  known  as  Cliilil's  Lanrl- 
injl.  and  when  some  time  later  Mr.  Child  donated 
the  land  to  Calhoun  County  and  the  county-scat 
was  removed  from  Gilead  to  this  point,  he  named 
the  village  Hardin  in  honor  of  Gov.  Hardin  of 
South  Carolina.  He  continued  his  career  as  a 
merchant  until  his  death,  which  took  place  Febru- 
ary 11,  1872.  His  widow  then  carried  on  the  bus- 
iness until  1887,  manifesting  a  degree  of  business 
ability  seldom  shown  by  women.  Mr.  Child  was 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  Calhoun  Lodge  No. 
444,  I.  0.  O.  F.  In  politics  he  was  always  a  Re- 
publican. 

The  marriage  of  Benjamin  F.  Child  and  Ellen 
Brown  was  solemnized  in  St.  l^ouis.  Mo.,  August 
17,  1836.  The  bride  was  born  in  Roxburj-shire, 
Scotland,  April  4,  1816,  and  in  the  same  shire  her 
parents,  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Thompson)  Brown 
had  opened  their  eyes  to  the  light.  Mr.  Brown, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  four  of  his  children, 
set  sail  from  White  Haven,  England,  in  1832,  and 
landed  at  Quebec  after  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks 
and  three  days.  He  went  directly'  to  Little  York, 
as  Toronto  was  then  called,  made  that  place  his 
home  for  fourteen  months  and  then  came  to  Alton, 
this  State.  In  that  city  he  resided  until  his  death, 
at  the  age  of  sixty -seven  years.  His  widow  died  in 
the  same  city  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-eight. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  is  still  living  in  Hardin. 
She  has  two  children  living — our  subject  and  his 
sister  Sarah,  who  is  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Harlan 
Page  Carson,  D.  D.  The  family  of  which  Mrs. 
Child  made  one  included  also  the  foflowing  mem- 
bers: Archibald,  a  farmes  who  settled  at  Smith's 
Falls.  Canada;  Alexander,  a  wagon-maker  whose 
home  was  in  Hannibal,  Mo.;  Samuel,  a  cabinet- 
maker who  lived  in  Peterboro,  Canada;  Margaret, 
who  married  J.  R.  Stanford,  of  Griggsville;  James, 
a  machinist  who  lived  near  Memphis,  Tenn.; 
Thomas,  a  blacksmith  whose  home  was  in  Alton ; 
George,  an  attorney  and  editor,  Sergeant-at- Arras 
of  the  United  States  Senate  for  seven  years  and 
also  Mayor  of  Alton;  Joseph,  now  City  Audi- 
tor of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  The  last-named,  and  Mrs. 
Child  are  the  only  members  of  the  family  now 
living.     George  T.  Brown  was  in  his  olHce  on  tht 


night  of  the  assassination  of  E.  P.  Lovejoy.  with 
whom  he  was  associated  in  business. 

The  second  born  in  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Benjamin  F.  Child  was  a  son,  Stephen.  He  entered 
the  army  as  Second  Lieutenant  in  Company  E, 
Sixth  Missouri  Infantry,  was  promoted  to  be  First 
Lieutenant  and  transferred  to  Gen.  Palmer's  stafif  as 
Aid  and  was  mustered  out  as  Captain.  When  his 
te'm  of  enlistment  expired  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged and  returned  to  his  home.  In  the  latter 
part  of  Lincoln's  administration  he  served  as  mes- 
senger in  the  .Senate  at  Washington,  being  ap- 
pointed to  that  position  b}'  his  uncle,  George  T. 
Brown,  who  vvas  Sergeant-at-Arms  from  1861  to 
1868.  Mr.  Child  continued  to  act  as  messenger 
until  1868,  and  then  made  his  home  in  Hardin, 
where  he  breathed  his  last  October  8,  1876.  His 
remains  are  deposited  in  the  Alton  Cemetery,  near 
those  of  his  respected  father  whose  ability,  good 
citizenship  and  fine  character  make  the  name  hon- 
ored by  all  who  knew  him. 

The  gentleman  who  is  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical sketch  was  reared  in  his  native  place 
and  attended  the  village  schools  until  ten  years  of 
age.  He  then  became  a  stndi  nt  in  the  city  schools 
of  Alton  and  in  1871  entered  Bryant  &  Stratton's 
College  in  St.  Louis,  remaining  there  until  called 
liome  by  his  father's  last  illness.  He  assisted  in  the 
management  of  the  business  until  1887.  His  father 
was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1847,  and  with  the 
exception  of  one  year  during  Buchanan's  adminis- 
tration, the  ofHce  was  held  in  the  famll}'  until  1885. 

Our  subject  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  vil- 
lage Board,  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1882 
was  elected  Sheriff  with  a  large  political  majority 
against  him.  He  was  the  first  Republican  ever 
elected  to  that  office  in  the  county  and  the  first 
ever  sent  to  the  Legislature.  These  facts  afford 
satisfactory  proof  of  the  extreme  popularity  of  the 
and  man  the  ver}'  l;igh  opinion  held  by  the  jieopleof 
his  mental  ability,  interest  in  the  public  welf'ire  and 
trustworthiness.  In  1890  Mr.  Child  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature  and  all  who  know  him  will  watch 
his  career  there  with  great  interest.  He  has  served 
as  a  delegate  to  numerous  county,  district  and 
.State  conventions,  and  has  always  been  a  stanch 
Republican,  his  first  vote   having  been   given  for 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


503 


r.  S.  Grant,  lie  belongs  to  Calhoun  I,ocige  No. 
444  I.  O.  O.  F.,and  occupies  the  Secretary's  Chair. 
Tlie  wife  of  Mr.  Child  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Martha  A.  Edwards.  She  is  one  of  those 
noble  woman  whom  "to  love  is  a  liberal  educa- 
tion" and  is  as  popular  among  her  .icquaintanees  as 
is  our  suliject  among  his.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Child  was  solemnized  in  1876  and  has  been 
blessed  to  them  b3'  the  birth  of  two  daughters — - 
Mary  R.  and  Bertha  Brown  (deceased.) 


,  ICMARD  WALMSLEY.  This  gentleman  is 
one  of  the  successful  farmers  of  Fairmount 
Township,  Pike  County,  where  he  owns  a 
■\^  fine  tract  of  fertile  land  amounting  to  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  The  laud  is  under 
thorough  cultivation  and  the  estate  bears  excellent 
improvements  in  the  vva^'  of  farm  Iniildings, orchards 
anil  conveniences  of  various  kinds.  Mr.  Walms- 
ley  is  a  practical  man  who,  during  the  course  of  a 
long  life  has  pursued  an  industrious  and  honorable 
career,  winning  the  commendation  of  those  with 
whom  he  associated. 

Our  subject  is  a  representative  of  an  old  and 
well-known  family  of  Lancashire,  England.  His 
grandfather,  Richard  Walmsley,  spent  his  entiie 
life  in  that  shire,  d\ihg  when  full  of  year„  and 
honors.  He  was  a  prominent  citizen  and  merchant 
in  Blackburn  and  married  a  lady  of  good  family, 
who  also  died  there.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Church  of  England.  This  couple  had  a  large  fam- 
ily in  which  Richard,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  ne.xt  to  the  oldest.  Richard  Walnisle}-  worked 
in  his  father's  store  until  he  was  of  age,  when  he 
was  bound  out  as  an  apprentice  to  a  weaver.  After 
'  serving  his  time  he  followed  the  business  during 
the  balance  of  his  active  life,  except  when  serving 
the  British  Crown  as  a  militia  man.  He  was  in  the 
I  army  some  j-eors  and  during  the  time  went  to  Ire- 
I  land  and  took  part  in  several  engagements.  He 
died  in  Blackburn  when  but  fifty-three  years  of 
age. 

!     The  wife  of  the  above-mentioned  Richard  Walms- 
lley  was  Mary  Lang,  like  himself  a  native   of  Lan- 


cashire, but  of  remote  Scotch  ancestry.  She  passed 
from  time  to  eternity  when  about  fifty  years  old. 
She  was  a  fine  singer  and  for  some  years  helongtMi 
to  the  choir  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Blackburn, 
of  which  she  and  her  h\isband  were  active  members. 
She  was  the  mother  of  nine  children  and  our  sub- 
ject is  the  only  one  who  emigrated  to  America.  A 
daughter,  Mrs.  .Ann  Walmsley,  is  now  living  in 
Blackburn  and  is  eighty-three  ycais  old.  A  son 
,James  is  still  living,  his  home  being  at  Carlvle, 
England.  Another  son,  Henry,  was  in  the  British 
Arm}-  twenty-two  years  and  was  Paymaster-Ser- 
geant for  a  long  period. 

The  subject  of  .this  biographical  sketch  was  l)orn 
September  1,  1816,  in  Blackburn,  England,  and 
grew  up  with  a  knowledge  of  cotton-spinning, 
which  trade  he  followed  in  his  native  land  until  he 
was  thirty  years  old.  He  then  in  1846  set  sail 
from  Liverpool  on  the  •'Independence,"  Capt.  Allen 
commanding,  and  after  a  voyage  of  thirty  days 
landed  at  New  York  City.  He  went  to  Bridge- 
port, Conn.,  to  assume  a  position  in  a  cotton  factory 
which  however,  failed  about  that  time,  throwing 
Mr.  Walmsley  out  of  his  job.  AYitb  characteristic 
energj-  he  sought  other  employment  and  found  it 
on  a  new  railroad  in  that  place,  where  he  labored 
for  some  time.  He  then  went  to  New  York  and 
thence  to  Rhode  Island,  and  working  as  a  day  la- 
borer for  some  years,  visited  several  of  the  New 
England  and  Eastern  States.  His  wages  were  ver^' 
small,  but  he  was  prudent  in  the  use  of  his  resources, 
and  was  flnall^^  able  to  purchase  the  land  which  he 
now  occupies  and  upon  which  he  seitled  in  1868. 

Mr.  Walmsle}'  was  first  married  in  his  native 
shire  to  Ann  Morrison,  who  died  there  when  in  the 
prime  of  life.  She  left  three  children — Henry, 
John  and  James — all  now  cloth  weavers  in  the 
United  States.  Henry  is  married.  Our  sul)ject 
contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  in  Rhode 
Island,  gaining  for  his  wife  Miss  Mary  Carpenter. 
That  lad}'  was  born  in  Washington  County,  R.  I., 
in  1814,  reared  and  educated  tliere  and  was  an  in- 
telligent, worth}-  woman.  She  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  husband  and  died  at  their  home  in  1876, 
leaving  two  children,  Richard  T.  and  Daniel  F. 
The  former  is  unmarried  and  living  with  his  father 
on  the  farm ;  the  latter  married  Dora  B-  Boyle  and 


504 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lives  on  ami  works  the  homestead;  tlioy  are  the 
parents  of  four  children  named  William  W.,  Mary 
J.,  Clarissa  B.  and  Sarah  E.  Jlrs.  Mary  (Carpenter) 
Walmsley  was  a  descendant  of  an  old  family,  her 
ancestors  having  lived  in  Rhode  Island  from  the 
time  of  Roger  Williams.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  Walmsley  and  his  sons 
viile  the  Democratic  ticket. 


r 


■^OHN  G.  SLEIC4HT,  a  progressive  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  of  Griggsville  Township, 
stands  among  the  foremost  agriculturists  of 
Pike  County-.  He  makes  a  specialt\'  of  the 
higher  grade  of  horses,  cattle  and  swine,  and  has 
his  place  on  section  3,  of  the  township  mentioned 
well  stocked.  He  owns  one  of  the  best  farms  ui 
this  i)art  of  the  county,  comprising  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation, provided  with  neat  and  commodious  build- 
ings and  everything  necessary  for  carrying  on 
farming  after  the  most  approved  methods.  He 
has  lived  in  this  township  and  county  since  1857, 
niid  since  that  time  has  accumulated  this  valuable 
estate,  his  wealth  having  been  obtained  by  honor- 
able means,  unremitting  industry',  wise  economy 
and  good  judgment.  Mr.  Sleight  is  a  man  of  ad- 
vanced public  spirit  and  his  hand  is  seen  in  various 
enterprises  for  pushing  forward  the  interests  of 
township  and  county.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Illi- 
nois Valley  Fair  and  has  held  local  township  of- 
fices to  the  credit  of  himself  and  to  the  benefit  of 
Griggsville.  He  takes  an  interest  in  religions  mat- 
ters and  is  an  oflicia!  raembor  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
to  which  his  wife  also  belongs. 

j\lr.  Sleight  was  born  near  the  ancient  town  of 
Boston,  Lincolnshire,  Ergland.  .lune  12,  1840,  and 
came  of  an  old  F^nglish  family  of  that  shire.  His 
father,  John  G.  Sleight,  Sr.,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  part  of  England  and  was  a  son  of  another 
•John  G.  .Sleight.  The  latter  was  in  earl^'  life  a 
baker  but  in  his  last  j^ears  was  a  farmer.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  bred  to  that  occupation 
and  after  attaining  manhood  was  married  in  Boston 
to  Rebecca  Walker,  who  was    born  near  that  city 


and  came  of  a  worthy  old  famil}'.  Her  father. 
Thomas  Walker,  was  reared  in  the  same  shire  and 
was  a  farmer.  He  married  his  wife  there,  her 
maiden  name  being  Hannah  Crawford,  and  they 
lived  and  died  in  Lincolnshire  when  old  people, 
having  come  of  long-lived  races.  The  old  stock 
of  Sleights  l)elonged  to  the  Wesle^-an  Methodist 
Church,  while  the  Walkers  were  members  of  the 
Church  of  P]ngland. 

After  John  G.  Sleight  was  married  he  and  his  wife 
rented  land  in  the  home  of  their  nativity  until 
they  emigrated  to  America.  They  started  on  their 
voyage  to  this  countr}'  with  three  children  in  the 
month  of  October,  1857,  sailing  from  Liverpool 
an<l  landing  in  New  York  Citj',  having  crossed  the 
water  in  the  "Kangaroo"  in  thirteen  days.  From 
that  metropolis  they  came  to  Griggsville,  111.,  and 
made  a  settlement  in  Flint  Township,  this  countj-, 
where  they  si)ent  their  last  j'ears.  The  father's 
death  occurred  in  1887  at  the  venerable  age  of 
eighl\"-tvvo  j'ears,  and  the  mother,  who  was  born  in 
11S02,  died  in  1864.  Both  were  devoted  members 
f'f  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church  nearly  all  their 
liv(S.  After  he  came  to  the  United  States  Mr. 
Sleight  always  sided  with  the  Republicans  in  poli- 
tics. These  worth}-  people  had  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  six  daughters,  all  of  whom  finally  came 
to  this  country  and  became  residents  of  Illinois, 
our  subject  and  his  five  sisters  being  the  survivors 
of  the  fa  mil}'. 

Mr.  Sleight  was  a  lad  of  seventeen  j'ears  when 
he  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  I'nited  States 
and  before  he  becanie  of  age  he  had  acquired  a 
good  practical  knowledge  of  farming  which  he 
has  pursued  with  remarkable  success  as  we  have 
seen.  He  was  married  in  this  township  to  Miss 
Ruth  Reynolds,  who  was  born  in  Brown  Count}'. 
Ohio,  September  20,  1837.  Her  parents,  Aaron 
and  Jlary  (Forsythe)  Reynolds,  were  also  natives 
of  the  Buckeye  State.  They  had  been  reared  and 
married  there  and  afterward  came  to  Illinois  in 
1847.  They  settled  on  a  farm  on  section  2,  Griggs- 
ville Township,  Pike  County,  and  there  passed  the 
remainder  of  their  days.  They  improved  a  good 
farm,  built  up  a  substantial  home  and  were  among 
the  leading  people  of  this  township.  Mr.  Reynolds 
was  sixty-five  years  old  when  he  died  and  his  wife 


Residence  OF  John  G. Sleight,  5ec.3.  GriggsvilleTp  Pike  Co. III. 


FARM-RE51DENCE  OfJoHN  M.  FeNTON,  3.M.  EAST  OF  PlTTSFl  ELD.  1  LL 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


507 


was  seventy-five  years  of  age  wlien  she  departed 
this  life.  They  were  true  and  devoted  members 
of  the  Ciir.islian   Churcli. 

Mrs.  Sleight  is  a  woman  of  much  force  of 
cliaracter  and  intelligence  and  her  husband  has 
found  her  verj-  helpful.  She  is  a  true  wife  and 
mother  and  the  home  over  which  she  presides  is 
well  furnished  and  the  center  of  a  charming  hos- 
pitality. Her  marriage  with  our  subject  has  brought 
to  tliem  two  children — Charles  W..  a  bright  and 
enterprising  young  man  who  is  assisting  his  father 
in  the  management  of  his  extensive  agricultural 
interests,  and  Mary  L.,  who  is  blooming  into  a  re- 
fined and   cultvired  womanhood. 

A  view  of  tlie  residence  of  Mr.  Sleight,  with  its 
l>leasant  surroundings,  will  be  seen  on  another 
page  of  this  volume. 


Vf  OHN  M.  FENTON.  There  is,  in  Newburg 
Township,  Pike  Count}-,  a  tract  of  fine  farm- 
ing land,  com[uising  five  hundred  acres. 
Ever}'  year  the  fields  pay  a  golden  tribute  to 
tiie  care  of  the  husbandman,  while  judicious  enter- 
prise has  converted  the  estate  into  a  verj'  valuable 
homestead,  with  a  substantial  residence  and  such 
outbuildings  as  the  judgment  of  the  owner  deems 
necessary  to  the  projier  carr^-ing  ou  of  the  work. 
A  view  of  the  commodious  residence  and  surround- 
ings will  be  noticed  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr. 
Fenton  came  to  this  county  in  1856,  and  located 
permanently  in  Newburg  Township,  devoting  his 
attention  exclusively  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
stock-raising,  in  which  he  has  met  with  more  than 
ordinary  success. 

Tracing  his  ancestry  back  a  few  generations,  wo 
find  that  the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
(ieorge  Fenton,  who  was  born  December  24,  1748, 
and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  His 
wife,  Elizabeth,  was  born  August  18,  1749;  and 
their  son,  John,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  August  18,  1779.  John  Fenton,  upon  re.aeh- 
"ng  years  of  maturity,  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  Marsh,  who  was  born  June  8,  1786.  Tlie 


immediate  progenitors  of  our  subject  were  Samuel 
nd  Mary  (DeGroff)  Fenton.  The  former  was  born 
May  4,  1800,  in  Hamilton  County,  Oliio,  and  was 
a  minister  in  the  Christian  Church  and  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  and  died  ui  Butler  County,  Ohio, 
in  1839,  and  the  latter,  a  native  of  Brookl3n, 
N.  Y.,  now  makes  her  home  with  her  son,  our  sub- 
ject, in  Newburg  Township.  She  is  eighty-seven 
years  of  age  at  this  writing  (1890'),  having  been 
born  in  1803.  To  them  were  born  seven  children, 
two  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  whom  five  are  now 
living,  two  sons  rnd  three  daughters. 

During  the  residence  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Feu- 
ton  in  Butler  Count}',  Ohio,  their  son,  our  subject, 
was  born  April  22,  182,5,  and  was  the  eldest  child. 
Upon  the  death  of  the  father  the  family  was  left 
in  humble  circumstances,  and  our  suliject  became 
its  mainsta}'  and  support,  hence  his  education  was 
somewhat  limited,  but  being  of  a  studious  turn  of 
mind  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  sufficient  education 
to  enable  him  to  transact  any  ordinary  business, 
subscription  schools  being  the  means  of  obtaining 
an  education.  He  is  a  warm  friend  of  education, 
and  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  the  free  school 
system.  He  continued  to  resiiJe  in  his  native 
place  during  his  youth  and  until  1853,  when  he 
removed  to  Middletown,  Henry  County,  Ind., 
and  there  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
a  period  of  four  years.  His  next  removal  was 
to  Illinois,  where  for  a  time  he  engaged  in  tilling 
the  soil  in  Tazewell  County,  near  Washington, 
whence  he  removed  in  1856  to  Pike  County.  Be- 
ing an  energetic  man  and  capable  farmer,  his  efforts 
have  been  rewarded  with  success,  and  he  now 
h.as  a  high  standing  in  the  community.  He  is  an 
member  of  the  Democratic  party,  manifesting 
great  interest  in  all  matters  of  public  importance, 
keeping  thoroughly  posted  on  national  and  local 
issues.  He  seldom  meddles  with  politics,  but  su;)- 
ports  the  jiress  of  all  political  parties  and  votes  for 
men  of  his  choice.  He  has  a  library  of  good  books, 
both  scientific  and  religious. 

Prior  to  his  removal  from  Ohio,  our  subject  was 
united  in  marriage  in  1844,  with  Miss  Sarah  Biggs, 
their  union  being  solemnized  in  liutler  County. 
Six  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom  three 
died  in  infancy,  and  two  are  now  living:  Samuel 


508 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


A.,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  in  Minnesota,  who 
was  born  April  20,  1847,  and  was  married  to 
Miss  Fannie  Dunliam  in  1869;  Albert  M.,  a 
prosperous  agriculturist  in  Newburg  Township,  was 
born  in  1859;  Mary  E.,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  and 
formerly  tlie  wife  of  George  Boyd,  died  in  New- 
burg Township  in  1874.  The  mother  of  this  fam- 
ily departed  this  life,  after  a  worthy  and  useful 
existence.  Mr.  Fenton  was  again  married  in  1876, 
in  Grjggsville  Township,  when  Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Da- 
vis, the  widow  of  F.  M.  Davis,  became  his  wife. 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah  M.  Biggs,  and 
of  her  first  marriage  one  child  was  born,  Etta,  who 
married  Martin  Blake.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  Fen- 
ton three  children  wore  born,  namely:  Francis  M., 
Elzora  Anna  Cora  and  Rose  Ila.  Mrs.  Fenton,  a 
native  of  Preble  County,  Ohio,  was  born  August  10, 
1841,  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  throughout  the  com- 
munity. Mr.  Fenton  is  very  earnest  in  advocating 
the  cause  of  temperance,  believing  with  all  good 
people  that  drunkenness  is  one  of  the  besetting  sins 
of  the  age,  and  that  it  is  the  Christian's  duty  to  keep 
temptati(/n  out  of  the  reach  of  the  youth  of  our 
land.  Botii  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  or  "Swedenborgian"  Church,  and 
are  leading  sincere  Christian  lives,  trying  to  follow 
where  duty  leads  them  in  their  journey  through 
life. 


RS.  SARAH  (.HERRON)  BYRD,  widow  of 
Epiiraim  Byrd,  is  a  woman  of  superior  en- 
ergy and  capability,  and  is  among  the  most 
highly  respected  members  of  Gilcad  Pre- 
cinct, Calhoun  County.  She  owns  and  occupies 
one  of  the  fine  farms  of  this  vicinit}',  and  it  may 
well  be  her  pride  that  she  has  superintended  much 
of  its  development  and  improvement,  and  tiiat  un- 
der her  excellent  management  it  has  attained  its 
present  high  standard. 

Mrs.  Byrd  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
February  13,  1837.  Her  father,  AVilliam  Ilerron, 
it  is  thought  was  born  in  Maryland,  and  removed 
thence  to  Ohio  in  an  early  d.iy.  lie  resided  there 
until  1839,  and  then  came  to  Illinois  and  located 
among  the  pioneers    of    Adams  County.     Six    or 


eight  years  later  he  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he 
lived  two  years  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 
he  came  back  to  tiiis  State  and  took  up  his  residence 
in  this  county  in  Gilead  Precinct  where  the  re- 
maindsrof  his  life  was  passed.  He  married  Rachael 
Ackers,  who  was  from  the  State  of  New  York  and 
died  in  this  count}'. 

Our  subject  was  biit  two  years  old  when  she 
came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents  and  remembers 
well  the  incidents  of  pioneer  life.  In  her  early 
recollection  the  county  was  sparsely  settled,  and 
deer,  wild  turkeys,  wolves  and  panthers  were  num- 
erous, and  most  of  the  people  paid  more  or  less 
attention  to  hunting.  Her  mother  did  all  her 
cooking  by  the  fireplace,  and  used  to  card  and 
spin,  and  clothed  her  family  in  homespun  garments. 
Mrs.  Byrd  learned  the  arts  of  housewifery  and  be- 
came accomplisiied  in  other  household  duties,  so 
that  she  was  well  fitted  to  take  charge  of  a  home  of 
her  own  when  Ephraim  Byrd  solicited  her  hand  in 
marriage. 

Ephraim  Byrd  was  a  native  of  this  county  and 
was  a  son  of  one  of  its  pioneers,  John  Byrd,  who 
came  here  in  an  early  day  of  the  settlement  of  this 
region  and  iocated  in  Gilead  Precinct,  where  he 
bought  land,  improved  a  farm  and  lived  until  death 
called  him  hence.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife 
was  Mary  M.  Crites.  She  spent  her  last  years  in 
this  county  also.  Mr.  Byrd  was  reared  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits,  and  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  lo- 
cated on  the  farm  which  Mrs.  B3'rd  now  owns  and 
occu|)ies.  At  that  tmie  it  had  been  but  partially 
redeemetl  from  its  wild  condition,  as  only  a  few 
acres  were  cleared  and  a  log  cabin  had  been  erected 
in  which  the  nowl}'  wedded  couple  began  house- 
keeping. He  entere:!  upon  the  pioneer  task  of 
further  developing  his  farm,  and  was  thus  success- 
fully engaged  when  death  closed  his  busy  career 
May  20,  1861.  The  township  was  thus  deprived  of 
a  useful  citizen,  his  neighbors  of  an  obliging  friend 
and  his  family  of  a  kind  husband  and  father. 

By  the  untimely  demise  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Byrd  was  left  with  the  care  of  three  small  children, 
and  with  a  I'artl^'  improved  farm  on  her  hands. 
She  was  not  a  woman  to  sit  idly  down  and  help- 
lessly bewail  her  cundition,  but  with  characteristic 
energy  she  set  about  the  work   before  her,  and  uu- 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


509 


(ler  her  superior  management  lias  placed  her  farm 
under  fine  tillage  and  substantial  improvement. 
She  lias  erected  a  neat  and  commodious  set  of  frame 
buildings,  and  superintended  the  clearing  of  more 
land  until  she  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  a  part  of  which  is  rich  bottom  land  and  all 
capable  of  3-ielding  large  harvests.  The  following 
is  recorded  of  her  children,  whom  she  has  reared  to 
useful  lives  and  who  are  now  valued  members  of 
the  communities  where  they  reside:  John  11.,  who 
lives  on  the  home  farm,  married  Jlaggie  Surgeon; 
Mary  married  William  Rose  and  lives  in  Crater 
Precinct.  The  great  sorrow  of  the  life  of  our  sub- 
ject has  been  in  the  death  of  her  daughter  Ella, 
who  was  the  wife  of  William  Wilkinson,  and  died 
December  8,  1885,  at  the  home  of  our  subject. 


ON.  JOSEPH  MERRICK  BUSH,  of  Pitts- 
Y^'^Jjij  field.  Pike  Count}',  was  born  at  Pittsfield, 
^'  Berkshire  Count}',  Mass.,  January  10, 
182"2,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  Col.  Dan- 
itl  B.  Busli,  a  prominent  lawj-er  of  that  place  who 
served  in  the  General  Assembly  of  that  State  in 
1828.  and  Maria  Merrick,  second  daughter  of  Dea- 
con Joseph  Merrick.  In  183-1  Col.  Bush  removed 
to  Pittsfield,  Pike  County, HI.,  leaving  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  at  Williams'  College  which  he  had  en- 
tered at  the  .age  of  twelve  and  from  which  he  grad- 
lUTted  in  the  class  of  1838,  having  for  his  classmates 
among  others  the  Rev.  Henry  M.  Field  of  New 
York  and  ex- Lieut.  Gov.  Willinm  Bross  of  Chi- 
cago. Upon  his  graduation  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  in  1843  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  his  license 
U>  practice  being  signed  by  Stephen  A.  Douglas, 
then  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Uie  State.  In  1848,  on  the  Uth  of  March,  he  w.as 
married  to  Mary  Alicia  Grimshaw,  a  native  of  Ire- 
Lind  who  was  the  second  daughter  of  John  W.  and 
Ciiarlotte  Grimshaw  who  came  to  this  country 
from  Belfast,  Ireland,  about  the  jear  1832.  Im- 
bued with  a  strong  love  of  agricultural  pursuits, 
s^hortly  after  his  marriage  he  embarked  in  farming 
aiifl  continued  therein  until  the  si)ring  of  18G6, 
when  he  engaged  in  other  pursuits  leaving  a  large, 


well-tilled  farm  of  two  hundi-ed  and  forty  acres  in 
place  of  the  eighty  witli  but  twenty  in  cultivation 
upon  which  he  started. 

In  the  year  ISfiO  while  still  upon  his  farm  he  was 
appointed  Master  in  Ch.incery  of  the  Pike  County 
Circuit  Court  by  the  late  distinguished  jurist,  Hon. 
C.  L.  Higbee,  which  office  he  held  until  November, 
1885.  He  had  been  aijpoiuted  United  Slates  Com- 
missioner for  the  southern  district  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  by  the  Hon.  S.  H.  Treat  about  1858  and 
held  that  position  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. In  1865  he  purchased  the  Pike  County  Dem- 
ocrat and  has  been  the  proprietor  and  editor  of  it 
ever  since,  there  being  now  associated  with  him  his 
two  sons,  William  C.  and  Joseph  M.,  Jr.  In  1870 
he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from  the  Tliirt}-- 
Sixtli  Senatorial  District,  it  being  the  First  General 
Assembly  held  after  the  adoption  of  the  new  con- 
stitution. In  that  body  he  served  on  many  im- 
portant committees,  such  as  education,  agriculture 
and  charitable  institutions  but  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  re-election 
preferring  instead  to  conduct  and  edit  his  paper 
which  had  suffered  by  his  absence  from  its  manage- 
ment. He  has  ever  been  prominent  and  active  in 
all  matters  tending  to  the  advancement  and  pros- 
perity of  the  community  in  which  l.e  has  for  more 
than  half  a  ceutuiy  resided.  As  proof  we  note  that 
he  was  a  stockholder  and  secretary  in  a  company 
which  in  1850  built  twelve  miles  of  plank  road  to 
the  Illinois  River — was  the  first  Secretary  of  the 
Pike  County  Agricultural  .Society  established  in 
1850  and  at  various  times  served  as  President  and 
Director  of  the  same — has  been  President  and 
Trustee  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Pittsfield — 
for  more  than  twenty  years  has  been  Director  and 
Secretary  of  tlie  Louisiana  and  Pike  County  Rail- 
road— has  served  as  Supervisor  of  his  town  and 
has  been  prominent  in  every  public  enterprise. 

In  politics  he  is  an  ardent  Democrat,  firm  in 
principle,  yet  conservative  in  action.  His  paper 
has  long  been  considered  an  influential  factor  in 
Illinois  politics.  He  has  been  prominent  in  the 
State,  Congressional  and  other  conventions  of  his 
party.  In  1868  he  was  an  alternate  delegate  to  the 
National  Convention  at  New  York  and  in  1888  he 
was  the  delegate  to  the  National  Convention  held  at 


.^10 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


St.  Louis.  Tlierecan  beno  doubt  but  that  he  could 
have  attained  higher  houors  had  he  souglit  them, 
but  he  lias  ever  preferred  tiie  jjosition  he  now  oc- 
cupies— tlie  editorship  and  management  of  a  free 
and  untraraelled  paper. 

Tlie  married  life  (jf  Mr.  Bush  has  been  a  iiappy 
one,  four  sons  grown  to  manhood  and  doing  their 
duty  as  good  citizens,  residing  near  hiin  and  enjoy- 
ing the  esteem  and  respect  of  their  fellow-citizens. 
They  are  William  C,  Joseph  M.  Jr.,  Henry  and 
l^aniel  P).  I'ush,  Jr.  An  older  son  and  their  onl}- 
daughter  died  in  1864. 

Tlie  life  of  Mr.  Bush  has  not  been  an  eventful 
one  nor  has  it  been  marked  by  any  distinguished 
iionors  conferred  upon  him.  But  having  sought  to 
do  his  duty  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he  now  resides 
in  a  comfortable  home,  surrounded  by  an  affection- 
ate family,  supplied  with  enough  of  this  world's 
goods  to  keep  the  wolf  of  poverty  from  the  door, 
esteemed  and  respected  by  all  who  know  him,  in 
good  health  and  capable  of  many  years  service  yet 
to  be  devoted  to  the  well-heingof  the  people  among 
whom  he  has  so  long  resided. 


^^ 


5?ILLIAM  II.  LEWIS  owns  and  occupies  a 
valuable  tract  of  land  on  section  5,  Pleas- 
ant Vale  Township,  and  holds  a  worthy 
place  among  the  agriculturists  of  Pike  County. 
Beginning  his  work  in  life  as  a  poor  man,  he  has 
labored  hard  to  acquire  a  good  home,  and  has  been 
seconded  in  his  efforts  by  a  faithful  and  efficient 
companion,  who  has  prudently  managed  the  house- 
hold affairs  and  by  her  wise  economy  prevented 
undue  expenditure  while  supplying  the  home  with 
comfort.  The  farm  of  Mr.  Lewis  consists  of  two 
hundred  acres  on  sections  8  and  5,  on  wluLh  he 
has  done  clearing,  erected  buildings  and  in  every 
possible  way  improved  and  beautilied  it.  The  land 
is  made  valuable  by  a  living  spring  which  supplies 
the  house,  barn  and  stock-yard  with  pure  water  Lhe 
year  round.  One  hundred  acres  of  the  estate  have 
been  fenced  by  the  present  owner  and  the  house 
and  barn  which  he  has  built  are  substantial  and 
comfortable. 


Oar  subject  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Caroline 
(Ward)  Lewis,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in 
Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  and  removed  thence  to  Pike 
County,  111.,  when  about  eighteen  years  old.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the  Empire  State, 
whence  her  parents  came  hither  in  a  ver}'  early  day, 
when  deer,  wolves  and  Indians  were  about  equally 
numerous.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married 
in  this  county  and  here  all  their  children  but  one 
were  born.  In  1846  they  went  to  Texas,  remain- 
ing there  until  March,  1847,  and  it  was  on  their  re- 
turn  journey  that  their  youngest  child.  Abheleno 
D.,  was  born  in  the  Indian  Territor3-.  The  names  of 
the  other  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  subject  are  ■ 
Adelia  E.,  Addison  B.,  and  Mar3-  F.,  tlie  latter 
deceased. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  June 
1,  1836,  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township,  and  remained 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  of  age,  assisting  his 
father  on  the  farm  and  pursuing  such  branches  as 
were  taught  in  the  log  schoolhouse,  which  had  a 
ground  floor,  puncheon  benches,  a  writing  desk 
made  of  split  logs  and  windows  covered  with 
greased  paper.  Soon  after  attaining  to  his  majority 
Mr.  Lewis  married  and  began  farming  on  rented 
land.  His  bride  was  Lucinda,  daughter  of  Cyrenius 
and  Nancy  Gard,  who  was  born  in  this  county,  and 
amid  the  surroundings  of  a  comparatively  unsettled 
region  had  developed  a  sturdy  character  and  ac- 
quired much  useful  knowledge.  Their  marriage 
rites  were  celebrated  Februaiy  14,  1858. 

The  first  home  of  thn  young  couple  was  on  see. 
tion  8,  Pleasant  Vale  Townshi[),  where  they  re- 
mained a  year,  after  which  a  farm  was  rented  a 
mile  south  of  Pittsfield.  In  1862  Mr.  Lewis  en- 
listed in  Company  C,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  took  his  place  at  the  front,  ready  to  give  up 
the  enjoyment  of  his  home  life  and  endanger  life 
itself  in  order  that  the  Union  might  be  preserved. 
He  reuiiiined  with  the  regiment  until  June  11, 
1863,  when  he  received  a  discharge  on  account  of 
disability  incurred  in  the  service.  He  spent  some 
months  at  his  home,  recuperating  his  strength  apd 
carrying  on  the  farm,  then  in  1864  went  to  Salt 
Lake,  his  family  remaining  with  his  wife's  father. 
In  November.  1865,  Mr.  Lewis  returned  from 
the  Mormon  center  and  again  renting  land  in   this 


// 


t  ^' 


W^''^:- 


JOHN   WARTON. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


513 


Icouiity  oponited  it  until  1871,  wlicn  he  bouslit 
ei"'lit3'  acres  on  section  17,  tliis  Tuvvnslii|).  In  1884 
he  sold  that  properlj'  .and  bought  the  tract  on 
which  he  now  resides  .and  on  which  he  h.ts  .already 
done  so  much  toward  making-  it  .a  comfortalilo  and 
attractive  place  of  abode  and  the  source  of  a  good 
income.  Mr.  Lewis  takes  but  little  in.terest;  in 
politics  but  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  His  time 
and  attention  are  chietly  given  to  liis  personal 
affairs  anil  the  enjoyments  of  home  life. 


/OIIN  WARTON.     On  the  opposite  page  .ap- 

pears    a    lithographic    portrait   of   the    late 

John    Warton,   '.vhose  death   removed  from 

Pike    County  a  straightforward,  honorable 

bilizen,  and  from    Griggsville  Township  one  of  its 

most  enterprising  and  capable  agriculturists.     Mr. 

Warton  lived  in  this  count}'  about  half  a    century 

uid  bore  a  jxirt  in  its  earlier  development,  witness- 

ng  the  iini)rovcments  made  from  j-ear  to  year  and 

;-pjoicing  in  the  u[)building  of  the  section   and  the 

ijrowth  of  the   community  in  a  higher  civilization. 

Ic  became  well   and  favorably  known  as  a  practical 

arraer  and   one  who  was   especially   interested    in 

jJie  imiirovement  of   various  kinds  of  stock.     His 

j'State  at  the  lime  of  his  death  consisted  of    one 

jiundred    and  sixty  acres   of    well-improved   land 

vhich    had    been    brought  to    its  good   condition 

argcl\-  through  his  own  efforts. 

Mr.  Warton  belonged  to  an  old  Yorkshire  family 
nd  was  himself  born  in  the  English  shire  on  .Tune 
'4, 1815.  He  w.as  the  Hrstson  and  fourth  child  born 
rijomas  and  Ann  (Woodhousc)  Warton,  and  with 
jliera  emigrated  to  America  when  he  was  sixteen 
'rara  old.  The  family  took  pass.age  on  a  sailing 
cssel,  endured  the  tedium  of  a  voyage  of  several 
eeks  and  finallj-  landed  at  (Quebec,  Canada. 
I'lience  they  came  to  the  .States,  spending  some 
jmein  New  York  and  then  coming  on  West  to 
|llinois.  They  sojourned  iu  Morgan  County  for  a 
me,  then  the  parents  and  most  of  the  children 
ame  to  Pike  County.  The  father  entered  his  first 
ind  on  section  27,  Griggsville  Township,  not  far 
Ircim  the  little  hamlet  of  the  same  name,  which  is 


now  a  thriving  town.  On  this  land  the  parents 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  making  consid- 
erable improvement  on  the  estate  and  carrying 
on  the  work  of  true  pioneers.  Both  belonged  to 
the  Episcopal  Church  and  were  among  the  highly 
respected  members  of  the  community. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  three  daughters 
and  two  sons,  one  of  the  former  being  married  be- 
fore they  came  to  America.  After  the  death  of  the 
parents  our  subject  and  his  brother,  William 
Warton.  took  the  homestead  and  carried  on  the 
work  jointly  for  some  ^ears.  He  of  whom  we 
write  then  became  sole  proprietor,  and  with  the  as- 
sistance of  his  family  continued  the  good  work 
which  had  been  begun,  until  he  was  called  hence, 
November  11,  1880.  Mr.  Warton  was  a  stanch 
member  of  the  ^Methodist  Episcopal  Ciiurch,  a 
Trustee  and  an  active  worker  in  every  department 
of  the  field.  I'olitically,  he  was  a  decided  Repub- 
lican. 

At  the  bride's  home  near  Winchester,  Scott 
Count}-,  Mr.  Warton  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  ilary  Ilaxby.  She  was  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  April  4.  1824,  and  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  iu  1833.  The  family  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic in  a  sailing  vessel,  being  eight  weeks  on  the 
water,  and  after  reaching  New  York  journeyed 
overland  to  Scott  County,  this  State.  They  had  an 
ox-team  and  wagon,  camped  at  night  with  no  shel- 
ter othei  than  the  blue  sky,  and  upon  reaching  their 
destination  established  a  home  on  a  piece  of  raw 
prairie.  Mrs.  Warton  grew  to  womanhood  amid 
the  surroundings  of  pioneer  life,  developing  the 
characteristics  of  mind  and  sterling  habits  which 
have  made  her  a  useful  member  of  the  community 
and  a  wise  counselor  to  husband  and  children. 
Since  the  death  of  her  husband  she  has  helil  pos- 
session of  the  estate  and  judicious!}'  manages  her 
business  affairs.  She  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Jlelhodist  Episcopal  Church  and,  with  her  hus- 
band, has  reared  her  children  in  paths  of  Christain 
usefulness. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  six 
childien,  of  whom  we  note  the  following:  Ann  mar- 
ried William  Kodgers,  an  Englishman,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  in  boyhood  and  became  of  age 
in  I'ike  County.   After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


514 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Rodgers  removed  to  McLean  County,  where  the 
husband  operated  a  farm  until  his  death  Novem- 
ber 3,1871.  His  widow  with  her  cliildren — John  W., 
ISIary  E..  Bina  A.  and  S.  Maria,  now  makes  her 
home  with  her  mother.  Thomas,  the  second  child 
of  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Wartou,  married  Anna  P.right 
and  carries  on  a  farm  in  McLean  County ;  Rachel  is 
living  in  Aspen,  Col.;  John  married  Sarah  J.  New- 
man, lives  in  Griggsville  and  carries  on  a  farm; 
Sarah  J.  is  the  wife  of  George  Newman,  their  home 
being  on  a  farm  in  Griggsville  Township;  George 
11.  remains  with  his  mother,  operating  the  home- 
stead. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Warton  were  George  and 
Rachel  (Hodson)  Haxby,  natives  of  Yorkshire, 
England,  and  the  members  of  old  English  families. 
Mr.  Haxby  learned  the  trade  of  a  wheelwright  and 
was  thus  engaged  so  long  as  he  remained  in  his  na- 
tive land.  After  the  birth  of  four  children  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Haxby  came  to  this  State,  beginning  their 
life  lure  as  pioneer  farmers.  They  made  acomfor- 
l:ilile  home  on  tlie  land  they  entered  in  Scott 
C'lunty.  residing  upon  it  forty-six  years,  then,  with 
I uo  sons  and  a  daughter,  removed  to  Henry  County. 
They  established  a  new  home  near  Annawan,  where 
liu  h  eventually  died.  Mrs.  Haxby  breathed  her 
hi.sL  February  7,  1S6G,  at  agoodly  age,  having  been 
born  June  17.  1798.  Mr.  Haxby  was  born  June 
June  30,  1794,  and  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  dying  August  14.  1876.  Both  had  been 
reared  in  the  Episcopal  faith,  but  during  the  later 
vears  of  their  lives  were  active  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church.  Their  family  included 
three  sons  and  six  daughters,  and  two  sons  and  one 
daujjhter  are  now  deceased. 


AVID  PYLE.  This  gentleman  is  one  of 
the  oldest  residents  of  Pike  County  now 
living,  and  has  been  identified  with  its  ag- 
ricultural interests  and  development  many 
\'  ars.  He  has  now  abandoned  farm  work  and  in  a 
pleasant  home  in  Griggsville  is  enjoying  the  com- 
fii] Is  to  which  his  industrious  labors  and  upright 
life  justly  entitle  him.     Among   the    .agriculturists 


of  the  county  he  held  high  standing  as  an  ener"etic 
progressive  member  of  that  class,  while  .as  a  citizen, 
be  was  ever  peaceful  and  law-abiding,  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  the  county  and  its  inhabitants. 

Our  subject  traces  his  ancestry    to  one  of   three 
brothers  who  emigrated  from  England  to  America 
in  an  early  daj'  and  located  in  Chester  County,  Pa. 
There  Ralph  Pyle,  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  1788.    His  tastes  led  him  to  adopt  the  med- 
ical profession   and  he  was   gr.aduated   from   Rush 
College  in  Philadelphia.     Soon  .after  his   marriage  i 
he  located  in  Ilarrodsburg,  Ky.,  where  our  subject  | 
was  born,  February  4,    1817.     He   was  an    infant  ( 
about  twelve   months  old  when  the   father  started 
with  his  ffiniily  for  New  Orleans,  intending  to  take 
up  his  abode   on    one  of   the    West  India    Islands  , 
where  a  brother  w.as  living.   He  reached  the  Soutli. 
ern  metropolis  but  was  there  taken  ill  and  being  un- 
able to  practice  remained  there  until  bis  death  early 
in  1828.     He  w.as  the  first  Yankee  to  hold  office  in  j 
that  cit}'. 

David  Pyle  w.as  bound  out  to  learn  the  moulder's 
trade  and  partly  served  his  apprenticeship  in  New 
Orleans.  He  came  Noi-lh  with  his  mother  in  1834 
remaining  for  a  time  in  Flint  Township.  The  lad 
then  went  to  Philadelphia,  sojourned  there  a  short 
time,  then  went  to  Cincinnati  returning  to  Pike 
County,  III.,  in  1835.  He  attended  a  term  of 
country  school  and  during  the  next  two  yeaf^ 
worked  at  his  trade  in  Springfield.  He  then  bought 
land  in  Pike  County  and  settled  down  to  the  lift 
of  a  farmer  on  section  19,  F")int  Township.  There 
he  pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  twenlj^-onc 
years,  when  he  sold  his  property  and  removing  t( 
Morgan  County-  bought  a  farm  which  extendeil 
into  Sangamon  County.  In  1862  he  returned  t( 
Flint  Township,  Pike  County,  buying  a  farm  upoi 
which  he  resided  until  September,  1888.  He  tbei 
moved  into  Griggsville,  purchasing  a  comfortahh 
home  which  he  still  occupies. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  lived  with  him  ir 
Pike  County  until  her  death,  F\'bruar3-  11,  185-' 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Rachael  Shinn,  wa: 
born  in  Philadelphia  about  1796,  and  was  thi 
daughter  of  John  Shinn.  Her  brother  Daniel  wa 
one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  county  and  the  othc 
brothers  and  sisters  came  hither  later.     The  famil; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


515 


have  borne  an   inoportant  part  in  making   the  his- 
tory of  this  county.     Tliey  are    of  the  old  Quaiver 
'stock  of  the  Keystone  Stale,  originally   from    Eng- 
land. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with  Martha 
Ann  Wlisey,  August  2,  1838,  in  the  uounty  which 
lis  now  tlieirhome.  Mrs.  Pyle  was  born  in  Camden, 
|n.  .1.  Slie  has  been  devoted  to  tlie  interests  of  her 
husband  and  children  and  conscientiously  endeav- 
ors to  live  a  Christian  life.  She  and  her  husband 
have  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
|for  over  fifty  years.  They-  have  reared  their  off- 
spring under  Christian  influences  and  the  entire 
family  are  members  of  the  same  organization. 

The    family  of   Mr.   and   Mrs.   Pyle   consists  of 

'leven  children  whose  record  is  as   follows:  Ralph 

W.,  born  April  28,  1839,  died  May  o,  1890;  Joseph 

II..  born  March  6,  1841.  is  a  farmer  iu  Flint  Town- 

ilii|);  Chris.  W.,  born  May  15,  1843,  is  a  member 

bf  the  firm  of  Pyle  &  Butler,  dealers  in  agricultural 

mplenients  at  Griggsville;  Rachel,  born  July-  22, 

■845,  is   tiie  wife  of  George  Evans,  of  Xewburg 

Vownship;  Isaac  N.,  born  September  9,  1847,  is  a 

ariiier  in  Flint  Township; Martha  Ann,  born  Octo- 

ler  22,  1849,  is  the  wife  of  James  Coffin,  a  farmer 

If  Flint  Township;    Clarissa,  born  November   10, 

851,  married  Joseph  Burns  of  Milton   Township; 

Tavid   W.,  born    July    7,    1854,    is  a  butcher  in 

'liggsville;  Martin  Luther,  born  July  2(i,  1858,  is 

irming  in  Flint  Township;  James  C,  born  June 

.  1859,  operates  the  homestead  in  Flint  Township; 

mma  Lee,  born    March    1,   1862,  is   the   wife   of 

ihn  Butler  of  the  firm  of  Pyle  A-   Butler,  Griggs- 

ille. 

Mr.  Pyle  has  served  on  the  Board  of  .Supervisors 
,  Flint  Townshiii  several  terms  and  also  acted  as 
i-hool  Director,  Township  Assessor  and  Tax  Col- 
.'■tor.  lie  served  in  various  other  official  capaci- 
ps,  his  connection  with  the  civic  affairs  of  the 
(wnship  extending  over  a  period  of  many  years. 
I?  was  one  of  the  four  men  who  changed  off  as  the 
^'liool  teacher  in  the  first  school  of  the  township. 
David  Pyle.  Jr.,  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm 
yence  in  February,  1881,  he  went  to  Nebraska, 
fc  was  employed  by  a  stock  firm  in  Arlington  un- 
1)1884  when  he  went  to  Clinton,  Ind.  and  em- 
Ijrked  in  the  butcher's  business.     After  a  sojourn 


of  five  years  in  that  town  he  came  to  Griggsville 
and  on  August  8,  1889,  established  a  meat  market. 
While  in  Indiana  he  had  given  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  the  wholesale  trade  but  in  his  present  lo- 
cation he  carries  on  both  wholesale  and  retail.  He 
ships  a  great  deal  of  poultry,  veal  and  other  meats 
to  Chicago,  and  is  doing  a  satisfactory  business,  re- 
ceiving a  fair  share  of  the  local  patronage.  He  aims 
to  supply  his  customers  with  choice  meat  at  moder- 
ate prices  and  deal  justly  by  all. 

The  marriage  of  this  gentleman  was  solemnized 
in  1878  and  has  been  blest  to  the  happy  couple  by 
the  birth  of  two  bright  children — Laura  L.  and 
Charles  L.  Mrs.  Pyle  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Rebecca  Walker,  was  born  in  Ohio  to  Christopher 
and  Rachel  (Nilsey)  Walker,  and  at  the  time  of  her 
nianiage  was  living  in  the  thriving  town  which  is 
still  her  home.  Like  her  husband,  she  is  identified 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  here  and  is 
intelligent,  courteous  and  refined. 


\^  SAAC  BUNCH,  an  honored  resident  of  Carlin 
Precinct,  came  to  Calhoun  County  more  than 
a  century  ago,  and  has  since  developed  a  good 
farm  which  he  is  cultivating  with  profit.  He  is  a 
native  of  the  South  and  was  born  in  March  1832. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Slartha  (Hart) 
Bunch  and  when  he  was  an  infant  they  removed  to 
Greene  County,  Ind.,  where  they  remained  ten  or 
eleven  years.  The  father  died  there  in  tiie  mean- 
time and  the  mother  married  again  and  subse- 
quently our  subject  came  with  her  and  his  step- 
father to  Shelby-  County,  HI.  Mr.  Bunch  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  that  part  of  the  State  on  a 
farm  and  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
all  his  life.  He  received  his  education  in  the  early 
subscription  schools  of  Shelby  County  ami  was 
not  accorded  the  privileges  enjoyed  by  the  youth 
of  to-day.  He  is,  however  an  intelligent  and  well- 
read  man  and  is  quite  well  posted  on  general  topics. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  he  began 
to  learn  the  chairmaking  trade  and  followed  it  at 
odd  times  for  some  twenty  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1864  he  came  with  his  family  to    Calhoun   County 


516 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


an(i  has  been  a  eontiiuioiis  resident  here  ever  since. 
He  owns  fifty-five  acres  of  land  finely  located  in 
Carlin  Precinct  and  is  managing  it  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage. It  may  be  his  pride  that  he  is  a  self-made 
man  and  by  his  industry  and  perseverance  has  won 
his  way  to  aconipetenec.  He  is  i>  standi  Republican 
in  liis  political  views  and  sui)ports  his  party  when- 
ever occasion  offers. 

Mr.  Bunch  had  the  fortune  to  secure  a  good 
wife  in  the  person  of  Mary  Bland,  wlio  has  been 
to  him  a  true  companion  and  helpmate,  and  has 
;;reatly  aided  liim  in  building  up  a  comfortable 
liome.  Mrs.  Bunch  is  a  native  of  Indiana.  She 
is  tiie  motlier  of  nine  children  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing survive:  Julia  A.,  Henry  T..  Adelaid,  Susan, 
Jolin,  David  and  Eliza. 

Henry  T.  Bunch,  a  son  of  Isaac  Bunch,  is  one 
I  if  the  representative  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of 
Belleview  Precinct  where  he  has  one  of  the  best 
improved  and  best  equipped  farms  on  section  36, 
that  can  be  found  in  this  part  of  the  county.  He 
was  l)orn  in  Adair  County,  Mo.,  October  7,  1853, 
but  he  was  roared  in  Illinois,  coming  with  bis  par- 
ents to  Calhoun  County  in  18(i4.  He  was  bred  to 
the  life  of  a  farmer  and  from  his  father  gained  a 
good  practical  knowledge  of  agriculture,  b}'  which 
lie  profited  when  he  began  farming  operations  on 
his  own  account.  He  gleaned  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  count}',  and  as  soon  as  he  ar- 
rived at  years  of  discretion  adopted  the  calling  to 
which  be  had  been  bred  and  lias  been  very  success- 
ful in  its  pursuit.  His  farm  comprises  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  land,  which  is  under  the 
best  of  tillage,  is  supplied  with  good  buildings  and 
everything  necessary  for  carrying  on  farming  and, 
in  short,  is  considered  one  of  the  most  desirable 
farms  in  northern  Calhoun  Count}-.  Jlr.  Bunch 
has  always  aimed  to  do  what  he  could  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  Belleview  Precinct  and  Calhoun 
County,  and  is  liberal  in  his  contributio :.s  to  vari 
ous  enterprises,  looking  to  the  promotion  of  its  in- 
terests. He  has  served  as  School  Director  of  his 
district  and  is  genuinely  interested  in  educational 
affairs.  He  is  a  thorough  Republican  in  his  polit- 
ical beliefs  and  never  hesitates  to  support  his  party 
whenever  occasion  offers. 

October  6,  1878,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage  of 


our  subject  with  Lena  Lakins.  Their  home  is  cozy 
and  attractive  and  their  pleasant  household  circle 
is  completed  by  their  three  children  of  whom  the 
following  is  the  record  :  Rosa  was  born  August  7, 
1879  ;  Ruth,  August  22,  1883,  and  Mary  A.  in  .Jan- 
uary, 1889. 

^j  ARLTON  ASHER  TWICHELL.    Much  has 
il(^_  been  accomplished   by  the  young  people  of 
^^^'J  our  country  who,   natives  of    the    various 
.States  in  which  their  active  lives  have  been  passed, 
have  devoted  their  time  to  the  extension  of  the  in- 
terests of  their  native   place,   either   commercially 
or  by  tilling  the  soil.     To  tlie  latter    class   belongs  ^ 
the  gentleman  of  whom  this  biographical  sketch  is 
written  and  a  view  of  whose  comfortable  residence 
will  be  noticed  on  another   page.     He  has   passed 
his  entire  life  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ricliwood'^ 
Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  where  he  was  born  Mny 
23,  18.52  and  where  he  and  his  family,  comprising  lii- 
wife  and  three  children,  Bertlia  A.,  Voyle  E.  andi 
Raymond  C,  having  a  happy  home  filled  with  thf  j 
comforts  of  life.  The  success  which  h.^s  attended  thf  | 
efforts  of  our  subject  is  due  in  no  small  measure  t< 
the  assistance  of  his  worthy  helpmate,  with  whom  In 
was  united  in  marriage  in  1882,  and   who  bore  tin 
maiden  name  of  Maggie  Nicholass.     This  estimaj 
ble  lady  is  a  native  of  Rich  woods  Precinct  and  tho 
daughter  of  Morrison  and  Sarah  Nicholass. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  Joshua  Twichcll,  w.t 
born  in  New  York,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of 
blacksmith  and  followed  the  same  in  Warren  Count} 
He  came  from  tli.at  county  to  Illinois  in  1822,  settliii 
in  what  is  now  Calhoun  County,  but  was  at  tlin 
time  a  part  of  Pike  County,  witli  Atlas  for  tli 
county  seat.  For  a  year  he  lived  about  one  ii.il 
mile  from  Gilead  and  moved  next  to  Point  Pit; 
cinct  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  Hewasamonj 
the  early  settlers  and  ironed  the  first  wagon  eve 
made  in  this  county.  He  made  his  home  in  Rid 
woods  Precinct  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Twichell's  father,  Cheslcy  Wheeler Twichel 
was  eighteen  j'ears  of  age  when  he  came  to  Calliou 
County  with  his  parents.  His  birth  occurred  i 
W.arren  County,  N.  Y.  in  1804,  and  there  he  passe 


Vitm.'ii  in'.rMij 


RESIDENCE  OF   FRANK   5CH  LEEPER,  SEC.  15.  HARDIN  PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO.ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF   C.  A  .TWICH  ELL.  S  ECU.  RICHWOODS  PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO. I  LL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


519 


his  childhood  and  received  an  education.  When  he 
reached  this  section  of  Illinois,  lumbering  was  the 
chief  business  and  as  there  were  no  boats  on  the 
rivers,  large  piles  of  lumber  were  taken  down  the 
Mississippi  River  to  St.  Louis  on  log  rafts.  He  en- 
cased in  this  industry  and  at  a  later  date  learned 
the  ti.ade  of  a  blacksmith,  running  a  shop  on  sec- 
tion 12,  Richwoods  Precinct.  He  afterward  had 
a  store  at  the  same  place  and  served  as  Postmaster 
of  Monterey  for  the  long  period  of  twenty-four 
years.  He  built  a  commodious  brick  residence  on 
his  farm,  making  the  brick  for  same  and  burning 
the  lime  on  his  own  place.  His  death  occurred  on 
this  place  in  1880.  He  was  twice  married,  the  sec- 
ond time  to  Elvira  C.  (Squier)  Ingersoll.  October  4, 
184f).  She  was  a  native  of  New  York,  born  Septem- 
ber 27.  1818.  and  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Azn- 
bah  (Green)  Squier.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
two  children,  Oscar  S.,  who  now  resides  in  Kansas 
|City  and  our  subject.  The  mother  departed  this 
life  October  2.  1800.  She  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  the  age  of 
ten  years. 

Tliere  is  much  interest  taken  in  the  biographies 
of  those  who  lived  during  the  pioneer  d.ays  of  our 
KOuntry  and  helped  to  change  the  immense  tracts 
jof  timber  and  brush  into  blooming  landscapes.  In 
lliinking  of  this  herculean  task,  it  would  seem  al- 
most impossible  for  a  few  years  to  bring  about  sucii 


born  in  Gilead  Preciuct,  March  6,  1854,  was  but 
three  3'ears  old  when  his  mother  died  and  seven  at 
the  time  of  his  father's  death.  He  was  reared  by 
his  step  parents,  attending  the  public  schools  and 
lieginningat  an  early  age  to  assist  on  the  farm.  He 
inherited  habits  of  industrj'and  has  proved  himself 
to  be  a  successful  farnier,  now  owning  a  line  tract 
of  more  than  two  hundred  acres.  Much  of  this 
is  Illinois  River  bottom  lauds  and  well   improved. 

Jlr.  .Schleepcr  is  engaged  in  general  farming, 
stock-raising  and  horticulture.  A  visitor  to  his 
home  will  see  there  a  good  supply  of  the  best  farm 
machiner3-,  well-built  edifices  of  various  kinds  and 
high  grades  of  stock.  He  will  also  observe  the 
neatness  and  order  which  prevails  upon  the  estate 
and  realize  that  it  is  car.ied  on  by  one  who  knows 
the  value  of  good  management.  On  another  page 
of  this  volume  will  be  found  a  view  of  his  pleas- 
ant homestead.  Politically  Mr.  Schleeper  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, and  religiously  a  devoted  member  of  St. 
Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  to  which  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  also  belong. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Schleeper  was  Helen 
Ewen,  She  is  a  daughter  of  Leonard  and  Mary 
(Schimann)  Ewen,  natives  of  Germany  and  pio- 
neers of  Crater  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  in  which 
the  daughter  was  born.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Schleeper  was  solemnized  in  1880  and  has 
been  blest  to  them  by  the  birth  of  four   children- 


-A.t'<.^--^. 


|i  change,  yet  there  still  survive  in  this  count}- men       Henry  H.,  Mar}'  A..  Charles  and   Kilty,    the   latter 
rho  with  their  own    hands    helped    to   clear    the   ]    twins. 
,'round  and  prepare  the  way  for  civilization.  While 

here  is  much  romance  connected  with  those  days, 

here  was  also  a  vast  amount  of  labor  to  be  accom- 

ilished,  and  we  cannot    too    highly    honor    those 

vortliy  men  who  laid  tlie  foundation  of  the  present 

iiosperity  that  is  enjoyed  throughout  the  wealthy 

^tate  of  Illinois. 


^^  RANK  SCHLEEPER,  an  extensive  farmer 
in  Hardin  Precinct,  is  a  native  of  Calhoun 
County,  and  the  youngest  son  of  Henry 
nd  Catherine  Schleeper,  (see  sketch  of  Henry 
eeper  on  another  page  in  this  Album).     He  was 


EMUEL  CALHOUN.  The  farm  of  this 
gentleman  forms  a  part  of  the  land  included 
in  Perry  Township,  Pike  County,  and  is  one 
of  the  best  in  that  section.  It  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  acres  on  section  1 1,  and  forms 
apart  of  the  parental  homestead  on  which  our  sub- 
ject has  lived  since  early  childhood.  Mr.  Calhoun  is 
well  and  favorably  known  among  the  old  residenis 
of  the  township  in  whose  early  development  he 
bore  a  part  when  quite  young,  and  in  which  he  has 
long  been  prosecuting  the  work  of  a  general 
farmer. 

Our  subject  is  of  Southern  birth  and  ancestry  and 


520 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


possesses  many  of  the  characteristic  traits  of  the 
Southern  gentleman.  His  grandfather,  Grey  Cal- 
houn, was  born  in  North  Carolina,  grew  to  man- 
hood on  a  farm  in  that  State  and  after  he  became 
of  age  fought  as  a  private  through  the  Revolution- 
ary War.  He  suffered  privations  and  hardships, 
braved  dangers,  but  escaped  unharmed  and  re- 
turning to  the  ancestral  home  resumed  the  arts  of 
peace.  After  his  second  marriage  lie  removed  to 
Tennessee,  dying  in  Smith  County  full  of  years 
and  honors.  In  liis  native  State  he  had  been  prom- 
inently identified  with  the  Democracy  and  wher- 
ever he  lived  was  a  somewhat  conspicuous  member 
of   the  community. 

Hansel  Calhoun,  the  father  of  our  su'.iject,  was 
one  of  a  family  consisting  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  He  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  and  was  quite  young  when 
his  parents  removed  to  Tennessee  where  he  grew  to 
maturity,  following  his  father's  example  in  becom- 
ing a  farmer.  He  married  Harriet  Carpenter,  a  na- 
tive of  tlie  Turpentine  State  and  daughter  of 
Herbert  and  Nancy  Carpenter,  who  had  been  born 
and  reared  in  North  Carolina.  Some  time  after 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carpenter  took  up 
their  abode  in  Tennessee  and  a  number  of  years 
later,  early  in  the  '30s.  settled  in  Pike  County,  111. 
They  located  upon  wild  land  in  Perry  Township, 
being  among  the  earliest  residents  there  and  be- 
coming well  known  for  their  pioneer  labors  and 
good  qualities.  Mr.  Carpenter  died  when  seventy- 
eight  j'cars  old  and  his  wife  wlien  seven t}' -seven. 

After  their  marriage  Hansel  Calhoun  and  his 
wife  continued  to  make  Smith  County,  Tenn.,  their 
home  for  a  numlier  of  years,  all  but  one  of  their 
children  being  born  there.  They  removed  to  Ken- 
tucky and  after  a  few  3'ears  to  this  State,  accom- 
plishing their  journey  thither  by  tlie  water  route  to 
Naples  and  thence  by  wagons  to  their  future  home 
on  section  11,  Perr\'  Township,  Pike  County.  Tliey 
secured  land  from  Uncle  Sam  and  occui)ie(l  it  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  their  lives,  graduall3'  bring- 
ing it  into  good  condition  and  surrounding 
themselves  with  many  comforts  and  conveniences. 
Mr.  Calhoun  died  in  18G"2  at  the  .age  of  si.xty  years. 
He  belonged  to  no  religious  organization,  but  was 
a  man  of  good  habits  and  citizenship.     In  politics 


he  was  a  Democrat.  After  the  death  of  her  first 
husband  Mrs.  Calhoun  married  Isham  Aikin.  whom 
she  also  survived,  breathing  her  last  in  January, 
1871,  when  seventy-three  years  of  age.  She  was  an 
intelligent,  worthy  woman,  holding  membership  in 
the  Christian  Church. 

Lemuel  Calhoun,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch  was  the  second  child  of  his  parents,  whose 
family  consisted  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters. 
All  are  now  deceased  except  our  subject  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Rusk.   Lemuel  was  born  in  Smith  County,  ' 
Tenn.,;M.<iy  30,  1829,  and  came  to  his  present  home 
in  March,  1836.     His  educational  privileges  were 
quite  limited,  as  the  pioneer  schools  afforded  little 
opportunity  to  acquire  knowledge  and  much  of  his  ' 
time  was  devoted  to   home  duties.     He   helped  to  ; 
improve  the  homestead,  becoming   thorouglilj'   fa-; 
miliar  with  farm  work  and  learning  habits  of  sturdy  ] 
industry  and  unflagging  perseverance   which   have 
been  useful  to  him  throughout  his  entire  life.     He* 
gives    his  political   adherence    to   the    Democratic 
party  and  his  religious  labors  to  the  promulgation 
of  the    principles  and    practice   of  the    Christian 
Church,  to  which  the  entire  family  but  the  young- 
est belong. 

The  estimable  woman  who  has   for   some   yean' 
shared  the  joys  and  sorrows,  the  struggles  and  th(' 
triumphs  of  our  subject,  bore  the  maiden  name  o 
Mar^'  A.  Thompson.     She  was  born   in    Roxburj'- 
Mass,    near    Boston,    March    18,    1830,  and    wa 
brought  to  this  State  1)3-  her  parents  in  her   child 
hood.   Here  she  grew  to  womanhood,  married   and 
h.as  since  lived,  devoting  herself  to  the  interests  o- 
those   around   her   with  intelligence  and  activitji 
She  has  become  tlie  mother  of  six    children,  fou 
of  whom  are  now  living.      Hansel  and  David  die' 
young;  M.  Olive  is  now   the  wife    of  Andrew  In 
gram,  a  farmer  in  Perry  Township,   Pike  Countji! 
Nellie  married  Andrew  Carpenter  and  they  live  i' 
Brown  County;  Flora  and  Hettie  still  remain   wit 
their  parents. 

William  Thompson,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Callioiu 
was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,   and    there    learuc 
the  trade  of  a  baker.      Later  he  went  to  Kentuck ; 
where  he  marrieil  and  lost  his    wife,  who  left  hii'  ■ 
one  child  who  is  still  living.    Mr.  Thompson  aftei 
ward  went  to  Salem,  Mass.,  where  he  married  Har 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


521 


nail  Lowe,  a  native  of  the  old  Ba}'  State.  Tlie 
(.'Oiiple  made  their  home  in  Boston  for  some  yeais, 
the  husband  fdllowiiig  his  trade  there,  and  after- 
ward spendina:  a  short  time  in  his  native  city.  In 
liie  fall  of  1835  the  Thompsons  came  to  this  .State, 
securing  land  in  Pike  County  and  taking  their  place 
among  the  agriculturists.  In  Perry  Township  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thompson  continued  to  reside  until  called 
lience,  the  former  passing  away  in  1871  when 
seventy-seven  years  old.  He  was  successful  in 
worldly  affairs,  hecamethe  owner  of  large  tracts  of 
land  in  the  county  and  platted  therefrom  a  pari  of 
till' town  of  Perr3'.  He  was  a  stanch  supporter  of 
;IIh'  Kepublican  party  from  its  organization,  and 
during  the  war  did  all  he  could  for  the  Union  cause, 
31'nding  one  son,  Adqlphus,  into  the  army.  Mrs. 
Thompson  lived  until  1887,  attaining  to  the  ripe 
age  of  eighty-six  years.  The  family  included  six 
daughters  and  two  sons  who  lived  to  maturity  and 
imarried.  Three  daughters  and  two  sons  still  sur- 
vive. 


..oto..gJ^<}^..o*o> 


i^EORGE  M.  CRESSWELL  was  born  in 
Point  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  February 
21,  1851,  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming  in 
bhe  same  precinct.  Ho  is  an  industrious  man, 
keeps  himself  well  posted  on  topics  of  general  im- 
portance, and  is  looked  upon  by  his  fellow-citizens 
IS  one  of  the  reliable  members  of  the  commuuit3'. 
He  began  his  life's  labors  when  but  sixteen  years 
i)ld,  working  by  the  month  on  a  farm  until  after 
liis  marriage.  F'or  some  years  he  has  been  tilling 
'he  soil  on  rented  land  and  in  so  doing  is  gaining  a 
l^ery  corafortalile  maintenance.  His  education  was 
Acquired  in  the  public  schools  of  Calhoun  and  Ma- 
■oupin  Counties  and  his  principles  of  life  from  the 
Instruction  and  example  of  his  good  parents. 

Going  back  in  the  paternal  line  we  find  Robert 
''rcsswell  a  native  of  !_icotland,  and  a  pioneer  of 
ft.  Louis  County,  Mo.,  and  later  in  Calhoun  County, 
jll.,  where  he  located  in  1832.  The  next  in  the 
lirect  line  of  descent  was  a  second  Robert  Cress- 
pll,  who  was  born  in  Kentuckj'  or  Maryland  in 
|798.  Following  him  came  James  Cresswell,  whose 
irlh  took  place  in  Lincoln  Count}-,  Mo.,  in  Jlay, 


1820.  The  last-named  was  fourteen  years  old  wlicn 
he  came  to  Callioun  County  with  his  parents.  At 
that  time  this  county  was  a  wilderness,  with  here 
and  there  a  small  clearing,  all  kinds  of  wild  game 
were  plentiful  and  Indians  still  lingered  here.  After 
.lames  Cresswell  had  grown  to  manhood  he  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business,  bu\-ing  large  tracts  of  land 
from  which  he  vvould  clear  the  timber,  and  dcvixi- 
ing  a  part  of  his  time  to  farming. 

In  1853  James  Cresswell  engaged  in  the  sale  of 
merchandise  at  his  home  in  Point  Precinct  and  in 
1S5G  opened  a  branch  store  in  Montere}'.  During 
the  [janic  of  1857  he  became  financially  embarrassed 
but  as  he  was  not  pressed  l)y  his  creditors  he  came 
through  the  struggle  all  right.  He  continued  liis 
store  at  Monterey  three  years  and  at  his  old  home 
twelve  years,  dealing  at  the  same  time  in  grain  and 
all  kinds  of  live  stock.  In  18G5  he  removed  to 
Macoupin  County,  bought  six  hundred  acres  of 
land  one  mile  east  of  fiirard,  and  began  the  im- 
provement of  the  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
wild  prairie  which  formed  a  part  of  the  farm.  That 
was  the  home  of  the  family  seven  years,  v^hen  Mr. 
Cresswell  again  became  embarrassed  and  returned 
to  Calhoun  County.  He  bought  two  hundred  an<l 
fifty  acres  of  land  on  Dardainee  Island  on  the  iSIis- 
souri  side  of  the  river  and  took  up  the  business  of 
rafting.  He  had  followed  this  three  years  when  he 
was  prostrated  by  a  paralytic  stroke  and  was  inca- 
pacitated for  business.  He  survived  until  1.S83 
when  he  entered  into  rest. 

The  wife  of  .James  Cresswell  sr^d  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sophia  C. 
Lutze.  Their  marriage  was  solemnized  in  1S4() 
and  was  iilessed  to  them  by  the  liirth  of  seven  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  are  now  living.  Jlrs.  Cress- 
well was  born  at  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  about  1824, 
and  died  in  Calhoun  County,  III.,  March  20,  1862. 
Her  father,  George  Lutze,  was  born  in  North  Car- 
olina and  went  to  Missouri  when  a  young  man. 
He  married  Shielda  Critz  and  they  made  tlieir  liome 
in  Calhoun  County  in  1832,  being  among  the  ear- 
liest settlers  in  I'oint  Pret^inct.  Mr.  Lutze  en- 
tered one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  Government 
land,  and  although  well-to-do,  built  a  log  cabin,  as 
was  the  custom  of  the  time,  and  began  the  work  of 
improvement.      He  had  not  been    living  here  long 


522 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ere  his  dwelling  was  burned  and  *3,000  in  gold  and 
silver  was  melted  in  the  conflagration.  3Ir.  Lutze 
improved  bis  estate  and  resided  upon  it  until  his 
death.  The  frame  house  which  he  erected  in  1840 
is  still  standing  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

From  the  facts  above  noted  it  will  be  seen  that 
our  subject  is  descended  from  men  and  women  of 
energy  and  indomitable  spirit.  He  is  assisted  in 
his  life's  labors  b3'  a  capable  and  devoted  compan- 
ion with  whom  he  was  united  in  marriage  Decem- 
ber 15,  1872.  Mrs.  Cresswell  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  P.  Freeman,  was  born  in  the  county 
in  which  she  now  lives  and  is  a  d.aughter  of  Oliver 
and  Mary  Freeman.  She  and  her  husband  are  the 
happy  parents  of  five  children.  Almina  M.,  Alta  C  , 
Mattie  M.,  Louisa  E.  and  Irene  N. 


>^?«f-«tf5<^- 


•■i»^»r^»^ 


^^EORGK  RETZER,  a  representative  farmer 
(||  (=T  and  stock-raiser  residing  on  section  8,  C'ar- 
^^^41  lin  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  was  born  in 
Elk  County,  Pa.,  April  7,  1857,  and  is  of  German 
descent.  His  jarents,  Sebastian  and  Theresa  (Schrei- 
ber)  Retzer,  were  natives  of  German^-,  and  emi- 
grated to  this  country  in  1853.  The  year  1860 
witnessed  their  arrival  in  this  county,  and  locating 
in  Carlin  Precinct  they  have  since  resided  upon  a 
farm  which  they  then  purcliased.  Mr.  Retzer  is 
now  the  owner  of  several  hundred  acres  of  land, 
but  to  a  great  extent  he  has  retired  from  active 
business  life,  and  he  and  his  worthy  wife  are  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  former  toil.  Their  home  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  and 
there,  surrounded  with  the  comforts  of  life  they  ex- 
pect to  spend  their  remaining  daj's.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Democrat  and  one  of  the  leading  and  influen- 
tial citizens  of  the  communitj-.  In  religious  belief 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Retzer  are  members  of  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church.  Their  family  once  num- 
bered nine  children,  but  four  are  now  deceased. 
The  living  are  George  of  this  sketch;  John;  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Robeen;  Theresa  and  William. 

In  presenting  to  the  readers  of  this  Aluum  the 
biography  of  George  Retzer,  we  record  the  life 
work  of  one  of   Calhoun  County's  most  esteemed 


.and  valued  citizens.  In  his  youth  he  was  not  sur- 
rounded with  the  advantages  which  the  lads  of  to- 
day enjoy.  He  only  attended  the  common  school 
during  the  winter  season  when  his  services  were  not 
needed  on  the  farm,  for  as  soon  as  he  wjis  old 
enough  to  reach  the  plow  handles  he  entered  upon 
the  work  which  has  been  his  business  throughout 
life.  Farming  was  then  carried  on  with  ox-teams, 
and  following  after  those  slow  plodding  animals, 
George  traversed  many  an  acre  of  his  father's  land, 
but  industry  and  enterprise  have  at  length  receivai 
their  reward. 

Our  subject  is  now  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of] 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  which  payagolderj 
tribute  to  the  care  and  cultivation  of    the  owner! 
Well  tilled  fields,  good  buildings  and  the  latest  im  J 
proved  machinery    all   plainly  indicate  the   thrif 
and  enterprise  of  Mr.  Retzer,  who  now  ranks  amontj 
the  well-to-do  farmers  of  Calhoun  County.     He  i: 
also  an   enterprising  and  progressive  citizen  wIk 
gives  his  support  to  any  movement  calculated  to  pro' 
mote  the  general,  welfare.    In  politics  he  is  a  Demo 
crat,  having  supported  that  party  since  attainin: 
his  majority,  and  in  religious  belief  both  he  and  hi 
wife  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.     Tbei 
worth  anii  ability  are  known  to  their  many  friend 
who  hold  them  in  high  esteem.  I 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Retzer  w.as  celo 
brated  October  18,  1880.     The  lady  was  formerl , 
Miss  Mary  Smith,  daughter  of  Michael  Smith,  d(| 
ceased,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Calhoun  County' 
An  interesting  family  of  two  children  grace  the: 
union:  Gilbert,  born  December  16,  1888;  and  Xlari 
Elizabeth,  March  12,    1890.     On  another  page  i 
this  volume  will  be  noticed  a  view  of  the  commc 
dious  residence  and  surroundings  on    the  farm  c, 
Mr.  Retzer. 


.s-J#^U|«^^ 


ICHAEL  WIRTII.     The  lands  across  til 
sea    have  furnished  their   quota  of  gocj 
citizens  to  the  Prairie  State  and  many  ha']  J 
been  instrumental  in  developing  Callim 
County  from  an   untrodden   wilderness  to   an  in 
proved  and  well-settled  region.     No  better  rcpi 


tt 


RESIDLNCE  OF    GEORGE    RETZER.SECr.    CARLIN   PRECT.  CALHOUN   CO.ILL 


RESIDENCE  OF   MICHAEL    WIRTH,SEC.9.  CRATER    PRECT.  CALHOUN   CO.ILL 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


525 


sentative  of  the  German  pioneers  can  lie  fonnil  here 
llian  Michael  Wirth,  the  oldest  man  of  his  nation- 
ality in  Crater  Precinct.  His  home  is  on  section  9, 
whore  he  owns  two  luimlred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land  under  good  cultivation,  and  bearing  such  im- 
provements .as  make  it  a  comfortable  place  of  abode 
and  the  source  of  a  satisfactory  income. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Baden,  German}-,  February 
28,  1820,  a  son  was  born  to  ]\Iartin  and  Mar}'  E. 
Wirth.  and  had  bestowed  upon  him  the  name  of 
Michael.  The  child  grew  and  thrived,  when  of 
suflicient  age  being  sent  to  school,  where  he  ac- 
quired a  good  German  education.  He  was  reared 
to  a  knowledge  of  farm  pursuits  and  has  devoted 
liis  life  tc)  agriculture,  first  in  his  native  land  and 
then  in  America,  to  which  he  emigrated  in  1847. 
ile  took  passage  at  Havre  on  a  sail  vessel,  and  after 
an  ocean  voyage  of  fift3--seven  days  landed  in 
New  Orleans,  whence  he  came  at  once  to  Calhoun 
County,  111. 

During  the  first  five  3'ears  of  his  residence  here 
Mr.  Wirlh  was  eng.aged  in  chopping  cord  wood 
and  in  lumbering,  receiving  seventy-five  cesits  per 
cord  for  wood  cliopping.  In  1856  he  settled  upon 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  his  present  farm,  to 
which  he  added  b}'  subsequent  [lurchase.  He  cleared 
the  farm,  bringing  it  from  a  wild  condition  into 
one  of  extreme  fertility,  and  while  advancing  his 
own  interests,  aided  largel}'  in  promoting  the  good 
l)f  the  county,  as  ever}-  tr.act  of  land  that  was  de- 
veloped proved  a  source  of  encouragement  and  at- 
traction to  those  who  were  looking  for  a  home. 
Mr.  Wirth  had  no  one  to  start  him  in  life,  but  has 
reached  comfortable  circumstances  through  his  own 
efforts  and  frugal  life.  A  view  of  his  pleasant 
lionie  and  estate  is  shown  in  this  volume. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Wirth  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Barbara  Beckdoldt,  and  bore  him  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  first-born,  Frederick,  is  deceased. 
The  others  are  Mary,  Frances,  Philip,  Amelia  and 
Catherine.  JMar}-  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Snyder, 
their  home  being  in  Kansas;  Amelia  married  E. 
Roofer,  who  resides  in  Greene  County,  111.;  Cathe- 
rine is  the  wife  of  Alvin  Winchell  of  the  same 
county;  Philip  makes  his  home  in  W'ashington. 
The  present  companion  of  our  subject  was  known 
in  her  maidenhood  as  Miss  Barbara   Kamp.     This 


union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  three  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Elizabeth  and  George  are  now  liv- 
ing. 

Since  he  became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
Mr.  Wirth  has  endeavored  to  aid  all  those  projects 
which  would  tend  to  the  [niblic  good  and  to  act 
when  called  upon  in  behalf  of  the  interests  of  his 
associates.  He  has  served  satisfactorily  in  the  po- 
sition of  School  Director.  In  politics  he  is  a  Demo- 
crat, and  in  religion  a  Roman  Catholic.  Peaceable 
and  law-abiding,  intelligent  and  enterprising,  he 
stands  well  in  the  community  and  his  reputation 
extends  over  a  larsre  territory.    • 


<(¥?EREMIAH  G.  ADAMS  is  a  prominent  and 
infiuential  resident  of  Atlas  Township.  He 
^,^1  i  is  the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  fine  farms 
[\^j)j  for  which  Pike  Countj-  is  so  noted,  and  has 
a  beautiful  home  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the  Mis- 
sissippi River.  Mr.  Adams  was  born  in  Rensselaer 
County,  N.  Y.,  October  25,  1827.  His  father,  Is- 
rael A.  Adams,  was  born  in  that  State  in  1803,  and 
was  a  son  of  James  Adams,  who  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut.  The  father  of  the  latter,  who  was 
also  named  James,  was  likewise  a  native  of  that 
Kew  England  State  where  he  carried  on  farming, 
and  died  at  a  good  old  age. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  but  in  his  younger  days  he  was  engaged 
as  a  sailor  a  good  deal  of  the  time.  He  finally  lo- 
cated in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  followed  farm- 
ing there  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  eightj-four 
years.  He  was  a  Revolutionary  hero  and  was  an 
old-line  Whig  in  politics.  For  his  services  to  his 
countrj-  he  received  a  pension  during  the  last  3ears 
of  his  life.  He  was  of  the  Baptist  faith  in  religion. 
He  and  his  good  wife  reared  four  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

The  father  of  our  subject  p.assed  his  early  life  on 
a  farm  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  a  part  of  the  time,  and  was 
also  interested  in  woolen  manufacturing.  Riglitl}' 
judging  that  a  man  of  his  capability  and  enterprise 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


would  And  a  good  opening  for  himself  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  ho  came  to  Pike  Country  in  tiie  month 
of  August,  1843,  making  the  journey  partly  by  rail 
and  liy  canal  to  Buffalo,  from  there  across  the  lakes 
to  Chicago,  then  by  stage  to  Pekin  and  by  steam- 
boat to  Florence.  He  settled  at  Atlas,  and  pur- 
chased eight  hundred  acres  of  land  here  and  fanned 
extensivei}-.  He  owned  bottom  laud  whicli  he  im- 
proved much  and  left  it  a  valuable  piece  of  prop- 
erty. His  life  was  rounded  out  here  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  and  in  all  his  transactions  showed 
himself  to  be  a  manly,  upright  Christian. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Harriet  Green,  was  a 
native  of  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  was 
born  in  1802.  She  lived  to  be  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject 
reared  three  children,  whom  they  named  Jeremiah 
G.,  Edna  A.  (Mrs.  Roosa),  and  Cornelius.  The  ma- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Jeremiah 
Green,  and  he  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  He 
was  both  a  carpenter  and  a  farmer,  and  he  finally 
settled  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  farmed  there 
until  his  demise  at  a  venerable  age.  He  reared  a 
large  family  of  children. 

He  of  whom  we  write  lived  with  his  parents  in 
New  York  until  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  he 
accompanied  them  to  this  State.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  his  death.  He  has  been  a  very  ex- 
tensive farmer  in  his  time,  and  he  once  owned  about 
one  thousand  acres  of  land  a  good  part  of  which 
was  in  the  Mississippi  bottoms.  He  has  done  a 
great  deal  to  develop  these  bottom  lands,  and  has 
acquired  a  valuable  property  while  so  doing.  His 
residence  is  a  large  two-story  structure,  a  part  of 
which  was  erected  in  1822  b}-  Col.  Ross,  one  of  the 
very  first  settlers  of  Pike  County,  so  that  it  is  an 
old  landmark  in  this  township.  Our  subject  has 
remodeled  the  house  and  added  to  it  until  he  now 
has  one  of  the  most  comfortable  and  conveniently' 
arranged  dwellings  in  this  locality.  It  is  very  pleas- 
antly situated  as  it  occupies  a  prominent  position 
on  the  Mississippi  Bluffs  looking  westward. 

Mr.  Adams  and  Jane  E.  Sanderson  were  married 
in  the  month  of  October,  1849,  and  their  wedded 
life  has  been  one  of  much  felicity.  It  has  been 
blessed   to    them  by   the   birth  of  seven  children, 


namely:  Clarence,  George,  Hattie  (5Irs.  Warren), 
Mar3'  (Mrs.  Rupert),  Fannie  (Mrs.  Helkey),  Laura 
and  Maggie. 

1  During  their  manj'  years  residence  here,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Adams  have  gained  a  high  place  in  the  regard 
of  the  entire  community,  and  are  considered  in- 
valuable members  of  the  social  and  religious  cir- 
cles of  the  county.  The^'  both  belong  to  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  their  influence  is  felt  in  .; 
whatever  will  benefit  the  town.     Mr.   Adams   is  a     ' 

j   conspicuous  figure  in  public   life  and    has   repre-      , 
sented  Atlas  Township  as  a  member  of  the  County 
Board  of   Supervisors  for  a  number  of  terms,  and 
has  held  other  offices  of  trust.     He  is  at  present  oae 
(>f   the  Road  Commissioners  of  the  township.     In 

:    his  political  views  he  is  a  firm  Ijcliever  in  the  [irin-      | 
ciples  promulgated  b^-  the  Republican  party. 


I 
OHN    HENTHORN.      A    pioneer   of   Pike     ] 
County,  a  highly  successful  farmer  of  Fair- 
mount  Township,  and  a  worthy  citizen,  this 
gentleman  enjo3'S  the  esteem  of  his  numer- 
ous acquaintances.     His  estate  which  is  located  on 
section   17,  comprises  four  hundred  acres  of  lanil     , 
and  is  considered  one  of  the  most  valuable  pieces  of 
property  in  this  section  of  country.    The  residence 
which  was  erected  in  1878  is   located   on   an   emi- 
nence and  commands  an  excellent  view  of  the  larger 
part  of  Fairmount  Township.  Altogether  the  home- 
stead is  one  of  whicli  Mr.  Hen  thorn  may  be  justly    > 
proud  for   it  rei)resents   the  results  of  his  own  un- 
aided toil. 

England  was  the  birthplace  of  our  subject  and 
in  Lancastershire,  April  20,  1820,  he  was  born  to 
Abraham  and  Mary  Henthorn,  also  natives  of  Eng- 
land. The  i)arental  family  included  eight  children 
most  of  whom  are  located  in  Illinois.  In  company  ) 
with  his  brother  Charles  our  subject  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1844  and  has  since  continued  to 
reside  in  this  country.  Pritir  to  coming  hither  he  i< 
received  a  common  education  in  England  and  there 
learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver. 

The   marriage  of  our   subject  was  solemnized  in 
Lancastershire,  England,  May  27,1842,  when  Miss 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


527 


Bettv  Holt,  a  clauglitcr  of  Abraham  anc'  Anna 
(Holt)  Holt  became  his  wife.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Ileiithorn  were  English  people  and  lived  in  tlie  ohl 
countr\-  until  quite  advanced  in  j-cars  and  then 
emigrated  to  the  United  States.  The}- first  located 
ill  the  State  of  New  York  whence  they  removed  to 
Adams  Countj-,  111.,  and  there  died.  The}'  were 
weavers  in  their  native  laud  but  engaged  in  farm- 
ing after  coming  to  America. 

Mrs.  llentiiorn  was  a  lady  of  refinement  and 
culture,  universally  beloved  for  her  many  noble 
traits  of  heart  and  mind.  .She  accompanied  licr 
husband  to  America  where  for  many  j'ears  she  la- 
bored side  by  side  with  him  and  was  of  material 
.assistance  to  him.  She  passed  from  the  scenes  of 
an  active  existence  October  26,  1880,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-seven  years.  Her  death  was  mourned  through- 
out the  whole  community  where  the}'  lived  so 
long.  .She  was  a  consistent  Christian,  a  true  wife 
and  a  wise  and  loving  mother. 

The  children  born  to  Mr.  Heuthorn  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  named  as  follows:  Mary  C.,who 
died  September  7,  1845;  Sarah,  Mrs.  E.  F.  Cooley, 
resides  on  a  farm  in  Fairmount  Township;  Abra- 
ham who  resides  in  Hadley  Township  married  Miss 
Anna.  Cory;  Franklin  P.  is  a  resident  of  Fairmount 
Township  and  married  a  lady  who  bore  tlie  maiden 
name  of  Miss  Jane  Wearer;  John  D.  is  a  resident 
of  Aurora,  Neb.,  and  his  wife  prior  to  her  marriage 
was  Miss  Mattie  J.  Phillips;  Janie,  Mrs.  Jolin 
Lewis,  is  a  resident  of  Miami  County,  Kan.; 
Charles  married  Miss  Minnie  J.  Powers  and  lives 
in  Aurora,  Neb.;  William  II.  who  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  A.  Rust,  lives  in  Fairmount 
Township. 

The  tract  of  land  owned  and  operated  by  Mr. 
Hentliorn  is  under  excellent  cultivation  and  he  keeps 
on  his  place  the  latest  improvements  in  farming 
inaeiiiiicr}' and  follows  the  most  approved  methods 
in  tlie  cultivation  of  the  soil.  The  buildings  are 
substantial  and  conveniently  located  and  excel- 
lently adapteil  for  their  various  purposes.  From 
lime  to  time  our  subject  has  added  to  his  original 
|iurchase  which  was  made  in  Fairmount  Township 
in  1884.  until  the  estate  is  now  a  very  large  one  and 
1  is  widely  known  as  Fairview  Farm.  Prior  to  com- 
ing to  Pike  County  Mr.  Hentliorn  passed    eighteen- 


months  in  Adams  County,  this  State,  but  has  never 
legretled  his  removal  Iiere.  He  belongs  to  the 
Democratic  party  and  manifests  great  interest  in 
both  Nation,il  and  local  politics,  having  often  been 
called  upon  to  fill  ofliccs  of  trust  and  re,<|)onsibil- 
ity.  He  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  to  which  his  wife  also  belonged. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  weaver  by  trade 
and  when  later  improvements  caused  the  hand  loom 
to  go  out  of  use  he  entered  the  factories  of  Lan- 
caster and  died  at  a  very  advanced  age.  The 
mother  also  passed  her  entire  life  and  finally  died 
in  Lancaster.  Both  parents  were  members  of  the 
Cliurcli  of  England. 


--^Tj,^ 


-E^ 


ON.  P.   C.  BARRY,    M.  D.       Few    if    any 

residents  in  Callioiin  County  have  a  more  in- 
teresting history  than  Dr.  Barry,  of  Hardin, 
and  certainly  none  have  a  higher  opinion 
of  tlie  citizens  of  the  county.  He  is  proud  to 
have  made  this  his  home,  as  he  considers  the  resi- 
dents the  most  industrious  and  law-abiding  in  the 
Prairie  State.  Though  descended  from  a  noble 
family  he  is  opposed  to  all  hereditary  titles  and 
believes  with  his  favorite  poet,  Robert  Burns  that 

"  The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that," 

his  advancement  in  life  depending  upon  his  educa- 
tion, industry  and  associations. 

Dr.  Barry  was  born  in  County  Waterford.  Ire- 
land, July  31,  1841.  His  father,  Edmond  Barry, 
and  his  mother,  Mary  (Collins)  Barry,  were  natives 
of  the  same  county,  and  his  grandfather,  John 
Barry,  was  born  in  County  Cork.  The  great- 
grandparents  of  our  subject  were  the  Barrys  of 
Castle  Lyons,  County  Cork,  .commonly  known  as 
the  Lords  of  Barrymore.  .Some  members  of  this 
noble  and  powerful  family  were  noted  for  their  ad- 
herence to  English  rule  and  others  for  their  love 
of  liberty  and  Irish  nationality.  The  father  and 
grandfather  of  Dr.  Barry  held  large  farm  interests 
in  County  Waterford.  Of  the  parental  house- 
hold, two.  Michael  and  (iarrel,  who  were  formerly 


528 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


emplo3'eil  in  the  police  department  of  New  York 
City,  iue  deceased;  William  now  lives  in  New 
Zealand;  Dr.  John  C.  resigned  from  the  Englisli 
service  and  entered  that  of  the  United  States  as 
naval  surgeon  during  the  Civil  War,  but  has  re- 
lumed to  Ireland;  Julia,  James,  Marj'  and  Dr. 
David  F.  live  in  the  I'nited  States;  Edward  makes 
his  home  in  England. 

After  receiving  a  classical  education  in  the  col- 
legiate seminaries  of  Mt.  Melleray  and  Waterford, 
our  subject  entered  the  University  of  Louvain, 
Belgium,  in  the  year  1859.  The  Irish  brigade  in 
the  service  of  the  Roman  Pontiff,  Pius  IX.  being 
oiganized  in  1. SCO,  Mr.  Barry  left  the  university 
and  entered  the  service,  receiving  the  comTnission 
of  Second  Lieutenant.  As  he  spoke  both  French 
and  German,  he  was  employed  in  the  transport 
service,  conducting  the  Irish  soldiers  to  Italj', 
through  Belgium,  Germany  and  Austria.  While 
tluis  emplo^'ed  he  became  intimately  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  most  illustrious  families  in  those 
countries.  After  fulfilling  his  duty  in  the  trans- 
port service  he  visited  Rome,  where  he  was  well 
received  l)y  the  Minister  of  War,  Count  Demerode, 
and  being  allowed  to  remain  in  the  city  a  week, 
visited  the  most  noted  ruins  and  public  buildings. 

Lieut.  Barry  was  ordered  to  Ancona,  a  seaport 
on  the  Adriatic,  where  be  was  actively  engaged  in 
military  drill  and  manreuvers  until  war  was  declared 
by  N'ictor  Emanuel,  King  of  Piedmont,  against  the 
Holy  See.  Ancona  was  besieged  by  lift}'  thousand 
men  under  Gen.  Chaldini.  and  ten  vessels  of  war. 
and  surrendered  after  twelve  days  obstinate  fighting 
by  the  garrison  which  consisted  of  but  ten  thou- 
sand men.  Lieut.  Barry  and  other  officers  were 
conveyed  as  prisoners  of  war  to  Genoa,  where  they 
were  released  on  parole  with  the  condition  they 
would  not  take  up  arms  against  the  King  of  Pied- 
mont for  one  year.  At  (ienoa  Lieut.  Barry  met 
Col.  Coppinger,  now  son-in-law  of  James  G.  Blaine, 
Secretary  of  State,  who  had  served  in  the  same 
brigade  as  Captain  and  was  taken  i^risouer  at  Spo- 
leta. 

(Jn  being  paroled  Lieut.  Barry  returned  to  the 
University  of  Louvain,  in  November,  1860,  and 
continued  his  studies  there  until  18G3  wiicn  he  em- 
barked  for  Ireland.     Believing  that  war  would  be 


declared  by  England  against  the  United  States. 
Lieut.  Barry  assisted  in  secretly  organizing  the 
revolutionary  forces  of  Ireland.  Being  placed 
under  suspicion  by  the  British  Government,  he  enj- 
barked  for  the  United  States  in  18G4,  intending  to 
join  the  United  States  service,  but  coramigsions  not 
being  easily  obtained  he  located  in  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
There  he  continued  the  study  and  practice  of  med- 
icine until  1 807,  when  he  started  for  Peoria.  III. 
On  the  boat  he  met  some  Calhoun  County  gentle- 
men who  urged  him  to  locate  at  Hardin.  On  tlieir 
recommendation  he  landed  April  2,  1867,  and  has 
made  Hardin  his  home  from  that  day  to  this. 

Dr.  Barry  has  been  a  successful  physician,  accu- 
mulating a  large  amount  of  real-estate  by  his  in- 
dustry and  strict  attention  to  medical  practice.  He 
edited  the  Calhoun  Herald  the  year  of  its  estab- 
lishment (1872)  and  was  the  chief  instrument  in 
placing  it  on  a  firm  basis.  This  experience  be 
calls  ''the  battle  of  his  life."  He  has  been  County 
Physician  for  some  years  and  was  a  member  ami 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Hardin. 
Whatever  political  aspirations  he  may  have  bad 
have  been  kept  to  himself  as  he  never  solicited  a 
county  office.  In  1884  be  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  Thirtv- 
sixth  Senatorial  District  and  according  to  the  Legal 
Advisor,  edited  at  that  time  by  Speaker  Haines,  he 
was  the  most  popular  member  of  the  House. 

In  the  memorable  contest  in  1885  between  Gen. 
Logan  and  Col.  Morrison  for  the  position  of  United 
States  Senator,  the  Hon.  P.  C.  Barry  took  an  active 
part.  The  Democrats  and  Republicans  being  equal 
in  numbers  in  the  Joint  Assemblj',  he  worked  io- 
defatigably  for  Col.  Morrison.  The  death  of  Kep. 
resentative  Shaw,  a  Democrat,  and  the  election  of 
the  Hon.  Mr.Weaver,  a  Republican,  as  his  successor, 
insured  the  election  of  Gen.  Logan.  Dr.  Barry 
went  on  record  as  voting  for  Judge  Lambert  Tree, 
the  Democratic  caucus  nominee,  but  preferred  Lo- 
gan to  Farwell,  the  present  Senator.  A  prudent 
and  active  member  of  the  General  Assembly,  Dr. 
Barry  heartily'  deserved  the  thanks  and  considera- 
tion of  his  constituents. 

September  8,  1868,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were 
celebrated  between  Dr.  Barry  and  Miss  Tersey  D. 
Smith,    a   daughter    of    Levi    and     Mary    Elvira 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


529 


[  (DeLong)  Smith.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  respectable 
farmer  of  Calhoun  County  anrl  ^Irs.  Smith  is  a 
grand-niece  of  DeWitt  Clinton,  the  (irst  Governor 
of  New  York.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Barry  have  had 
six  cliildren,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  uamoly : 
Mary  ?>.,  James,  Edward  Standish,  and  Zita  Agnes. 
Ur.  Barry  is  courteous  in  his  bearing,  although 
plain  and  unassuming,  his  manners  corresponding 
with  his  belief  regarding  the  universal  democracy. 

-J^^' 


^  IMLLIAM  S.  PATTERSON  is  one  of  the 
\^l/  '"'■*''  8'^''P'''''-''ion  of  farmers  and  stoek- 
^^  raisers  of  Pike  County,  native  and  to  the 
manor  born,  who  form  an  important  element  in  tlie 
maintenance  of  its  prosperitj'  and  are  helping 
greatly  to  extend  its  wealth.  He  is  a  resident  of 
Montezuma  Township  where  he  is  actively'  en- 
gaged in  general  farming,  in  raising  stock  and  in 
the  culture  of  fruit. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Stephen  Patterson, 
was  a  native  of  Illinois  and  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, stock-raising  and  boating  during  his  lifetinne. 
He  married  Mary  Ann  Andrews,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
He  continued  to  live  in  Pike  County-  till  his  earlv 
death  in  1855  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years  when 
thecommunit}'  was  deprived  of  a  good  citizen  who 
was  contril)uting  his  quota  to  its  upbuilding.  His 
wife  also  died  young,  her  death  occurring  in  1858 
at  the  age  of  thirty  years.  They  were  worthy  people 
who  led  upright  lives  and  were  members  iu  higii 
standing  of  the  Christian  Church.  Of  their  three 
children  two  are  now  living,  our  subject  and  his 
sister,  Xancy  M..  now  Mrs.  John  H.  Battershell, 
Jr.,  who  resides  in  Milton. 

William  Patterson,  of  whom  these  lines  are  writ- 
ten, was  born  January  10,  1853,  in  Pearl  Township. 
At  the  early  age  of  five  years  he  was  left  an  orphan 
and  fell  to  the  care  of  his  mother's  step-father, 
Alonzo  Pease,  of  Montezuma  Township,  who  kept 
him  till  18G0.  He  then  went  to  live  with  his  .aunt 
Mrs.  Matilda  Bechdoldt,  and  remained  with  her  a 
year.  He  had  to  commence  life  on  his  own  account 
when  yet  a  small  boy,  and  had  to  work  hard  to 
earn  his   own    living.     After  he  left   his   aunt    he 


went  to  live  with  Henry  Hogard.  witii  whom  he  was 
to  stay  till  he  was  twenty-one,  for  his  board,  clotji- 
ing,  a  horse,  saddle  and  luidle.  He  was  with  him 
just  two  weeks  and  then  left  because  his  employer 
did  not  wish  him  to  go  to  town  with  a  certain  boy. 
After  that  he  resided  with  his  uncle,  Samuel  Patter- 
son of  Pearl  Township,  who  was  shot  by  an  un- 
known person  and  killed  in  the  fall  of  18G4.  He 
was  a  respectable  man  of  good  standing  in  his  com- 
munitj'. 

Mr.  Patterson'remaincd  in  his  last  jjlace  till  he 
was  thirteen  years  old  and  attended  school  during 
the  winter,  when  be  had  to  pay  for  his  own  books 
and  he  did  work  in  the  mornings  and  evenings.  At 
the  age  mentioned  he  entered  the  employ  of  John 
Battershell.  Sr.,  of  Montezuma  Township,  with 
wliom  he  remained  one  year,  receiving  as  payment 
for  his  services  SI  0  a  month,  his  board  and  washing. 
He  changed  his  guard i.in  then  and  selected  John 
H.  Battershell,  who  married  his  sister.  He  next  was 
employed  by  John  Flutz,  who  paid  him  *13  a 
month  and  gave  him  an  extra  dollar  during  har- 
vest. The  next  season  he  was  employed  by  John 
H.  Battershell  and  worked  for  him  two  seasons  at 
817  per  montii.  The  following  season  he  was  with 
Henr3-  Sowers,  who  gave  him  818  per  niontli  and 
harvest  wages  and  had  his  washing  and  mending 
done.  At  seventeen  years  of  age  Mr.  Patterson 
put  in  a  wheat  crop  for  himself,  and  made  some 
moue3'  from  that.  At  the  ,age  of  eighteen  he  went 
to  work  for  Philip  Bechdoldt  for  $20  a  mouth  and 
washing.  He  had  used  mules  heretofore,  and  he 
then  bought  his  first  horse  for  890,  which  he  traded 
for  another  and  got  875  besides.  He  then  made 
another  trade  and  got  a  halter  worth  82.50  to  boot, 
and  afterward  sold  the  horse  for  8125.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  was  emplo3ed  by  George  Hoover  of 
this  township  at  81 8a  month  and  had  board  for  him- 
self and  horse  for  one  season,  and  during  the  entire 
five  months  did  n't  lose  one  day. 

IMr.  Patterson  was  ambitious  to  advance  his  edu- 
cation, as  he  was  fond  of  books,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  entered  Westfleld  College,  in  Clark 
Count v,  this  State,  in  the  month  of  September, 
paying  his  tuition  for  one  year.  He  returned  home 
the  January  following  to  settle  his  father's  estate 
and  bought  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs,  and  still 


530 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


had  $125  with  which  to  begin  life.  The  home  farm 
contaiiied  one  hundred  and  forty-seven  acres,  of 
which  only  twenty  acres  were  improved  and  it  was 
in  a  bad  condition.  Mr.  Patterson  set  to  "vork  with 
characteristic  energy  to  develop  the  farm,  and  when 
he  left  it  at  the  end  of  five  years,  by  persistent  and 
downright  hard  labor  he  had  placed  ninety  acres 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  then  sold  it 
for  $:5.3")0,  an  advance  of  $1,350  on  the  price  he 
paid  fur  it.  After  that  he  investeil  S3, 000  in  his 
present  farm  of  eight3'  acres.  Sixty-five  acres  are 
under  the  plow  and  the  rest  is  in  pasture  and  tim- 
ber. It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  desirable 
farms  in  the  township.  Its  improvements  are  of  a 
good  order  and  he  has  shown  taste  in  their  arrange- 
ment, lie  buys  and  sells  good  native  cattle  and 
has  a  fine  little  herd  of  horses  of  good  grade, 
among  which  are  some  fine  roadsters,  including 
Appaloosa  and  Redfox,  sired  by  Thunderbolt,  by 
Legal  Jim,  a  Kentucky  runner.  Mr.  Patterson  has 
a  fine  vineyard  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-two 
vines  and  has  many  small  fruits,  such  as  gooseber- 
ries, blackberries  and  currants  and  has  a  good 
orchard  of  |ieaches,  apples,  plums  and  cherries;  he 
pays  much  attention  to  tlie  culture  of  fruit  from 
which  he  derives  much  profit. 

To  the  lady  who  presides  over  his  neat  and  tasty 
home  our  subject  was  married  March  18,  187.T. 
Mrs.  Patterson  was  formerly  Helen  Bechdoldt  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Philip  and  Frankie  (Price)  Beeh- 
doldl,  natives  of  Germany  and  Illinois,  respectively, 
now  living  in  Detroit  Township.  Mrs.  Patterson 
is,  like  her  husband,  a  native  of  this  county,  and 
was  born  Marcii  3,  ISyG.  She  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education  and  a  careful  training  in  all 
that  goes  to  make  a  good  housewife.  Of  the  five 
cl'.ildren  born  of  lier  marriage  to  our  subject,  three 
are  now  living:  JNIaud  E.,  aged  twelve  years; 
Claude  E.,  ten  years;  and  William  S.,  Jr.,  two 
years.  Cora  E.  and  an  infant,  twin  of  William  8., 
are  deceased.  The  children  are  receiving  fine  edu- 
cational advantages  and  are  being  well  brought  up 
at  home. 

Our  subject  has  already  met  with  success  in  his 
career  as  a  farmer  because  he  has  worked  steadily 
and  with  a  determination  to  accomplish  as  much  as 
possible,  and  his   labors  have  been  guided  b}'  dis- 


cretion, frugality  and  excellent  judgment.  He 
stands  well  among  the  citizens  of  the  county  of  his 
birth,  as  he  is  a  man  of  upright  habits,  whose  char- 
acter is  without  stain.  He  attends  to  his  duties  as 
a  citizen  and  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order,  belonging  to  the 
Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter  of  Milton  and  also  to  the 
Ascelon  Commandery  Knights  Templar,  No.  49, 
of  Pittsfield.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  members 
of  the  Christian  Church  at  Green  Pond. 


^•i^.^^. 


^OHN    C.    WHEELER,  a  prominent  farmer  ; 
and  stock-raiser  of  Montezuma  Township,  , 
Pike  County,  residing  on  section   10,  is  the 
only  living  representative  of  his  branch  of  . 
a  family  that  has  furnished  many   leading  citizens  | 
in  the  historj'  of  this  country  since  Colonial   days. 
In  the  War  of  the   Revolution    especially   it  was  ' 
ably  represented.     The  greatgrandfather   of   our 
subject,  John  Wlieeler,  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  a 
warm  personal  friend  of  George  Washington,  and 
for  four  years  fought  in  the  Colonial  army  to  free 
his  countr}'  from  British  rule.     His  brother  Joseph 
also  wore  the  blue  and  buff   in  that  struggle,  and 
made  his  name  a  synonym  of  bravery.    Frequently  : 
he  was  asked   by   Gen.    Washington  to    undertake 
some  perilous  enterprise.     It  is  related  that  on  one 
occasion  the  CJeneral  called  upon  him  to  pick  off  a 
British  officer  who  was  spying  the  camp,  and   not- 
withstanding the  attending  danger,  Vithoul   ques-('' 
tion,  Joseph  Wheeler  leveled   his   trusty   rifle  and  i 
fired,  bringing   low  in  the  dust  the  proud  Briton. 
Three  days  later  this  brave  soldier  was  shot  b^-  the 
enemy  and  gave  up  his  life  a  ransom  for  his  coun- 
try's   freedom.     Gen.    Washington,    who   felt   the 
warmest   friendship  for   him,    personally    superin- 
tended tlie  burial. 

Benjamin  Wheeler,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  inVirginiaon  the  4th  of  June,  1772. 
and  with  his  family  in  1790  removed  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  remained  until  1825.  In  that  year  he  be- 
came a  resident  of  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  wliere 
he  engaged  in    fiatboating  until    1832,   which  year 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


531 


witnessed  his  arrival  in  Rush  County,  Ind.  Two 
years  hter,  however,  he  came  to  Pilje  County,  III.. 
I  where  he  spent  hi.s  remaining  days,  his  death  occnr- 
ring  .lulv  26,  1840.  He  wedded  Mary  McCarter, 
.1  native  of  Virginia,  who  ilied  on  tiie  14th  of  Octo- 
hcr.  1840. 

Benjamin  Wheeler,  Jr.,  was  one  of  their  seven 
children,  four  sons  and  tliree  daughters,   and   his 
hinh  occurred  in  Kentucky,  March  28,   1818.     He 
came  to  Illinois  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  and  af- 
ter arriving  at  maturity,  on  the   7th  of  November, 
1844,  lie  married  Almira  Clemens.     We  have  little 
record  of  her  people,   but  know  that  her  grand- 
mother was  Comfort  Clemens,  who  was  born    May 
12.  1753.    The  parents  of  Mrs.  Wheeler  were  Peter 
I  and  Eunice  (Richardson)  Clemens,  the  former  born    ' 
May  2,  1779,  and  the  latter  born  in   North   Caro- 
lina, December  21.  1781.  On  coming  to  this  county 
they  settled  near  Florence  in   1829,   and  removed 
to  Pearl  Township,  where  the  death  of  tiie  husband 
occurred  Januarj'  20,  1846,  while  his  wife  survived 
liim  until  July    17,    1869.     Their   daughter,   Mrs. 
Wlieeler,  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  February  16, 
1811.     After  the  marriage  of  the  parents  of   our 
subject  they  settled  in  Pearl  Township,  where  they 
i  made  their  homo  until  1864,  when  they  removed  to 
1  Montezuma  Township,  upon  a  well  improved  farm 
1  on  section  10.     At  length  they  determined   to  live 
i  a  retired  life  and  on  the  1st  of  March,    1873,  took 
1  U|)  their  residence  in  Milton,  where  the   death   of 
Mr.  Wheeler  occurred  M.ay  12,  1881.    The  mother 
j  then  made  her  home  with  our  subject  until  she  too 
■  was  called  home  on  the  30th  of    Augu.st,   1888,   at 
llie  age   of  seventy-seven  years  and  six  months. 
For  forty  years  they  were  members  of  the  Christian 
Chinch,  and  it  was  their   daily  endeavor  to  mold 
iheii-  lives  in  harmony  willi  their  profession. 

L'nto  that  worthy  and  respected  couple  were 
horn  four  children,  namtl_\':  Eunice  C,  our  subject, 
William  A.  and  Peter  C,  but  our  subject,  John  C. 
Wheeler,  is  the  only  one  now  living.  He  was  born 
in  Pearl  Townsliip,  May  3,  1848,  and  was  educated 
in  the  district  schools  of  the  county.  Under  the 
parental  roof  he  remained  until  his  marriage  which  ' 
■vns  celebrated  Februar3'  27,  1873,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Sarah  S.  Morton,  the  fourth  child 
of  Fr.Tuklin  and   Lucy  A.   (Frame)   Morton.     She 


was  born  in  Montezuma  Township,  July  18,  1853, 
and  w.as  educated  in  the  schools  of  the  village.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wheeler  began  their  domestic  life  upon 
the  farm  on  section  10,  Montezuma  Township  where 
they  have  since  resided,  and  four  children  have 
come  to  bless  the  home  by  their  presence.  They 
lost  their  first-born,  Eraedna,  who  was  born  April 
28,  1875,  and  died  on  the  25th  of  July  of  the  same 
year.  The  living  arc  Cora  Blanche,  born  July  1, 
1876;  Anna  Ray,  September  1,  1878;  and  Benja- 
min M.,  October  2,  1880.  Mr.  Wheeler  is  provid- 
ing tliem  with  good  educational  advantages,  and 
the  daughters  are  also  pursuing  thestudj'  of  music. 
The  farm  of  our  subject  comprises  three  hundred 
acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  cultiva- 
tion. His  barn,  which  was  built  by  his  father  in 
1870,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
best  in  the  township,  and  his  dwelling  is  a  comfort- 
able and  tasty  residence.  In  aildition  to  the  culti- 
vation of  his  land  he  devotes  considerable  attention 
to  stock-raising,  making  a  specialty  of  Short-horn 
cattle.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Road  Commissioner  for  three  years, 
and  has  been  School  Director  for  sixteen  years. 
Socially  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  and  has  filled 
several  offices  in  his  home  lodge.  He  is  especially 
strong  in  his  advocacy  of  temperance  |)rinciples, 
and  his  pleasant,  genial  manner  makes  him  a  favor- 
ite in  social  circles  and  among  his  fellow  towns- 
men. 


c;lJL=j 


'JEFFERSON  ORR,  attorney-at-law,  practic- 
ing his  profession  in  Pitlsfield,  is  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  bar  in  Pike  County, 
He  is  a  native  of  Harrison  Count}',  Ohio, 
and  was  born  in  the  vicinity'  of  Deersville  July  20, 
1842.  His  father.  John  Orr,  was  of  Pennsylvanian 
birth  and  was  born  in  1810,  a  son  of  another  John 
Orr.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  w'as  a  native 
of  Scotland  but  w.as  principally  reared  in  Ireland. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation and  was  engaged  in  his  oiling  in  Ohio, 
whither  he  went  with  his  parents  when  a  small  boy. 
He  was  married  in  that  State  to  Ary  Moore,  daugh- 
ter of    Alexander    Moore,  and   after    marriage   he 


532 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


continued  to  live  in  Ohio  until  1852.  In  that 
year  he  came  with  his  family  to  Pike  County  and 
settled  among  the  pioneers  of  Fairmount  Town- 
ship, where  he  lived  twenty-two  years.  After  that 
he  made  his  home  with  his  son  Frank  in  Mt.  Ster- 
ling and  died  June  3,  1890.  at  a  ripe  old  age.  His 
wife  had  preceded  him  in  death  many  years,  dy- 
ing in  October,  1860.  They  were  the  parents  of 
ten  children,  eight  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of 
tvhora  are  living  but  one — Albert,  who  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  he  having  been  a 
member  of  the  Forty-first  Illinois  Infantry.  The 
others  are  all  residents  of  Illinois,  except  one 
daughter  who  resides  in  Kansas. 

Jefferson  Orr,  of  this  biographical  review,  was 
the  seventh  child  of  the  family.  He  was  a  lad  of 
ten  years  when  his  parents  came  to  this  county.  He 
laid  the  solid  foundation  of  an  education  in  the 
district  schools,  and  after  passing  some  of  his  school 
days  at  Mt.  Sterling,  he  entered  Illinois  College 
at  Jacksonville.  He  subsequently  became  a  stu- 
dent of  Chicago  University,  where  he  prosecuted 
his  studies  vigorously  for  three  years,  the  last  two 
of  which  were  passed  in  the  law  department,  and 
he  was  graduated  with  an  honoraljle  record  for 
scholarship  in  18G4. 

After  leaving  college  our  subject  went  to  Atclii- 
son,  Kan.,  where  he  passed  about  nine  months.  In 
1872  such  was  Mr.  Orr's  standing  as  a  lawyer  that 
lie  was  elected  to  the  important  office  of  Prose- 
cuting Attorney  and  he  discharged  the  duties  of 
that  office  with  characteristic  energy  and  capabil- 
ity during  the  four  years  of  his  terra,  and  in  1876 
so  pleased  were  his  constituents  with  his  course  that 
he  was  re-elected  to  the  olHce  and  was  an  incum- 
bent of  it  eight  years  in  all.  After  his  retirement 
from  the  office  of  State's  Attorney  our  subject 
gave  his  attention  to  the  practice  of  law. 

Mr.  Orr  formed  a  partnershi|)  with  Edward 
Yates  in  1877  and  they  continued  together  until 
1880,  when  our  subject  remained  alone  until  1881. 
In  that  year  he  and  A.  J.  Crawford  formed  a  part- 
nership under  the  firm  name  of  Orr  &  Craw- 
ford. They  practiced  extensively  before  the  State 
and  Federal  Courts  and  enjoy  a  good  practice  at 
present. 

He  of  whom  we  write  and  Miss   Ella   M.  Yates, 


danghter  of  George  and  Maria  (Hinman)  Yates, 
were  united  in  marriage  November  7,  1878.  and 
their  wedded  life  has  been  productive  of  mutual 
hap|)iness  and  felicitj-.  Our  subject  finds  in  bis 
wife  a  congenial  and  devoted  companion,  as  she  is 
a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  culture  and  force  of 
character.  She  is  finely  educated,  having  been 
graduated  from  the  Methodist  College  at  Jackson- 
ville, 111.,  with  high  honors,  and  as  valedictorian 
of  her  class.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orr  are  among  tbe 
leading  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  she  is  one  of  the  Trustees.  Sbe 
is  very  active  in  church  work,  especially  in  the 
missionary  department.  She  is  a  pronounced  Pro- 
hibitionist and  as  a  graceful  speaker  and  writer  is 
very  influential  and  has  done  much  good  temper- 
ance work  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  and  es- 
pecially in  her  own  countj^. 

Our  subject  has  a  good  reputation  both  person- 
ally and  in  his  legal  capacitj'.  He  is  especially 
noted  as  a  criminal  lawyer,  being  regarded  as  one 
of  the  best  practicing  before  the  local  courts. 
He  is  a  fine  conversationalist,  stands  high  socially 
and  is  classed  among  the  moneyed  men  of  tbe 
county,  as  he  has  acquired  considerable  wealth 
from  his  practice. 

The  above  notice  would  not  be  complete  with- 
out a  reference  to  Mary  H.  S.  Yates,  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Yates.  She  was  born  in  Griggsville  Township 
in  Pike  County.  She  is  the  daughter  of  A.  P 
Sharpe,  one  of  the  few  old  settlers  now  living. 
There  is  no  more  popular  lady  in  the  county  than 
Mrs.  Yates.  She  is  the  principal  of  the  Pittsfield 
School  of  Fine  Arts  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  tbe 
most  accomplished  artists  in  Western  Illinois.  Sbe 
combines  with  her  varied  accomplishments  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  domestic  affairs.  Her  home  is 
an  elegant  and  a  congenial  one  in  which  all  who 
come  within  her  domestic  circle  are  made  happy. 


«!^i^.l« 


ARRY  IIIGBEE.    The  subject  of  this  sketch 

was   born   in    Pittsfield,  111.,  December   13, 

1854,   and  is  the    son   of  the    late   Judge 

^)     Chauncy  L.  Higbee   and  Julia  M.  (White) 

Higbee.     He  attended  the  Pittsfield  public  schools 


'"» 


^  > 


•^J2^v^  a/'cru^^^^^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


535 


until  1871  when  he  entered  Yale  College,  being 
graduated  in  1875.  He  afterward  read  law  for  a 
year  in  Pittsfield  and  then  spent  a  year  in  the  Col- 
uinhia  Law  School  in  Mew  York  City.  Tlie  fol- 
lowino;  year  he  passetl  at  the  Union  College  of  Law 
in  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1878, 
having  a  month  before  his  graiUiation  passed  an 
examination  for  admission  to  the  bar  of  the  Slate 
of  Illinois.  He  then  traveled  in  Europe  for  some 
nine  months  in  company  with  the  Hon.  Scott  Wike 
and  upon  his  return  home  at  once  entered  ujjon 
the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  married 
December  18,  1879.  to  Miss  Emma  Hicks,  daughter 
ofCol.  D.  D.  Hicks,  of  Pittsfield,  who  died  July 
12,  1881,  leaving  an  infant  son  who  died  August 
.3d  of  the  same  year. 

Mr.  Iligbee  is  now  associated  with  Mr.  Wike, 
practicing  law  under  the  firm  name  of  Wike  & 
Iligbee.  He  was  elected  State  Senator  from  the 
'I'hirty-sisth  District,  in  November,  1888. 


^^ 


EWIS  FOILES,  M.  D.,  is  a  representative 
3)  physician  and  surgeon  of  Calhoun  County, 
who  has  been  unusually  successful  in  his 
i profession.  He  has  an  attractive  home  on  section 
;G,  Hamburg  Precinct,  where  he  is  busily  engaged 
in  looking  after  a  large  and  lucrative  jiractice. 
I'lic  Doctor  is  a  native  of  Lawrence  County,  Ohio, 
"here  he  was  born  December  20,  1841.  When  he 
«as  thirteen  years  old  he  came  to  Calhoun  County, 
and  here  grew  to  manhood.  His  youth  was  em- 
iployed  in  farming  and  liis  educational  advantages 
were  meagre.  Previous  to  coming  here  he  attended 
ilhe  subscription  and  public  schools  of  Ohio,  and 
Ifurtlier  supplemented  his  early  education  by  read- 
[iiig  what  books  came  in  his  way. 

The  Doctor  is  one  of  the  noble  defenders  of 
><w  country  who  helped  to  save  the  Union  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  In  the  opening  years 
I'f  his  manhood  he  volunteered  bis  services  to 
lid  in  suppressing  the  rebellion  and  his  name  was 
■iirolled  as  a  member  of  Company  I,  Seventieth 
jlllinois  Infantry.  His  regiment  was  station«Kl  at 
t'amp  Butler  and  Alton.  111.,  doing  garrison    duty 


and  guarding  prisoners  for  some  five  months. 
After  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  of  service 
he  re-enlisted  in  the  niontii  of  February,  1864,  in 
Companny  K,  'J'wenty-ninth  Infantry,  which  be- 
came a  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Gulf.  He  was 
present  at  the  capture  of  Fts.  Spanish  and  Blake- 
ley  and  at  the  surrender  of  Mobile,  also  participa- 
ting in  many  skirmishes  wiih  the  enemy  and  showing 
fine  soldierly  qualities  both  in  camp  and  on  the 
battlefield. 

Dr.  Foiles  was  honorably  discharged  from  the 
army  in  the  month  of  November,  1865,  ami  re- 
turned to  Calhoun  County.  In  1869  he  began  the 
stu3y  of  medicine  under  Dr.  G.  A.  Williams,  of 
Hardin,  witii  whom  he  read  a  number  of  years. 
In  1873-74  he  became  a  student  at  Rush  Medi- 
cal College  at  Chicago  for  the  benefit  of  the  fall 
and  winter  courses  of  lectures.  In  187.5-76  he 
took  another  course  of  lectures  there  and  in  the 
winter  entered  the  Missouri  Medical  College  at 
St.  Louis,  from  which  he  was  graduated  finely 
equi|)ped  for  his  profession  March  2,  1876.  In 
the  fall  of  that  year  he  established  himself  in  Ham- 
burg Precinct,  taking  up  his  residence  in  his  pres- 
ent abode. 

The  Doctor  met  with  assured  success  from  the 
start  and  sot)n  won  the  confidence  of  the  people, 
for  they  recognized  in  him  the  elements  of  a  true 
physician,  who  possessed  unusual  ability  and  came 
to  them  well  grounded  in  medical  knowledge.  His 
practice  constantly  increased  and  to-day  his  reputa- 
tion as  a  physician  of  learning  and  skill  is  unsur- 
passed in  this  county.  He  is  not  only  highly 
regarded  as  a  phj-sician  however,  but  stands  high 
in  the  estimation  of  the  entire  community  as  a  man 
and  a  citizen.  His  public  spirit  and  genuine  in- 
terest in  tlie  welfare  of  Hamburg  Precinct  and  of 
the  county  at  large  are  well  known  and  often  mani- 
fested. He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  with  his  wife  stands  high  in  social 
circles.  In  bis  political  views  he  casts  bis  ballot 
with  the  Republican  party. 

The  inarriage  of  Dr.  Foiles  with  Miss  Jlargaret 
V.  Foiles  was  solemnized  September  4,  1864.  Mrs. 
Foiles  was  born  June  24,  1842,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  James  and  Mary  Foiles,  of  Crater  Precinct,  of 
whom  a  sketch  appeals  in  this  Biogu.vpiiic.vl  Album. 


536 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


By  their  marriage  the  Doctor  and  his  wife  have 
had  nine  children,  eiglit  of  whom  are  living: 
Mollie  E.;'Dora  V..  wife  of  George  E.  Likes;  Har- 
riet E.,  wife  of  John  Bunch;  Ada,  Nettie  F.,  Effie 
L.,  Ora,  Bertha  L.  and  Orin  (deceased).  A  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  the  Doctor  will  Ije  found  else- 
where in  this  ALBU>t. 


;«'        I*  ILLIAM  LOVE.     There  is  in  every  human 

1  A/f  ''^^  something  of  interest  that  distinguishes 
'^f^  it  from  the  lives  of  others,  and  especially 
doi'S  mankind  find  pleasure  in  learning  the  incidents 
connected  witli  those  who  have  achieved  success  in 
the  different  lines  to  which  they  have  devoted  their 
attention.  Mr.  Love  may  in-operly  be  termed  a 
St- If  made  man,  having  worked  his  way  to  success 
l)V  means  of  industry  and  natural  abilit}'.  He  is  a 
good  citizen  and  highly  respected  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  Point  Precinct,  Calhoun 
Ci'iinty,  where  he  makes  his  home. 

.Mr.  Love  vvas  born  December  21,  1824,  in  that 
portion  of  Brooke  County,  now  known  as  Hancock 
County ,W.  Va.,  and  there  passed  his  chiklhood  and 
youth.  His  educational  advantages  were  limited 
to  the  pioneer  schools  of  that  day,  and  in  1848  he 
a(^companied  his  parents  in  their  removal  to  Cal- 
houn Count}-,  III.  Tlie  country  was  then  a  wilder- 
ness, sparsely  inhabited  and  giving  little  indication 
of  .its  present  prosperity.  Our  subject  entered 
heai'til)'  into  the  work  of  developing  the  land  and 
in  1851,  b}'  economj*  and  wise  management  was 
enabkd  to  make  his  lirst  purchase  of  land,  buying 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  now  included  in  his 
present  estate.  It  was  then  covered  with  heavy 
timlier,  while  deer  and  wild  turkeys  abounded  on 
every  side. 

In  order  to  build  a  house,  Mr.  Love  split  logs 
and  soon  had  a  small  log  cabin  prepared  for  the 
abode  of  his  family.  He  also  commenced  to  culti- 
v:ite  the  land  and  soon  had  a  pleasant  homestead. 
The  original  house  has  been  replaced  by  a  commodi- 
ous residence,  while  substantial  outbuildings  indi- 
cate the  thrifty  enter|irise  of  the  husbandman. 
The  estate  has  been  graduallj-  enlarged  until  it  now 


includes  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine 
land,  and  not  the  least  among  its  attractions  is  an 
orchard  of  twenty-eight  hundred  trees.  Mr.  Love 
was  first  married  in  1850  to  Miss  Mary  Smith,  who, 
was  born  and  reared  in  Calhoun  County.  Their 
marriage  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  the  following 
children:  Susan  L.  and  Laura  .J. .of  whom  only  Susan 
L.,  now  survives.  After  the  death  of  his  wife  Mr. 
Love  was  again  married  in  1861  to  Mrs.  Palmyra 
AValker,  and  of  their  union  four  children  were  born 
of  whom  three  survive. 

Mr.  Love  was  again  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony    with    Mrs.    A.    M.    Green,    whom    he 
divorced  on  scriptural  grounds.     After  which  he 
married   his   present   wife,    who   bore   the    maiden 
name  of  Amanda  E.  Carroll,  and  who  is  a  most' 
estimable  woman,  highh'  respected    among  all  her' 
acquaintances.     Both  Mr.   Love  and   his   wife  arei 
consistent    members    of    the    Methodist    Episcopal' 
Church,  and  politically  Mr.  Love  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter   of    the    Republican    party    and    uniforraiji 
votes  that  ticket.     He  is  an  intelligent  citizen   and 
a  genial  conversationalist,  who  wins  friends  easily 
and  retains  them  through  fortune  and  adversity' 
He   has  climbed  slowl\-  but  surel}-  the  ladder  ol 
succes.s  and  being  entirely  dependent  upon  hinisell 
for  the  success  he  has  achieved  merits  great  praise. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Joseph  Love,  ! 
native  of  Alleghany  County,  Pa.,  while  his  grand  , 
father,  John  Love,  was  a  native  of  Count}'  Antrim 
Ireland,  being  one  of  three  brothers  who   came  t(. 
America,   the   others   being   Thomas  and   George 
Grandfather    John    Love    settled     in    Alleghan}! 
County,  Pa.     There  he   married    and    passed   tin 
remainder  of  his  life,  engaged  as  a  weaver.  JosepI 
Love   remained  in   his   native   county    during  hi: 
childhood  and  youth,  learning  the  trade  of  a  shoe 
maker  and  employing  his  time  in   this  occupation 
While  still  a  young  man  he  removed  to  Virginia 
working  first  at  his  trade  and  afterward  on  a  farm 

From  Virginia  Joseph  Lore  removed  to  Iowa 
making  the  trip  by  way  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississipp 
Rivers,  and  locating  six  miles  north  of  Davenport 
where  he  rented  land  and  resided  ten  3'ears.  Hi 
then  removed  to  the  northwestern  part  of  Iowa  an(, 
became  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Adair  County.  He, 
bought  a  tract  of  wild  land,  cleared  up  the  ground 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


537 


and  siieceedecl  in  making  a  valuable  farm  out  of 
the  original  wildeiuess.  After  a  residence  there  of 
a  few  years  lie  sold  his  property  and  moved  to 
Calhoun  County,  III.,  where  he  died  in  1869.  His 
wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Susan  Audress  and 
was  a  native  of  Brooke  County,  Ya.,  and  tlie 
daughter  of  William  Andress.  She  died  in  Calhoun 
County  in  1870,  leaving  eight  children.  Nine  had 
been  born  to  herself  and  husband,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 


flU^  ARVEY  WEAVER  owns  four  hundred  acres 
i|    of  Illinois'  farming  land.    His  home  is  situ- 
ated on  section  32,  Hardin  Township,  Pike 

.(^)  County,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he 
l.as  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  and 
to  stock-raising.  The  well-tilled  fields  and  the 
many  improvements  indicate  the  thrift  and  enter- 
prise of  the  owner  who,  as  a  result  of  his  excellent 
busiiiess  ability  combined  with  good  management 
anil  ceaseless  activity,  has  acquired  his  handsome 
possessions.  His  residence  was  erected  in  1880  at 
a  cost  of  .iil,800  and  the  following  year  he  built  a 
tine  barn  valued  at  1,000.  The  stock  which  he 
raises  is  of  the  best  grades  and  he  has  annually 
thirty  head  of  horses  together  with  a  large  number 
of  cattle  and  horses. 

Mr.  Weaver,  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio, 
was  born  January  7,  1838,  but  since  his  first  year 
lie  has  lesided  in  Pike  County,  111.  His  paternal 
grandfather  Asa  Weaver  was  a  ^'ermont  farmer 
who  also  engage<l  in  carpentering.  He  served  in 
ilie  War  ot  1812  and  at  an  early  day  in  the  history 
of  Ohio  emigrated  to  the  Buckeye  State.  His  son 
Harmon,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Kiaiiklin  County,  Ohio,  in  1816.  He  married  Sarah 
Roberts,  a  native  of  the  same  county  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  David  Roberts  who  was  bgrn  in  Vermont 
;ind  was  also  an  early  settler  of  Ohio.  The  year  1839 
witnessed  the  arrival  of  Harmon  Weaver  and  Ins 
family  in  Pike  County.  He  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Maitinsburg  Township,  whence  in  1852  he  re- 
moved to  Pleasant  Hill  Township,  where  his  death 
occurred  thirty  years  later.    His  wife  survived  him 


some  six  years.  They  were  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  in  which  he  filled  the  office  of  Elder, 
and  were  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  the  commu- 
nity. The  cause  of  education  found  in  Mr.  Weaver 
a  warm  friend  and  he  aided  matciially  in  its  ad- 
vancement while  serving  as  School  Director.  He 
was  also  an  ardent  advocate  of  temi)erance  prin- 
ciples and  in  political  faith  was  a  Democrat. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  child  in  a  family  of 
eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 
His  childhood  days  were  spent  among  the  pioneer 
scenes  of  this  county  and  in  a  log  schoolhouse  he 
acquired  the  rudiments  of  an  English  education. 
The  school  was  three  miles  distant  from  his  home 
and  the  path  of  knowledge  was  certainly  not  a 
flowery  one  for  him.  The  occupation  of  farming, 
to  which  he  was  reared,  has  been  his  life  work 
since  he  began  the  battle  with  the  world  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one. 

In  May,  1860,  Mr.  Weaver  was  joined  in  wed- 
lock with  Eliza  J.  Findley,  daughter  of  Lemuel 
and  Mary  (Hobbs)  Findley  of  Indiana,  both  of 
whom  are  now  deceased.  Her  death  occurred  in 
October  of  the  same  year.  The  following  3"ear  he 
responded  to  his  country's  call  for  troops,  enlist- 
ing in  Company  B,  Third  Missouri  Cavalry,  as  a 
private,  but  after  a  }ear's  service  he  was  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  First  Lieutenant.  lie  took  part  in 
many  important  battles,  including  the  engagements 
at  Mt)ore"s  Mill  and  Pilot  Knob,  together  with  many 
skirmishes,  scouting  expeditions  and  raids  against 
the  bushwhackers.  After  three  years'  service,  in 
which  he  was  ever  found  at  the  post  of  duty,  he 
received  his  discharge  in  18G5  and  returned  to  his 
home. 

Shortly  afterward,  on  November  30,  Mr.  Weaver 
was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Cynthia  A.  Burbridge, 
daughter  of  Thomas  B.  and  Mary  (McNary)  Bur- 
biidgo,  who  are  numbered  among  the  early  settlei's 
of  Hardin  Township.  Both  are  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Weaver  was  born  in  1842  and  upon  their 
marriage  they  located  on  the  farm  which  is  yet 
their  liymc.  Their  union  has  been  lilest  with  five 
children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living,  three  sons 
and  a  daughter — Howard  G.,  Benjamin  F.,  Et- 
tic  May  and  John.  They  have  been  provided  with 
gcoil  educaiional  advantages,  such  as  will  fit  them 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


for  the  practical  duties  of  life.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Ciiureh  and  in  the  social 
world  are  held  in  high  regard.  Sir.  Weaver  is  a  Di- 
rector in  School  District  No.  8  and  has  served  as  Su- 
pervisor of  Hardin  Township.  He  is  a  member  of 
llie  Masonic  fraternit}-.  belonging  to  the  lodge  in 
Pleasant  Hill,  and  iu  politics  ho  is  a  Democrat 
with  strong  temperance  sentiments.  He  not  only 
advocates  temperance  principles  but  his  example 
lias  also  taught  the  same  useful  lessons.  Matters 
(if  public  interest  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the 
caminunity  receive  his  heart}'  support  and  cooper- 
alitin  and  he  lias  done  not  a  little  for  the  advance- 
ment of  tlie  best  interests  of  town  and  county.  He 
is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  business  ability  as 
iiis  excellent  success  in  his  various  undertakings 
[ilainly  indicates. 


AMUEL  n.  SMITH,  Sk.  The  citizens  of 
^^^^  Nebo,  Pike  County,  take  just  pride  in 
\JLM  '^'"^  well-appointed  mercantile  establish- 
ment which  is  managed  b\'  Mr.  Smith  and 
his  son-in-law,  and  w.hicli  enjoys  a  large  patronage 
Irom  customers  for  miles  around.  Smith  &  Weiser 
carry  about  $8,000  in  stock  and  are  highl}'  re- 
spected for  honoralile  dealing  with  all.  On  another 
page  of  this  volume  will  Ite  noticed  a  view  of  their 
business  liouse  which  compares  favorably  with  any 
ill  tlie  county.  In  business  and  social  circles  Mr. 
Smith  stands  high,  and  during  his  residence  in  this 
county  has  made  many  warm  and  lasting  friend- 
shiiis. 

Born  July  22.  1834,  in  Orwell,  Oswego  County, 
N.  Y..  our  subject  is  the  son  of  Amasa  and 
Sarah  (Sikes)  Smith,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  New  York  State  and  the  former  a  manufac- 
turer of  lumber.  In  the  year  1837  Amasa  Smith 
started  westward  with  a  w.agon,  and  on  reaching 
the  Ohio  River  took  a  boat,  floated  down  that 
river  and  finally  made  his  w.a}'  up  the  Mississippi 
Uivcr  to  Pike  County,  locating  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Piltsfield.  A  short  time  after  he  re- 
moved from  that  place  and  was  occupied  in  run- 
ning a  sawmill  on   Hig  and  Little  Blue  Creek  until 


about  1842,  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Michi- 
gan. He  subsequently  lived  in  Cook  County,  this 
Slate,  and  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  finally  located  in 
Montgomery  Count}',  111.,  where  he  died.  He  was 
a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Baptist~Church. 

Mr.  Smith  was  twice  married  ;  his  first  wife  bore 
him  four  children — William  E.,  JMercy  Ann  (Mrs. 
Marsh).  Samuel  H.  and  John  Sikes.  lie  lost  his 
first  wife  early  in  life  and  subsequently  married 
Sarah  Bowen,  by  whom  he  had  two  children  who 
reached  years  of  maturity — -Sarah  R.  (Mrs.  Baker) 
and  Julius.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject Samuel  Smith  was  a  farmer  and  of  English 
origin. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  point  in  this  bio- 
graphical review  where  its  worthy  subject  enters 
upon  the  scene.  Samuel  Smith,  Sr..  was  brought 
up  on  a  farm  and  was  given  the  benefit  of  an  ex- 
cellent common-school  education.  When  he  at- 
tained his  majority  the  ambitious  young  man 
started  out  iu  life  for  himself  by  renting  a  farm. 
.So  successful  was  he  in  his  venture  that  only  three 
years  later  at  the  age  of  twenty- four  he  was  able 
to  purchase  his  first  farm  of  fgr^y  acres  in  Mont- 
gomery Count}-  and  also  forty  acres  of  timber. 
He  afterward  added  eighty  acres  mcjre  and  con- 
tinued farming  till  18V8,  when  he  sold  his  farm  at 
a  good  profit.  In  1864  he  entered  upon  his  mer- 
cantile career  on  his  farm  at  East  Fork,  Montgom- 
ery County,  wliere  he  had  a  posl-ottice  established 
called  the  East  Fork  post-olfice. 

In  1878  Mr.  Smith  went  to  Russell  County, 
Kan.,  and  there  established  Homer  post-otlice.  Two 
years  later  he  traded  for  a  store  and  a  stock  of 
goods  in  Shariisbiirg,  Christian  County,  this  Stale, 
which  he  carried  on  till  February,  1874.  In  that 
month  he  came  to  Nebo  where  he  has  since  been 
engaged  iu  the  niercantile  business  with  his  son-in- 
law.  Mr.  Smith  is  considered  an  .addition  to  the 
citizenship  of  Nebo  and  |iolitically  stands  among 
the  Republicans. 

April  8,  18.56,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage  of 
our  subject  to  Mary  J.  Williford,  who  was  born 
October  23,  1839.  in  Montgomery  County,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and  Martha  (Wood)  Willi- 
ford. They  have  here  a  home  that  is  pleasant 
and  cozv,  and  of  their  congenial  wedded  life  eleven 


BU  SI  NESS   BLOCK  OF  5M  ITH  &WEI  SER  .  N  CBO,  I  LL. 


"  •  ■-=<S*S^1S»_'--:*-- 


M  (^. 


RESIDLNCe  or  JOHN   SI  D  WE  LL  ,  5EC.4.  BELLEVl  EW  TP.  CALHOUN   CO.ILL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


541 


fliililri'ii  liave  been  born,  of  whom  Uie  following 
oislit  liave  been  reared:  Ella  JM.,  Mrs.  .T,  C.  lirown, 
was  born  February  2,  1S58;  .Jennie  jNI.,  Mrs.  Otto 
Weiser.  August  4,  18GI;  Henry  E.,  Mareli  8, 
1865;  George  T.,  December  22,  18G7;  Harve}'  S, 
December  22,  lsC9;  Frank  M.,  Februar}-  12,  i87,2; 
Ora  A.,  June  24,  1877,  and  Archie  R.,  Norember 
12,  1880.  All  the  children  were  born  in  Mont- 
gomery Count}-,  111.,  with  the  exception  of  Archie, 
who  is  a  native  of  Christian  County,  this  State. 


(^) 


1  OlIN  SIDWELL  He  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Farm- 
er's Ridge,  Callioun  County,  and  has  been 
largely  instrument-il  in  advancing  the  inter- 
ests of  this  county.  His  birth  oi:eurred  in  liourbon 
County,  Ky..  March  20,  1813,  and  he  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Drusilla  (Morris)  SidwuU,  who  were  also 
natives  of  the  Blue  Grass  State.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  a  number  of  children  of  wliom  only  throe 
are  living  at  the  present  writing:  viz.,  John,  our 
subject;  Polly,  the  widow  of  .John  McConnell,  of 
Bclleview  Precinct,  and  Elisha.  Our  subject  ac- 
comiianied  his  parents  to  Pike  County,  Mo.,  when 
nine  or  ten  years  of  age  and  in  that  county  his 
mother  passed  to  her  final  resting  place.  He  fol- 
lowed shoemaking  as  a  trade  after  attaining  man's 
estate  but  in  a  short  time  turned  his  attention 
to  the  cooper  business  for  a  while  and  then  took 
up  farming  as  his  occupation  for  the  remain- 
der of  ills  life.  He  received  no  educational  training 
so  far  as  schools  are  concerned,  never  having  at- 
tend! d  school  in  his  life,  but  in  after  years  when 
lie  had  taken  up  the  burden  of  life  in  reality  he 
learned  to  read,  write  and  attend  most  success- 
fully to  his  business  affairs  and  has  thus  educated 
himself  in  all  important  matters. 

Mr.  Sidwell  was  married  in  the  State  of  Missouri 
iu  the  year  1841,  the  lady  with  whom  he  united  his 
ilesiiny  being  Miss  Sarah  McConnell.  Their  mar- 
riaop  was  blessed  with  seven  children,  six  of  whom 
are  now  living,  viz:  Nancy,  the  wife  of  William 
Buchanan;  Mary,  the  widow  of  Dr.  Joseph  Harvey; 
Julia,  wife  of  Joseph  Harrison  ;  William  (deceased  ) : 


Rebecca,  wife  of  Frank  Ruyle;  .Samuel,  and  .Maltir. 
wife  of  .Julius  Mottaz,  of  Hardin,  III.  The  second 
wife  of  our  subject  was  prior  to  her  marriage  with 
him  Mrs.  Sarah  McLaughlin,  and  of  this  union  were 
born  four  childi'en,  three  of  whom  survive,  namely : 
Ida,  wife  of  William  Jennings;  Charles  and  Albert; 
Luanna  is  deceased. 

The  lady  with  whom  .Mr.  Siilwell  was  united  in 
marriage  September  21.  KSi-'O,  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Sarah  Hayes  and  was  born  in  Pike  County, 
111..  March  24,  183(),  to  Robert  and  Margaret 
(Stark)  Ha3-es.  Mr.  Hayes  is  deceased,  and  his 
wife  makes  her  home  in  (rreene  County.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hayes  removed  to  Pike  County  about  1830 
from  Missouri  and  were  numbered  among  the  pio- 
neers of  this  part  of  Illinois.  The  father  died  in 
Greene  County,  111.,  in  December,  1888.  To  him 
and  his  estimable  wife  were  born  nine  children,  six 
of  whom  are  now  living  and  named  as  follows: 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  Samuel  Bowman,  of  Greene 
County,  111.,  Matilda,  wife  of  Lawrence  Bowman, 
of  Greene  County,  111.:  Ilulda,  wife  of  Joseph  J. 
Adkins,  of  Calhoun  County;  Sarah,  wife  of  our 
subject;  James,  the  present  Superintendent  of  the 
Poor  Farm  in  Pike  County,  111.,  and  iMattie,  wife 
of  J.  Q.  Adams,  of  Carroll  County,  Mo. 

Our  subject  iu  the  latter  part  of  the  '40s  moved 
to  Calhoun  County  and  for  several  years  after  his 
arrivalrented  land,  later  settling  in  Farmer's  Ridsre 
and  ranking  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  that 
place.  He  settled  in  what  was  scarcely  more  than 
a  wilderness  and  was  forced  to  undergo  all  the 
hardships  and  deprivations  incident  to  pioneer  life. 
However,  his  energy  anil  [lorseverance  have  hi  en 
excellently  rewaided  and  he  is  to-day  the  fortunate 
owner  of  between  twelve  hundred  and  thirteen 
hundred  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land  in  Pike 
and  Calhoun  Counties.  He  merits  great  praise  for 
the  stead fastni'ss  of  purpose  that  has  enribled  him 
to  grapple  with  and  overcome  adverse  circum- 
stances. He  commenced  life  empty-handed,  as  it 
were,  having  only  his  industrious  spirit  and  strict 
integrity  to  assist  him  in  climbing  the  ladder  of 
fortune.  He  is  a  justly  popular  man  and  has  filled 
many  important  local  offices,  having  served  as 
School  Director  and  Deputy  Constable  at  diflfercnt 
times.   '-Uncle  Jack,"  as  he  is  familiarl}-  called  by  his 


542 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


many  friends,  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  a  staunch 
Democrat  and  true  to  lus  party  principles  in  every 
respect.  He  is  al  the  present  writing  surrounded 
by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  liappy  in  the  love  of 
wife,  children  and  friends  is  enjoying  the  autumn 
of  life  as  only  those  can  enjoy  it  who  have  labored 
faithfully  in  the  springtime  of  j'outh. 

Elsewhere  in  this  volume  the  reader  will  notice  a 
view  of  the  finelj'  improved  homestead  of  Mr.  Sid- 
well. 

«,  : sg^J^i^:       :    ■ 

SMITH  THOMAS,  M.D.,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing pliysicians  ami  citizens  of  Pike  County, 
is  located  at  Pleasant  Hill,  where  he  lias 
spent  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life.  He 
votes  himself  thoroughly  to  his  profession,  in  the 
theoretical  department  of  whiuh  lie  is  well  versed 
and  in  its  practical  aiiplication  fekillfiil.  He  owns 
two  luiiulred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  with  a 
brother  has  charge  of  the  operation  of  about  one 
thousand  acres  of  liis  fati.er's  estate.  For  ten3ears 
lie  has  been  interested  with  T.  J.  Shultz  in  buying 
and  shipping  grain  under  the  firm  name  of  Shultz 
&  Thomas.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  lie  has  sulli- 
cient  business  to  occupy  all  Ills  time,  yet  those  who 
know  him  understand  that  he  is  one  of  those  who 
exemplify  the  saying  that  t!ie  busiest  men  are  those 
who  find  the  most  time. 

Dr.  Thomas  was  born  in  Pike  County,  jNIo., 
August '20,  1845,  but  reared  at  Pleasant  Hill,  this 
State,  his  father  having  removed  hither  during  his 
cliildhood.  He  obtained  a  good  English  education 
prior  to  1802,  when  he  went  to  Idaho,  remaining 
there  three  years.  On  his  return  he  s|)ent  nine 
months  as  a  student  in  Watson's  Seminary,  in  Ash- 
ley, Pike  County,  Mo.,  after  which  he  entered  a 
wholesale  grocery  estalilishment  at  Macon  Cit3', 
Mo  'He  continued  his  woik  thereuntil  1870,  when, 
liaving  met  with  an  accident,  he  returned  home 
and  took  up  the  study  of  medicine.  In  March, 
1872,  he  w£.s  graduated  from  the  Medical  College 
of  Ohio,  and  at  once  began  to  practice  in  the  town 
which  is  now  his  home. 

In  1876-77  Dr.  Thomas  attended  St.  Louis 
Medical  College  in   St.  Louis.     He  has  continue'! 


his  practice  in  Pleasant  Hill  since  his  graduation, 
except  a  short  time,  in  1882-83,  which  was  spent 
in  San  Antonio,  Tex.  He  and  his  father  have 
contributed  many  articles  to  medical  journals  and 
have  together  read  and  studied,  believing  that  a 
physician  should  never  cease  to  inform  himself  on 
toiiics  bearing  on  his  profession.  Our  subject  be- 
longs to  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  he  and  his  wife 
are  identified  with  the  Metiiodist  Episcopal  Ciiurcli. 
Mrs.  Thomas  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Molly  S. 
"Wells,  being  a  daughter  of  Perry  and  Lizzie  (Kerr) 
Wells,  of  Pleasant  Hill  Township.  Her  marriage 
rites  were  solemnized  November  24,  1874.  Tlie 
home  of  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife. is 
brightened  by  the  presence  of  five  children — 
I.  Grade,  Blanche  D.,  Lizzie  W.,  Jessie  S.  and 
Leslie.  Dr.  Thomas  is  an  excellent  representative 
of  the  best  citizenship  and  professional  and  intel- 
lectual culture  of  the  county,  and  is  highly  hon- 
ored for  his  manly.  Christian  character  by  those 
among  whom  his  walk  in  life  is  cast. 

In  the  paternal  line  Dr.  Thomas  traces  his  an- 
cestry to  Wales,  his  great-grandfather  liaving  emi- 
grated from  that  country  to  Virginia.  He  was  a 
blacksmith  and  to  tli.at  trade  bred  his  son,  Corne- 
lius, who  also  followed  farming.  Cornelius  Thomas 
married  P^lizabeth  Slaughter,  who  died  in  Lincoln 
County,  Mo.,  about  1850,  his  death  taking  place  in 
Pike  County,  III.,  in  1862.  Their  home  had  been 
in  Virginia  until  about  1830,  when  they  located  in 
Missouri.  After  living  there  about  thirty  ycais 
Mr.  Thomas  came  to  this  State  and  made  his  home 
with  his  son.  Dr.  John  A.  Thomas,  until  calleil 
hence. 

The  birth  of  Dr.  John  A.  Thomas  occurred  in 
Patrick  County,  Va.,  April  8,1818.  He  attended 
tlie  subscriiition  schools  during  the  winter,  and 
spent  the  other  seasons  in  work  on  his  father's 
farm.  In  early  youth  he  began  studying  medicine, 
borrowing  all  the  works  he  could  from  which  to 
glean  knowledge,  as  he  was  not  with  a  regular 
physician.  When  eighteen  years  old  he  began 
teaching,  continuing  his  medical  studies,  fiiiallv 
taking  lectures  from  Dr.  Bartlett,  of  Louisiana, 
JIo.,  and  on  examination  being  granted  a  diiilonia 
by  the  McDowell  Medical  College,  of  St.  Louis. 
He   also   received   a   certificate   from   the  Illinois 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


543 


Hoanl  of  Health.  He  located  at  Pleasant  Hill  in 
the  fall  of  1840,  and  practiced  his  profession  siic- 
cessfiill}-  until  within  a  few  days  of  his  death.  He 
possessed  one  of  the  finest  medical  libraries  in  Pike 
County,  and  made  excellent  use  of  it,  so  that  for 
several  years  he  lectured  on  the  physiology  of  the 
brain,  moral  philosophy,  etc. 

Dr.  John  A.  Thomas  was  a  faithful,  intelligent 
and  highly  successful  [uactitioner.  and  a  grand 
specimen  of  physical  and  mental  manhood.  His 
heart  was  ever  open  to  the  needs  of  hum.anity.  and 
no  physician  in  the  county  did  more  riding  and 
gratuitous  practice  tlian  he.  He  was  f\n  ardent  and 
zealous  advocate  of  tlie  temperance  cause,  a  strong- 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Republicanparty, 
and  a  devout  Christian,  particularly  intereste<l  in 
the  work  of  the  !Sunday  schools.  He  w.as  one  of 
those  who  stood  firmly  on  the  side  of  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  right,  even  though  he  stood  alone. 
During  the  late  war  he  lost  many  patrons,  as  the 
people  of  the  vicinity  tvere  almost  unanimously 
opposed  to  his  views  on  politics  and  temperance. 
The  gooil  seed  he  sowed  has  not  been  lost,  how- 
ever, as  the  recent  votes  cast  in  this  vicinity  indi- 
cate. Several  who  have  heretofore  voted  for 
whisky,  before  depositing  their  last  ballot  said, 
"Dr.  Thomas  has  been  a  father  to  me;  if  he  were 
living  I  know  how  he  would  ask  me  to  vote,  and 
now  that  he  is  dead  I  cannot  vote  against  his  wish." 

Dr.  Thomas  took  a  leading  part  in  public  affairs 
and  in  his  death  the  entire  community  lost  a  sin- 
cere friend,  a  wise  counselor  and  one  whose  ex- 
ample and  precept  were  ever  for  the  right.  In 
1X79  he  was  President  of  the  Pike  County  Sunda3'- 
school  Convention.  He  had  been  a  Deacon  in  the 
Baptist  Church  thirty  years  and  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school  from  the  time  he  began  practice 
in  Pleasant  Hill,  except  a  few  brief  periods  when 
his  professional  duties  prevented.  He  was  an  ex- 
cellent Bible  scholar,  and  being  a  pleasing,  fluent 
speaker,  did  much  to  make  the  Sunday-school  work 
and  the  teachers'  meetings  interesting.  He  breathed 
his  last  February  2.5,  1888,  his  death  resulting  from 
pneumonia. 

Dr.  .John  Thomas  had  been  twice  married.  His 
first  wife,  Sarah  E.  r4riflith,  was  a  daughter  of  Joel 
and  Elizabeth  (Smitli)  Griffith,   her   parents  being 


natives  of  Kentucky  and  early  settlers  in  I'ike 
County,  :Mo.  Mr.  Griffith  was  a  farmer  and  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church. 
Mrs.  Thomas  became  the  mother  of  six  children,  uf 
whom  those  reared  to  maturity  are:  Cornelius  J., 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Schultz,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Moore  and  Dr. 
J.  Smith.  The  second  wife  of  Dr.  John  Thomas 
was  Sophia  Blair,  whose  father.  William  Blair,  was 
a  noted  citizen  of  this  county.  Mr.  Blair  died 
while  in  the  State  Legislature.  Mrs.  Sophia 
Thomas  is  still  living.  She  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  like  her  deceased  hus- 
band, has  for  many  years  borne  an  active  part  in 
Sund.ay-school  and  church  work.  She  is'  the 
mother  of  four  children,  those  now  living  being 
William  S.,  Albert  J.  and  Clarence  C. 


-S-i-f^^^^^H-^ 


(*  MLLIAM  DUNHAM  is  one  of  the  success- 
\^j/l  fill  and  progressive  farmers  of  Pike 
W^  County,  his  home  being  on  section  7, 
Griggsville  Township.  The  farm  upon  which  he 
resides  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and 
he  also  owns  one  hundred  acres  adjoiuing  in  New 
Salem  Township.  Both  tracts  are  under  good  cul- 
tivation, and  the  home  is  supplied  with  many  of 
the  conveniences  which  make  modern  farm  life 
pleasant.  Mv.  Dunham  became  the  occupant  of  this 
land  in  the  fall  of  1855,  at  which  time  he  first  be- 
gan farming  on  his  own  account,  and  he  has  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  make  of  the  place  a  gooil 
home  and  the  seat  of  remunerative  labors. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  son  of  Lewis  and  Sarah 
(Nelson)  Dunh.".m,  both  of  whom  were  liorn  in 
Maryland,  but  became  residents  of  Harrison 
County-,  Ohio,  some  time  before  their  marriage.  A 
fuller  account  of  their  lives  will  be  found  in  the 
biography  of  Nathan  Dunham  elsewhere  in  this 
volume.  After  the  family  came  to  this  State  they 
worked  hard  to  improve  a  farm  in  New  Salem 
Township,  where  the  father  died  at  the  age  of 
sixt3'-four  years.  The  mother  survived  him  a  num- 
ber of  years,  dying  in  M.aj-sville  when  about  four- 
score 3'ears  of  age.  Their  family  consisted  of 
nineteen  children. 


544 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


"William  Dunham  Inckeil  eight  dnys  of  being  of 
a<;e  when  in  1850,  in  corapanj'  wilh  E.  May,  be  set 
out  across  the  plains  for  the  Pacific  Slope.  He  had 
been  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  April  17, 
1829.  The  dangerous  and  tedious  journey  was 
finall}'  accomplished  and  the  j'oung  man  engaged 
in  mining  on  the  south  fork  of  the  American 
River.  After  mining  for  sometime  he  became  in- 
terested in  buying  and  selling  stock,  remaining  in 
the  West  until  November,  1853.  He  then  took 
prssage  on  the  "Winfield  Seolt"  from  the  Golden 
Gate  to  the  Isthmus.  Thence  he  sailed  for  New 
York,  finally  reaching  that  city  after  having  lain 
on  the  island  of  Anacapa  eight  days,  the  vessel 
having  been  wrecked  by  coming  in  contact  with 
breakers  and  shoals.  The  passengers  and  crew  were 
taken  from  the  island  by  another  vessel  and  con- 
veyed to  the  metropolis,  whence  our  subject  con- 
tinned  his  journe}'  to  his  home. 

Since  that  time  Mr.  Dunham  has  devoted  the 
most  of  his  time  to  general  farming,  although  he 
has  done  some  work  as  a  cooper,  having  learned  the 
trade  under  his  father  while  yet  at  home.  Mr. 
Dunham  possesses  a  wide  fund  of  information  on 
general  subjects,  and  a  volume  might  be  filled  b^'  " 
his  experiences,  whose  relation  by  him  is  of  great 
interest.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles 
advocated  by  the  Democratic  party  and  never  fails 
to  suiiport  them  with  his  ballot.  He  and  his  wife 
belong  to  the  United  Brethren  Church  and  have 
good  standing  in  the  society  and  Ihioughout  the 
community-. 

The  first  wife  of  our  subject  was  Nancy  J. 
Carnes,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  was  reared  in  this 
State  and  married  in  the  township  in  which  Mr. 
Dunham  now  lives.  She  was  a  most  estimable 
woman,  a  consistent  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church  and  a  capable  housewife.  She  died  when 
but  thirty-seven  years  old.  She  was  the  mother  of 
eleven  children,  those  now  surviving  being  Thomas 
J..  Lizzie,  Julia,  Harvey,  Nathaniel  and  .Tason.  The 
first  three  named  are  married. 

The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemn- 
ized in  Schuyler  County,  his  bride  being  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Irving,  j?ec  Adams.  This  lady  was  born 
in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  but  reared  in  Pike 
County,  III.     Her  first  marriage  was   blest   by   the 


birth  of  four  childien,  two  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing. She  bore  our  subject  one  son,  Frank,  who  is 
still  at  home.  She  was  a  good  motherly  woman, 
whose  death  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years  was 
deeply  regretted  by  many  friends.  She  had  lonw 
held   membership  in  the  L^nited  Brethren  Church. 

In  New  Salem  Township  the  marriage  rites  were 
solemnized  between  Mr.  Dunham  and  Mrs.  Phebe 
Ham,  nee  Hatch.  This  lady  was  born  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  May  25,  1836,  her  parents  being 
Edward  and  Elizabeth(  Wing)  Hatch,  natives  of  Ver- 
mont and  Connecticut  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hatch  were  married  in  the  Empire  State,  removed 
thence  to  Ohio  and  in  the  fall  of  1836  came  to  this 
State.  Mr.  Hatch  secured  land  in  Newburg  Township, 
Pike  Count}-,  upon  which  he  made  improvements, 
but  died  five  years  and  six  months  after  his  arrival 
at  the  age  of  forty-one  years.  He  was  a  trustworthy, 
industrious  man,  a  consistent  Christian,  holding 
membership  in  the  Baptist  Church.  Mrs.  Hatch 
survived  her  husband  some  twenty-five  years,  pass- 
ing aw.ay  in  1880  at  a  ripe  old  age.  She  also  was  a 
Baptist. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  but  six  years  old 
when  her  father  died  and  she  grew  to  womanhood 
under  her  mother's  care.  She  first  married  John 
Ham,  a  farmer  who  died  in  Adams  Count}-  when  in 
the  prime  of  life.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky  but 
came  to  this  State  when  quite  3-oung.  He  left  three 
children,  one  of  whom  is  now  deceased,  the  sur- 
vivors being  Lizzie  and  Lillie,  both  of  whom  are 
married. 


■'v^^i— 


GEORGE  W.  LONG,  one  of  the  extensive 
landowners  of  Calhoun  County,  residing 
\^J4!  on  section  14,  Belleview  Precinct,  has  long 
been  known  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  the  community.  Almost  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed  here.  He  was  born  in 
Franklin  Count}-,  Ohio,  on  the  24th  of  May.  184G, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Leah  (Shultz)  Long. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  of  Irish  and 
Welsh  parentage,  l)Ut  his  mother,  a  native  of  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  is  of  German  descent.  In  the 
spring  of  1856,  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  ten 


CO 

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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


547 


sumiBcrs,  the  family  left  their  Ohio  home  and  cmi- 
orated  to  t'alhoun  Count3',  111.  The  father  pur- 
chased land  in  Belleview  Precinet,  the  farm  ndw 
known  as  the  "old  Shaw  farm,"  and  resided  thereon, 
devoting  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  until  iiis 
death.  In  early  life  he  was  a  supporter  of  Whig 
principles  but  joined  the  Republican  party  on  its 
org.ini/.ation.  He  served  as  the  first  Treasurer  of 
Township  8,  range  4,  and  was  in  sympathy  with 
ever}'  movement  or  enterprise  calculated  to  advance 
tiie  best  interests  of  the  coram  unit}'. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  still  survives, 
resides  on  the  old  home  farm  with  her  son  Henry, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  village  of 
Belleview.  Of  their  family  the  following  children 
still  survive:  Lemuel,  a  lesident  of  this  county; 
Scott,  who  is  living  in  Pike  County;  Henr}-,  who 
makes  his  home  in  this  county;  Flora,  wife  of 
Lindsej'  Mclntire,  of  Hill  County,  Tex.;  and 
George  W.,  of  this  sketch.  One  son,  Charles,  was 
a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  belonging  to  the  Ninety- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantrj'  and  was  killed  at  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  May  22,  1863. 

Our  subject  was  reared  to  manhood  in  this  county 
amid  the  wild  scenes  of  pioneer  life  and  has  l)een 
Hn  eye-witness  of  its  continued  growth  and  devel- 
opment up  to  the  present  date.  His  early  education 
acquired  in  the  common  schools  of  the  neiglibor- 
hood  was  supplemented  by  a  partial  course  in 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville.  His  studious 
habits  did  not  forsake  him  on  leaving  school,  for 
throughout  his  entire  life  he  has  been  a  great  reader 
and  is  now  well  informed  on  ail  the  leading  issues 
of  the  day,  both  political  and  otherwise.  Since 
.•ittaining  to  the  j'ears  of  manhood  his  life-work 
has  been  farming  and  stock-raising  and  so  success- 
fully has  he  conducted  his  business  interests  that 
he  is  now  the  owner  of  five  hundred  and  sixty- 
seven  acres  of  good  land,  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  under  cultivation.  It  is  also  provided  with  good 
huildings  and  all  the  improvements  necessary  to  a 
model  farm.  He  raises  good  grades  of  stock  which 
he  is  constantly  improving  and  this  branch  of  his 
business  is  not  an  unimportant  one. 

On  the  17th  of  October,  1868.  Mr.  Long  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mercena  E.  Jennings, 
a  native  of  Pike  County,  111.,  and    a   daughter  of 


Thomas  S.  and  Mary  (Galloway)  Jennings,  who 
were  early  settlers  of  Pike  County.  Both  parents 
are  now  deceased.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  have 
been  born  nine  children,  but  only  four  of  the  num- 
ber are  now  living,  two  sons  and  two  daughters: 
George  II.,  F^mraa  A.,  Jessie  and  Grover  C. 

In  political  sentiment  Mr.  Long  is  a  Democrat 
and  on  that  ticket  was  elected  to  the  ofHce  of 
County  Commissioner  in  1872,  since  which  time 
at  different  intervals  he  has  twice  served  in  tlu^ 
same  position.  The  duties  of  his  oflfice  were  ably 
and  faithfully  discharged  and  won  him  the  confi- 
dence of  the  community.  He  is  a  lover  of  music 
and  a  member  of  the  Belleview  Cornel  Band,  of 
which  his  son,  George  H.,  a  talented  musician,  is 
the  leader.  Mr.  Long  is  recognized  among  the 
prominent  and  successful  agriculturists  of  Calhoun 
County  and  is  well  known  for  his  hospitality  and 
has  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

The  home  over  which  Mrs.  Long  presides  with 
gracious  hospitality  is  a  very  pleasant  one,  whose 
interior  arrangements  prove  the  excellent  taste  of 
the  capable  wife  and  mother.  A  view  of  their 
residence,  with  the  surroundings  which  add  greatly 
to  the  value  of  the  estate,  will  be  found  on  another 
page  of  this  volume. 


tT"*"^ 


^- 


— ^ 


(^^HOMAS  CLARKSON  was  for  many  years 
l/'/^^,  actively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-rais- 
"V;^  ing  ill  Pittsfleld  Township,  Pike  County, 
and  in  due  time  placed  himself  among  the  substan- 
tial agriculturists  of  the  county.  He  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  valuable  well-improved  farm,  from 
whose  rental  he  derives  an  excellent  income,  and 
he  is  now  living  in  retirement  in  the  city  of  Pitts- 
field.  He  was  born  in  York,  England,  May  28, 
1818,  and  is  a  son  of  William  Clarkson,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  that  place,  and  was  a  model  farmer. 
He  was  a  son  of  Abraham  Clarkson,  who  was  born 
in  Scotland  and  was  a  shepherd  in  his  native  coun- 
try prior  to  his  settlement  in  England,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  Ann  Flint,  and  she  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  York  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  Flint, 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


who  was  a  wealthy  stock  farmer.  William  ami 
Ann  Clarkscn  were  the  parents  of  twelve  chiklren, 
nine  sons  ami  three  daughters,  of  whom  only  three 
survive. 

Thomas  Clarkson,  of  whom  we  write,  was  next 
to  the  youngest  of  the  family.  He  spent  iiis  eaily 
boyhood  and  school  days  in  his  native  place,  and 
when  very  young  was  set  to  work  on  his  father's 
farm.  At  the  earl}'  age  of  ten  years  he  began  life 
for  himself  by  working  out  and  staid  at  one  place 
more  than  eight  years.  He  served  in  another 
situation  on  a  farm  four  years.  He  then  entered 
upon  a  mercantile  career  and  was  with  one  firm 
some  four  3'cars.  In  the  fall  of  1852  he  took  an 
important  step  in  life  by  his  emigration  to  the 
United  States.  He  landed  in  New  York  Citj-,  and 
made  his  way  directly  to  Pittsfield  Township,  where 
he  engaged  in  work  by  the  month,  at  the  rate  of 
$7  per  month,  for  two  years.  Our  suljject  carefully 
saved  up  his  money,  and  was  enabled  to  become 
more  independent  by  farming  as  a  renter  on  Ins 
brother's  land  for  some  six  jears.  At  the  end  of 
tliat  time  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  and  in  part  payment  for  that  liad  to 
hire  money  at  the  rate  of  twenty  |)er  cent,  interest, 
which  he  paid  off  in  tvvo  years.  He  added  to  his 
original  purchase  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  as  rich  and 
fertile  farming  land  as  may  be  found  in  all  the 
county.  He  dealt  extensivel}'  in  hogs  and  cattle, 
raised  much  wheat  and  in  the  course  of  time  accu- 
mulated a  valuable  property,  and  is  now  enabled 
to  live  on  his  income  free  from  the  cares  and  bur- 
dens tliat  beset  his  earlier  life.  He  retired  from 
active  business  in  1883  to  his  present  residence  in 
the  (Mty  of  Pittsfield.  lie  was  reared  in  the  Church 
of  England  and  still  clings  to  that  faith.  In  poli- 
tics, he  was  formerly  an  old-line  Whig,  and  is  now 
a  faithful  follower  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is 
in  every  respect  a  most  worth}'  man,  who  has 
been  loyal  to  the  citizenship  of  his  adopted  coun- 
try, and  is  held  in  great  esteem  by  all  who  know 
him. 

Mr.  Clarkson  was  married  November  12, 1844,  to 
Miss  Fannie  Raper,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  I<]ngland, 
where  she  was  born  in  1815.  Her  parents  were 
Thomas  and  Jane  (Richardson)  Raper.     Her  pleas- 


ant wedded  life  with  our  subject  has  been  blessed 
to  them  b}'  the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  one 
is  living,  Thomas  R.  William  F.,  one  of  the  de- 
ceased sons  of  Mr.  Clarkson,  left  two  daughters, 
named  Fannie  E.  and  Frances. 

"^'OIIN  SUHLING  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
and   stock-raising  on  section    25.  Belleview 
Precinct,    Calhoun    County,     is    numbered  ' 
among  the  enterprising  and  progressive  citi-  ' 
zens  of  the  comaninity.    Although  he  has  made  bis 
home  in  the  county  but  a  comparative!}'  short  time  ; 
he  has  made  its  interests  his  interests  and  has  done 
all  in  his  power  for  its  promotion  and  advancement. 
When  called  upon  to  aid  any  worthy  movement  or  1 
enterprise  he  cheerfull}'  responds  and  therefore  de-  ' 
serves  to  be  called  one  of  the   leading  citizens  of  , 
the  count}'.  1 

Mr.  Suhling   is  a  native   of  Hanover,  Germany, 
his  birth  having  occurred  on  the  8th  of  April,  1855. 
He  is  the  second    in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of 
four  children  whose  parents  are  John  and  Gesiena 
(Fri'k)  Suhling,  also  natives  of  Germany.     Prior  , 
to  the  late  war  his   father   crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America  and  located  in  New  York  City,  where  for 
seven   years  he  was  employed  as  night  watchman  ! 
in  a  sugar  factory.  •  He  then  returned  to  his  native 
land  where  he  spent  his  last  days.     John  remained 
in  Germany  until  sixteeu  years  of  age  and  prior  to 
that  time  acquired  a  good  education  in  his  mother 
tongue.      Believing    the    advantages  of    the  New 
World  superior   to  those  of  the  old  countries  be  ■ 
resolved  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  United  States  and 
in  1871   boarding  a  vessel  at  Bremen,  he  landed  at 
New  Y'ork  City  on  the  16th  of  September,  having 
spent  fourteen  days  upon  the  water.     Since  his  ar-, 
rival  he  has  mastered  the  English  language,  learned^ 
to    read,   write   and    transact    his    business  in  our 
tongue  and  is  now  a  well-informed  man  on  all  mat- 
ters of  general  interest.     He  entered  upon  his  busi-ij 
ness  career  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  for  a  year  hej 
was  employed  in  a  candy  factor}'.     He  then  spent,! 
one  year  as  clerk  in  a  retail  grocery  store  of  New - 
York  City,  after  which  he  started  westward  coming 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


549 


i  to  Calhoun  County.  111.,  in  1873,  where  for  several 
years  he  workeil  as  a  farm  hand,  generallj-  receiving 

t  as  a  compensation  for  his  services  alwut  -Slo  |)er 
month  and  his  board. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Suhling 
occurred  on  the  2d  of  June,  1881.  when  he  led  to 
the  marriage  altar  .Miss  Hannah  F.  (Juelle.a  native 
of  this  county,  and  a  daughter  of  John  J',  and 
Wilhelraina   Quelle.      Her    parents    were    born    in 

I  Germany  and  became  citizens  of  this  county  during 
the  early  days  of  its  history.  Her  father  is  now 
deceased.  Four  chddren  came  to  gladden  the 
liome  of  Ml.  and  .Mrs.  Suhling  with  their  presence 
hut  only  two  are  now  living,  William  F.  and  John 
r.  In  politics  Mr.  Suhling  supports  the  |)rinciples 
of  the  Republican  party  and  feels  a  deep  interest  in 
its  success.  He  has  succeeded  admirably  with  his 
business  interests  and  though  yet  a  young  man  he 

■  is  now  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm   comprising  one 

I  hundred  and  seventy  acres  the  greater  part  of  which 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  His  home  is 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  county  and   the 

I  other  imiMovenienls  are  such  as  one  would  expect 
to  find  upon  a  model  farm.  The  household  is  the 
abode  of  hospitality  and  our  subject  and  his  worthy 

i  wife  iiave  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintan- 

1  ces  who  hold  them  in  high  esteem. 

I 


RAXCIS  MrCARTXEY  has  been  a  resident 
1^^  of  Pike  County  for  foity  years,  having  lo- 
cated in  Hadley  Township  in  1850  and 
.since  that  time  has  aided  in  the  development  of  its 
agricultural  interests  and  has  improved  for  himself 
a  beautiful  and  valuable  farm  pleasantlj'  located 
:on  section  H). 

I     Our  subject  is  a    native  of    Ross  County,  Ohio, 

where  his  birth  occurred  September  22,  1811.    His 

fathrr,   John    McCaitney,    was   born    in  the  same 

Icounty  and  reared  in  the  same  place  as  our  subject 

Ito  the  life  of  a  farmer.     He  departed  this  life  in 

Khe  month   of   April,  1850,  in   his  old   home.     In 

early  manhood  he   married    Margaret  AVells,   who 

was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  was  reared  in  Ross 

County,  where  she  died   in  1840.        They  were  the 


parents  of  eleven  children,  our  subject  being  the 
third  child  and  the  second  son  of  the  family. 

Francis  McCartnej'  pissed  his  early  life  in  the 
county  of  his  nativity  and  received  bis  schooling 
at  the  district  schools.  He  remained  with  his  fath- 
er, assisting  him  on  the  farm  till  lie  married  and 
established  a  home  of  his  own.  He  was  then  wedded 
to  Eliza  Johnson,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the 
same  count}'  as  himself.  They  continued  to  live 
there  two  years  and  then  moved  t(i  Favette  County, 
in  the  same  State,  (vliere  they  resided  ten  years  be- 
fore they  took  up  their  abode  in  Highland  County-, 
Ohio,  from  whence  they  came  to  Pike  County  in 
1850. 

It  took  njany  years  of  hard  and  unremitting  toil 
to  bring  our  subject's  farm  to  its  present  fine  con- 
dition that  places  it  among  the  best  farms  in  the 
township.  He  and  his  wife  cheerfully  endured 
many  privations  and  made  many  sacrifices  in  the 
in  the  upbuilding  of  their  home.  They  lived  many 
3'ears  in  a  little  hut  before  they  were  in  a  condition 
to  replace  it  bj'  the  present  substantial  residence 
that  adorns  the  homestead.  Mr.  McCartney  set  out 
a  fine  orchard  of  over  one  hundred  apjile  trees  and 
has  an  abundance  of  peach  trees  on  his  place.  His 
land  is  neatly  fenced  and  is  under  good  cultivation 
while  lie  has  a  set  of  good  farm  buildings  on  the 
place. 

In  the  year  1880  death  crossed  the  threshold  of 
the  home  of  our  subject  and  took  from  it  the  home- 
keeper,  the  faithful  and  loving  wife,  who  had 
walked  by  his  side  so  many  years.  Ten  children 
were  born  of  their  wedded  life  of  whom  five  are 
now  living:  Charles,  who  served  in  the  late  war 
and  died  about  a  year  after  his  return  from  the 
South;  Milton,  who  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
array  during  the  war,  and  now  lives  in  Barry 
Township;  Martha,  wife  of  Solomon  Hornback,  of 
Eldara;  Alice,  wife  of  James  Moore,  of  Hadley 
Township;  Clayborne,  who  lives  in  Kiiiderliook 
Township,  and  Angeline,  wife  of  Albert  Winner, 
who  resides  on  the  farm  with  Jlr.  .AlcCartney. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  James  McCartney, 
was  born  in  Ireland  and  was  a  weaver  by  trade. 
He  came  to  this  country  and  was  among  the  early 
pioneers  of  Ross  County,  Ohio.  Our  subject  in- 
herits from  him  in  a  degree  his  political  sentiments, 


550 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArillCAL  ALBUM. 


and  is  first,  last  and  always  a  Democrat.  He  cast 
liis  first  vote  for  President  for  Gen.  Jackson  and 
lias  never  missed  voting  for  the  candidates  of  his 
party  for  that  office  since  that  lime.  He  voted  for 
Cleveland  both  times  that  he  was  the  nominee  of 
his  party  and  will  do  so  again  if  he  has  a  chance. 
lie  has  always  been  a  good  and  loyal'  citizen,  has 
taken  pleasure  in  advancing  the  interests  of  his 
adopted  township  as  far  as  in  hiui  lays  and  as  school 
director  one  year  has  done  what  he  could  for  the 
cause  of  education. 


^^      men  of 


f/ILLIAM  HESS.  Among  the  large  land- 
and  extensive  fanners  and  stock- 
of  Pike  County,  AViUiam  Hess  is  a 
conspicuous  figure,  and  he  likewise  is  familiarly 
connected  with  the  political  affairs  of  the  count}'. 
He  is  one  of  those  shrewd,  enterprisingand  capable 
men  who  acquire  propert}'  where  manj^  would  fail, 
and  who  are  always  found  to  be  manifesting  an 
interest  in  that  which  concerns  the  welfare  of  the 
people  at  large.  He  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of 
eight  hundred  and  eighty-five  acres  of  land  in 
Montezuma  and  Pearl  Townships,  together  with 
sixteen  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Texas,  all  of 
wliich  has  been  acquired  by  his  personal  efforts  and 
financial  ability.  His  beautiful  home  is  on  section 
19,  Montezuma  Township,  and  is  one  of  which  anj- 
man  may  well  be  proud,  including  as  it  doeseverj'- 
thing  necessary  and  convenient  for  the  use  of  the 
family  and  the  proper  conduct  of  the  business  that 
is  carried  on.  The  residence,  which  was  built  in 
1877  at  a  cost  of  15,000  has  an  attractive  exterior, 
while  the  interior  bears  evidence  of  the  good  taste 
and  refinement  of  those  who  have  had  it  in  charge. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  and  followcij  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer  and  millwright.  His  son,  David 
Hess,  was  born  in  the  Keystone  .State  in  1809,  and 
took  his  place  among  the  early  settlers  of  Illinois, 
coming  here  in  1825.  His  first  home  was  made  in 
(Ireene  County,  whence  he  came  to  Pike  County  iii 
1836,  locating  in  Pearl  Township,  where  he  resided 
durina:  the   balance   of   his  life.     In   this  State  he 


married  Ann  Wheeler,  an  estimable  woman  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  in  180-2.  Mr.  Hess  breathed  his 
last  December  22,  1880,  and  Mrs.  Hess  March  11, 
1876.  Their  family  consisted  of  six  children,  of  ' 
whom  but  two  now  survive — our  subject  and  An- 
drew N. 

The  eyes  of  William  Hess  opened  to  the  li^ht  In 
Greene  County,  November    18,    1830,  and  he  re-  ' 
ceived  his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  Pike 
County,    whither    he   was    brought    in    childhood. 
AVhen  eighteen  3-ears  of  age  he  left  the  shelter  ofi 
the  parental  roof  and    made    the    trip   across  the: 
plains   to  California,  consuming  one  hundred  and 
five  days  in  tedious  and  hazardous  travel.     He  bad, 
been   attracted  to  the  coast  b}'    the   discovery  of  j 
gold,  and  like  thousands  of  others  devoted  himself! 
earnestlj'  to  a  search  for  the  precious  metal.     Until', 
November,  1853,  he  was  engaged   in  mining  iii  the' 
Golden  .Stale,  being   fairly  successful  in  his  enter- 
prises.    During    that  time   he   aided    in    bringing; 
California  into  the   Union  as  a  free  State,   voting' 
the  anti-slavery  ticket.  ] 

Mr.  Hess  left  San  Francisco  on   the  15th  of  No- 
vemlier,  1853,  on  a  vessel,  sailed   to    Panama,  and- 
after   traversing  the   Isthmus  crossed  the  Gulf  tc 
New  Orleans,  whence  he  traveled  northward  to  his 
home  via  the  river  route.     Upon    reaching  his  na-! 
live  Stale  he  engaged  in  buying  and   selling  stock' 
and  spent  some  time  as  a  schoolteacher.      Kre  long! 
Mr.  Hess  won  a  companion  and  established  a  home' 
of  his  own  on  section  21,  of  the  township  where  be 
is  now  living.    He  remained  there  a  few  yearsaftei! 
he  had  met  with  the  loss  of  his  wife,  then  estab-- 
lishcd  a  new  home  where  he  is  now  living.     As  h(- 
has  been  prospered  he  has  made  a  wise  investment 
of  the  funds  at  his  command,  and  so  year  by  yeai' 
has  added  to  his  landed  estate  and   surrounded  hi; 
family  with  more  and   more   of   the   comforts  anc 
luxuries  of  life.     He  carries  on   his  large  estate  ii:. 
this  county  and  ships  numbers  of  cattle  and  bogs' 

Mr.  Hess  was  married  October  18,  1855,  to  Mis.'-' 
Jlargaret  C.  Wagner,  whose  father,  Jacob  AVagnen' 
was  a  pioneer  of  Greene  County,  and  later  of  Pikf' 
County,  he  being  both  a  farmer  and  physician' 
Mrs.  Hess  was  born  in  Greene  Count}'  in  1839,  nr 
ceived  a  common-school  education  and  acquirei.' 
other  attainments   which  were   useful  in  her  late' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


551 


[years.  Sbo  passed  away  October  27,  1857,  leaving 
a  son,  Jacob  D.,  who  is  now  living  in  PiltsGeld. 
I[le  is  an  attornpy-at-law.  and  mairied  Clara  A. 
Renteliler,  of  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  by  wliom  he 
li.^s  two  children. 

December  18,  18G"2.  Mr.  Hess  contracted  a  sec- 
ond niatiimonial  alliance,  having  won  for  his  wife 
Miss  Nancy  M.  Siuiili,  whose  father,  Constantine 
Smith,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Pike  County 
jin  an  early  day.  Mrs.  Hess  was  born  here  May  24, 
1842,  receiving  a  good  education  and  excellent 
home  training,  by  which  she  was  fitted  for  the 
duties  which  lay  before  her  as  wife  and  mother. 
;.Sbe  breathed  her  Last  January  3,  1889,  her  dying 
hours  being  cheered  by  a  Christian's  hope.  She 
belonged  to  tlia  Christian  Church,  was  an  earnest 
worker  in  that  body,  and  with  her  husband's  aid 
and  counsel  endeavored  to  instill  right  principles 
into  the  minds  of  tlieir  offspring.  She  was  mother 
lOf  the  following  children — Sarah  Ann,  Luther  C, 
'William  II.,  Eva,  Ada  B.,  Ruth  B.,  Verdie  J.  and 
Leroy.  Sarah  is  now  the  wife  of  William  L.  Coley, 
and  the  mother  of  one  child.  They  live  under  the 
jparental  roof,  her  position  being  that  of  house- 
Ikeeper  in  the  home  from  which  her  mother  was  so 
jrncently  removed.  William  H.  married  Ida  Han- 
wins  and  also  lives  in  Montezuma  Township.  Luther 
C.  expects  to  be  graduated  from  the  Illinois  Col- 
jlege  in  Jacksonville  in  1891.  The  first  born  of 
jour  subject,  Jacob,  has  a  diploma  from  that  institu- 
jtion. 

Mr.  Hess  belongs  to  the  Christian  Church  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  in  Milton.  He 
lias  held  the  position  of  School  Director  for  many 
kears,  and  was  elected  Supervisor  of  Montezuma 
jTownship  in  the  spring  of  1890.  As  has  been 
indicated  he  has  born  an  active  part  in  local  poli- 
llics,  and  his  connection  with  politics  has  extended 
wyond  his  township  and  count}'.  When  he  first 
Ibecame  a  voter  he  was  a  Democrat,  following  the 
fcad  of  Senator  Douglas,  but  some  years  later  he 
jwas  identified  with  the  Greenback  party  and  still 
|inore  recently  has  been  a  Union  Lal)or  man.  He 
iwas  a  delegate  to;the  National  Greenback  Conven- 
tion held  in  Indianapolis,  which  placed  B.  F.  But- 
ler at  the  head  of  the  ticket,  and  was  present  in 
IChicago  when   J.  B.  Weaver,   of  Iowa,  was  nomi- 


nated for  President  of  the  United  States.  In  1887 
he  attended  the  Labor  Conference  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  which  formed  the  Union  Labor  i)arty.  and  in 
1888  be  attended  the  convention  in  tlie  same  city 
which  nominated  A.  J.  Streator  of  Illinois  as  the 
standard-bearer  of  the  party.  He  is  one  of  the 
State  organieers  for  the  Farmers'  Alliance  and 
Industrial  Union,  and  believes  that  the  farmers  are 
being  robbed  by  legalized  monopolies  and  trusts, 
which  first  rob  the  producer  and  then  turn  and 
fleece  the  consumer. 


d 


^W  ETER  HARSHMAN.  In  the  death  of 
I  Jl  gentleman  April  7,  1890.  in  his  hom 
-  f^     Griggsville  Township,  Pike  County  lo 


this 

e  in 

ty  lost  a 


*^  ^     uriggsviue  lownsiup 

I  \  citizen  who  for  many  years  was  one  of  its 
active  enterprising  farmers  and  stock- raisers  and 
was  a  potent  factor  in  its  agricultdral  development. 

Mr.  Ilarshman  was  born  in  Preble  County, 
Ohio,  April  12,  1813,  and  was  a  son  of  Peter  Harsli- 
miin,  Sr.,  who  was  a  native  of  Rockingham,  Va. 
The  parents  of  the  latter  were  also  born  in  the  Old 
Dominion  and  there  spent  the  most  of  their  lives, 
finally  going  to  Ohio  and  dying  in  that  State.  The 
senior  Peter  Ilarshman  was  reared  in  his  native 
county  and  when  nearly  of  age  went  to  Preble 
Count}-,  Ohio,  where  he  began  life  on  a  new  and 
unbroken  piece  of  land  in  the  opening  3-ears  of  the 
present  century.  He  was  there  at  the  time  of  the 
War  of  1812  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  who 
helped  to  guard  the  homes  of  his  neighbors  from 
attack  by  the  Indians  while  others  joined  the  army. 
Sometimes  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  bo 
aw.iy  for  a  few  days,  and  then  bis  good  wife  (for 
he  had  married  after  be  went  to  Ohio)  would  guard 
ber  own  home  and  care  for  their  three  little  chil- 
dren. It  was  on  the  farm  that  he  originally  pur- 
chased when  he  settled  in  Ohio  and  hewed  out  fiom 
the  wilderness  that  Peler  Ilarshman,  Sr.  died  when 
an  old  man  upwards  of  eighty  years.  He  was  a 
good  man  and  was  well  known  and  esteemed 
throughout  Preble  County.  He  possessed  su|)er- 
ior  judgment  but  no  education,  and  made  a  fortune 


55-2 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIUURAPIIICAL  ALBUM. 


anrl  kept  it.  In  politics  lie  was  a.  stalwart  Demo- 
crat. He  was  marrieci  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  to 
Christina  Zellers,  wlio  is  thought  to  liave  been  a 
native  of  Oliio  and  to  have  come  of  the  early  jiio- 
neer  stock  of  that  State.  She  aided  him  in  building 
u\>  tlieir  horae,  working  very  h;ird  to  assist  her 
husband  in  his  work  in  the  wilds  of  Oliio,  uniil  htr 
life  was  prematurely  closed  b}-  her  death  of  typhoid 
fever.  Slie  was  most  likely  an  adherent  of  the 
Lullieran  faith,  as  her  parents  had  been  members 
of  the  church  of  that  denomination,  slie  coming  of 
German  ancestry.  After  her  deatii  Mr.  Harshman 
was  married  to  Miss  Polly  Glines,  of  Preble 
County,  who  is  yet  living  and  is  about  ninet^- 
3'ears  old.     She  has  a  large  family  of  children. 

Our  subject  was  the  third  child  and  second  sou 
born  to  his  mother,  who  left  seven  children  at  the 
time  of  her  death,  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
His  birth  occurred  during  the  War  of  1812  while 
his  father  was  absent  from  home  on  soldier's  duty. 
Peter  Harshman  passed  the  early  years  of  his  life 
in  the  county  of  his  nativitj'  and  after  he  attained 
his  majority  made  a  couple  of  trips  down  the 
Mississippi  River  to  New  Orleans.  He  was  sub- 
sequently married  in  Preble  County  to  Miss  Su- 
sannah Shorer,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that  county 
and  born  June  19,  1817,  to  Daniel  and  (Jatherine 
(Yazel)  Sherer,  natives  of  North  Carolina  and 
Kentucky,  respectively.  The  father  and  mother 
and  the  grandparents  of  each  had  come  to  this 
county  from  Germany  in  an  early  day  prior  to  the 
Revolution. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherer  were  j'oung  people  when 
tlieir  parents  moved  to  Ohio  and  settled  on  the 
banks  of  the  Miami  River.  There  they  grew  to 
manhood  and  womanhood,  were  married  and  began 
life  on  a  farm.  Mr.  Sherer  served  through  the 
War  of  1812  after  his  marriage  and  the  birth  of 
their  first  child.  After  the  war  closed  he  sold  his 
possessions  on  the  Miami  River,  near  the  town  of 
the  same  name  and  moved  on  to  a  new  farm  in 
Preble  County.  Some  jears  later  he  sold  that 
and  lived  on  a  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Sherer's  father. 
He  subsequently  sold  out  and  he  and  his  wife  lived 
with  their  children  in  Edgar  County,  thi.s  State,  dy- 
ing in  the  home  of  their  son,  Daniel  Sherer,  Jr., 
the   father  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 


He    had    been    successful   in    life    and     accnmu. 
lated   quite  a  comfortable   property.     Religiously 
he  was  a  memVier  of  the  Christian  Church  and  po- 1 
litically  was  a  Democrat.     His  wife,  who  survived 
him,  came  to  Pike  County  and  died  at  the  home  of 
her  youngest  son,  Martin  V.  Sherer.  near  Barry,  at 
the  age   of  seventy-nine  years.     She   was  a  true, 
womanl}'   woman   and  a  member   of  the  Christian 
Church.     She  was  the  mother  fif  twelve  children,: 
of  whom    ten  lived   to  maturity   and   married  and 
seven  of  them  are  yet  living  all    past  tliree-score ; 
years  of  age,  the  eldest  being  seventy -seven  years 
old. 

Mrs.  Harshman,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  is  the 
second   daughter  and   fourth  child  of  her   parents. 
She  was  reared  to  womanhood  in  her  native  county  i 
and  was  carefully  trained  in  the  duties  of  the  house-' 
hold.     She  is  a  woman  of  bright  mind  and  her  en-j 
ergy  and   capabilit3'  did   much  in  bringing  about' 
the  prosperity  of  her  husband.     She  is  well  known 
to  the  people  of  Griggsville  who   hold  her  in  high 
regard.     In  her  the  Christian  Church  finds  a  mem- 
ber who  lives  up  to  its  principles. 

The   marriage  of  our    subject  and   his  amiable 
wife  was  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  six  are  now   deceased,   two  dyinj; 
after  attaining  womanhood:  Sarah  C,  at  the  age 
of  twtnty-two  years,  and  Rachacl  A.,  who  married 
James  Hill,  and  died  leaving  one  child.    The  livina] 
children  are  Noah  L.,  who  married  Lydia  A.  Mark-I 
le}',  and   lives  on  a  farm  in    the  norlhweslern  pari 
of  Pittsfield  Townsliip,  this  county;  Perry,  a  farmer 
in  this   township,   who   married  Laura  Iric;  Eli,  fi 
farmer  in  this  county,  who  married  Fannie  Taylor" 
and  Daniel,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead,  wbicl, 
is  under  his   management,  and   who  married  Mar- 
garet Elizabeth  Hedrick.     All   the  sons  are  stand 
supporters   of  the  Democrac}-,  as  was  their  fathci 
before  them. 

Mr.  Harshman  came  to  this  county  and  State  ii 
1852.  He  purch.ased  his  first  land  in  Pittsfieic 
Township,  and  while  here  resided  on  it,  iniprovci 
it  into  a  good  substantial  farm,  on  which  he  dweb 
until  1869,  when  he  came  to  this  township,  wheri 
he  purchased  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  oi 
section  11,  which  he  developed  into  a  finely  ini 
proved   farm,  where  he  made  his  home  until  deatl 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


553 


I  rounded  out  bis  life  at  a  ii|)e  age.  lie  was  a  manly, 
straight  forward  man,  iipriglit  and  conscientious  in 
all  his  dealings  and  lie  held  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  the  entire  community.  He  was  a  consis- 
tent member  of  tlie  Christian  Church  and  in  bis 
daily  walk  showed  himself  to  be  governed  by  high 
principles.     He  was  fortunate  in  the  pursuit  of  his 

!  calling  and  became  one  of  the  solid  men  of  his 
township  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  owned  the 
two  valuable  farms  before  referred  to.  one  in  Pitts- 
field  Township  and  the  other  in  Griggsville  Town- 
ship. 


^RWIX  P.  D(^W,  dealer  in  harness,  sad- 
dlery, whips  and  blankets,  has  a  well-stocked 
IILs^i  and  neatly  fitted  up  establishment  in  Pitts- 
ield  and  holds  an  honorable  place  among  the  best 
business  men  of  Pike  Count\'.  Mr.  Dow  is  of  New 
Kngland  birth  and  descent.  He  was  born  in  South 
Coventry,  Tolland  County,  Conn.,  October  18, 
1848.  His  father,  Cyrus  Dow,  was  a  native  of  that 
State,  was  born  in  l.sdO  and  died  in  1856.  He  was  a 
son  of  .lohn  Dow  who  was  a  descendant  of  an  old 
English  family. 

Cyrus  Dow  was  .a  manufacturer  of  hats  and  car- 
ried on  that  business  exclusively  iu  early  life  and 
i  later   gave   much    attention    to  farming  also.     He 
married  Charity    Chaimnin,  a  native  of  Massachu- 
:  setts,  and  a  daughter  of  Parley  Chapman.   .She  was 
horn  in  181 1  and  is  still  living  at  a  venerable  age, 
;  making  her  home  in  Connecticut.       Five    of    Mr. 
I  Uow's  children  survived  liin),  four  of  whom  are  still 
living,  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  namel}':    Au- 
I  gusta    and     Augustus     (twins);     Carlos    C.    and 
I  Krwin  P. 

I  The  subject  of  this  notice  passed  his  school  days 
I  in  Ellington,  to  which  place  his  mother  had  moved 
I  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He  I'eniained  there  till 
I  he  was  seventeen  years  oUl  and  iu  18GG  drifted  west- 
ward to  Pittsfield.  He  here  entered  the  employ  of 
\  Wells,  Dow  «fe  Graves  and  was  with  them  as  clerk 
1  for  three  years  in  their  general  store.  At  the  ex- 
I  piratlon  of  that  time  he  returned  to  Connecticut 
and  made  a  slay  there  of  three  years.  Coming  back 
!  Iu  PillsHeld  he  associated  himself  with  George  San- 


derson in  the  mercantile  business,  which  they  car 
ried  on  under  the  firm  name  of  E.  P.  Dow  & 
Sanderson.  They  were  together  six  years,  when 
the  business  w.as  closed  out,  the  firm  honorably  [lay- 
ing 100  cents  on  the  dollar  for  all  its  indebt- 
edness. 

Mr.  Dow  then  engaged  in  the  coal  business  which 
he  carried  on  some  three  years.  He  disposed  of 
that  and  subsequently  formed  a  partnership  with  E. 
F.  Binns  under  the  firm  name  of  Binns  &  Dow  and 
embarked  in  the  livery  business.  They  engaged  in 
buying  and  shipping  horses  to  the  Eastern  markets 
till  1890,  when  our  subject  and  his  partner  dissolved 
their  connection  by  mutual  consent  and  our  subject 
t(^ok  as  his  share  the  harness  store  and  shop  which 
the  firm  had  established  in  1889,  while  Mr.  Binns 
retained  the  barn  and  horses.  Mr.  Dow  is  doiu"- 
well  at  his  business  and  has  built  up  a  good  payino- 
trade.  Politically  Mr.  Dow  is  a  Republican.  He 
stands  well  in  this  community  as  a  man  of  unim- 
peachable integrity,  of  good  personal  habits  and  of 
excellent  common  sense.  He  and  his  wife  are  jjeople 
of  true  religious  character  and  arc  esteemed  mem- 
bcr.i  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

Mr.  Dow  and  Miss  Florene  Hicks,  a  native  of 
Pike  County,  entered  upon  their  wedded  life  in  the 
month  of  September,  1874.  Mrs.  Dow  is  a  truly 
estimable  lady  and  is  held  in  consideration  by  all 
who  know  her.  She  is  a  daughter  of  1).  D.  Hicks, 
an  old  settler  and  prominent  banker  of  Pittsfield. 
Her  mother  was  Mary  .lane  (Burbridge)  Hicks  and 
was  a  daughter  of  James  Burbridge.  She  was  a 
native  of  Ohio  and  died  in  the  month  of  March 
1844.  Two  sons  have  come  to  bless  the  union  of 
our  subject  and  his  wife, — Edward  C.  and  William 
H.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dow  have  an  attr.active  home  in 
a  neat  and  tasteful  residence  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  city. 


\f?UDGE  JAMES  F.  McCOV.     The  publishers 
of  this  BioGKAi'Hic.vL  Ai.HU.M  would    fail  in 
their  purpose  of   presenting  to  their  readers 
an  outline  of  the  lives  of   the  notable  men 
of   Pike  and  Calhoun  Counties  were   they  to  omit 


554 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


that  of  Jiulge  McCo}',  of  Martinsburg  Township, 
Pike  County.  This  gentlem.an  is  pcrliaps  better 
iinown  on  tiic  Pacific  Coast  than  in  tlie  Mississippi 
Vailcy,  as  he  i)assed  man}'  years  in  tlie  Nortliwest, 
(lining  wliich  he  lield  positions  of  great  res|)on- 
siliility,  sLicli  as  required  tlie  exercise  of  moral 
and  physical  courage,  keen  judgment  and  marked 
sagacity. 

Our  subject  is  of  Irish  ancestry  in  the  ])ater- 
nal  line,  his  grandfatlier,  Martin  McCoy,  having 
been  born  in  the  Emerald  Isle.  Benjamin  McCo}', 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Kentucky  in 
1801,  and  left  his  native  State  after  his  boyhood 
was  passed,  and  tlie  family  still  later  removed  to 
Missouri  while  it  was  j-et  a  part  of  the  Louisiana 
Territory.  Mr.  McCoj'  settled  in  wiiat  is  now 
Lincoln  County,  being  among  the  first  settlers,  and 
there  prosecuted  a  successful  career  as  a  farmer, 
uiaking  a  specialty  of  raising  horses.  He  died  in 
January,  LS33,  when  but  thirty- two  years  old,  and 
when  our  subject  had  not  yet  passed  his  child- 
hood. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  North 
Carolina  December  28,  1809,  and  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Amilda  ^IcKinney.  She  was  eight  years 
old  when  her  parents  removed  to  what  is  now  St. 
Charles  County,  ftlo.,  where  she  grew  to  maturity, 
being  married  in  Lincoln  County.  After  the  death 
of  Mr.  McCoy  she  contracted  a  second  matrimonial 
alliance.  Her  first  marriage  was  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  three  children,  but  one  of  whom  grew  to 
maturity.  By  her  second  ma.-riage  she  became 
the  mother  of  a  daughter,  Elizabeth  J.  Harlow, 
now  the  wife  of  N.  H.  Zumwalt,  her  home  being  at 
Nebo,  this  State.  The  mother  is  still  living,  ad- 
vanced iu  years.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Mission- 
ary Baptist  Church.  Mr.  McCoy  was  an  old-line 
Whig  in  politics. 

The  gentleman  whose  life  it  is  our  purpose  to 
sketch  was  born  in  Lincoln  Count}',  Mo.,  January 
17,  1829.  He  came  to  this  State  in  1836  and  grew 
to  maturity  here,  attending  tlie  [lioneer  schools 
which  were  carried  on  by  the  subscription  plan,  the 
teachers  "boarding  round."  As  soon  as  he  was 
able  he  took  a  [lart  in  clearing  land,  but  devoted 
all  his  leisure  time  to  stud}'.  The  family  purchased 
one  hundred  and  two  acres,  nujved  into  a  log  cabin 


and  young  and  old  worked  together  to  improve 
the  home.  When  twenty  years  old  young  McCoy 
began  working  for  himself,  and  when  of  age  he 
m.arried  and  took  possession  of  a  log  house  on  a 
forty-acre  tract  of  land  which  he  owned.  He 
farmed  his  little  pro|jerty  and  did  general  work 
outside  during  the  ensuing  two  years,  and  in  tbe 
meantime  gave  every  moment  which  he  could  spare 
to  the  study  of  Blackstone,  having  fully  determined  ' 
to  become  a  lawyer. 

March  8,  1852,  Mr.  McCoy  left  Pike  County  and   ; 
crossed  the  plains  with   an   ox-team    to  Portland, 
Ore.,  which  then  contained   a  population   of  three 
hundred  and  thirty-live.     He  secured  employment 
as   Clerk    in    the    Columbian    Hotel    at   SloO   per  ; 
month  and    board,  and  continued    his  legal  studies  ; 
under  the  tutorship   of   Col.    William   H.    Farrar,  ' 
formerly  a  partner  of  Gen.    Ben  Butlei'.     He  next 
became  clerk  on  the  steamer  "Canemah,"  running  ' 
between  Portland  and  Corvallis  on  the  Willamette 
River,   holding    the  position   eight   months,  after 
wliich  he  started  out  to  explore  the  country,  and 
reaching   the  mines   in  Southern  Oregon  remained 
there  some  time.     In  1854  he  returned  to  Portland  ! 
and  was  appointed  Deputy   Sheriff  and  Jailor  for 
the  county  of  Multnomah   and  Chief  of  Police  for 
the  city  of  Portland. 

At  the  expiration  of  a  two  years'  terra  Mr.  Mc- 
Coy was  re-appointed,  and  he  also  received  the 
appointment  of  Deputy  United  States  Marshal 
under  Col.  John  McCracken,  and  Wiis  virtually 
IMarslial  as  he  discharged  all  the  duties  of  the 
ofHce.  In  the  meantime  he  was  appointed  Coroner 
and  served  as  such  two  years.  May  17.  1858,  he 
was  seriously  wounded  in  an  encounter  with  a 
desperado  named  J.  L.  H.achny,  whom  he  was  ar- 
resting and  whom  he  had  twice  before  placed  in 
'•durance  vile."  The  criminal  had  secreted  him- 
self, and  while  search  was  being  made  by  Sheriff 
McCoy,  shot  the  latter,  the  ball  passing  through 
the  left  side  and  lung,  and  causing  the  loss  of  the 
lung  and  the  use  of  the  left  arm  and  hand. 

The  next  public  office  held  by  Mr.  jMcCoy  was 
that  of  City  Collector  of  Portland,  in  which  he 
served  five  successive  tsrms,  handling  all  the  city 
funds  for  that  period,  hi  the  meantime  he  was 
again    appointed    Deputy    United   States    Marshal 


3,  ^:^>^^^W'i^  ^:^:^^^^^ 


_^ ^  ^  (_— ^  j-^        \ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


557 


iiiuleV  1).  H.  Hannah,  who  resigned  and  left  the 
ottice  in  his  hands.  He  was  elected  and  served  lire 
terras  as  Police  Judge  of  Portland,  and  fur  thirteen 
vears  he  was  Crier  of  the  United  States  District  and 
Circuit  C'onrl  under  Judge  Mathcvr  P.  Dead}". 
Amid  the  duties  which  devolved  upon  liini  as  a 
piihlic  servant,  Mr.  IMcCoy  still  found  time  to 
complete  his  legal  studies  and  i)ass  the  required 
examination  for  admission  to  the  .State  District 
Court.  He  was  then  admitted  to  the  United  States 
District  Court  and  then  to  tlie  Circuit  Courts  of 
the  State  and  United  States. 

In  the  nu'iintime  Judge   McCoy  vvas   appointed 
bv  the  Six  Chinese  Companies  their  general  agent, 
with  full  power  of  attorney  to  act  for  their  subjects 
in   the   United    .States.     He    transacted    legal  and 
commercial    business   for  them,   his  office  being  at 
I'orlland,    and    his   connection,  together  with  his 
personal  fitness,  led   to  his  appointment  as  Chinese 
Consul,  the  first  under  the  Burlingame  Treaty.    In 
order  to  better  inform  himself  regarding  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of    the   Chinese,   Judge   McCoy 
traveled   four  thousand    miles  coastwise  and  eight 
hundred    in   the  interior,  and   in  nine  months  and 
twenty  days  visited    all   the    principal    commercial 
points   and    tieaty   ports.     In    the    meantime    the 
Clilnese  Cabinet   refused    to   confirm   his  appoint- 
ment, alleging  as   their  reason  that    it  would  dele- 
gate too  much  power  to  a   foreigner.     They,  how- 
ever, did  not  revoke  his   power   to  act  as   attorney 
'and  paid  all  his  expenses,  together  with  his  salary, 
until  his  return  to  America.     Judge  McCoy  speaks 
tlie  Chinese  language   readil\-  and    reads   the  same 
by  character,  but  not  by  S3'Stcm. 
I     In   1873  Judge    McCoy    returned   to   Portland, 
!Ore.,  remaining  there  a  sliort  time  only,  and  in  the 
ifall  of  the  same  year  came  b^'  rail  to  his  old  homo 
'in  this  State.     He  remained  here  until  June,  1876, 
Iwhen  he  went  again  to  Oregon,  making  the  journey 
|by  rail  and  singe.     He  again  made   that  place  his 
liome,   sojourning    there    until    September,    1880, 
when  he  again  came   East  and  has  since  remained 
here   with   his  aged  mother,    with  whom    be     ex- 
pects to  stay     during  the   remainder  of   her  life, 
should  his  own  be  spared.     During  the  later  years 
of  his  sojourn  in  the  West  Judge  McCoy  practiced 
lis  profession  a  part  of  the   time,  reported  in   the 


legislature,  corresponded  for  iicws|)apers,  and 
sometimes  delivered  addresses  for  the  Grange.  He 
has  been  a  short-hand  reporter  tw(uity-two  years, 
and  since  186  J  has  been  a  commercial  reporter  for 
II.  G.  Dun  &  Co.,  of  New  York. 

The  wife  of  Judge  McCoy  was  known  in  her 
maidenhood  as  Ella  A.  Crow.  She  vvas  born  in 
Wisconsin  July  2,  1833,  and  on  New  Year's  day, 
1850,  celebrated  her  marriage  rites.  She  is  pos- 
sessed of  an  intelligent  mind,  a  sympathizing  na- 
ture, and  during  her  married  life  has  done  all  that 
was  in  her  i)ower  to  make  tlie  home  cozy  and  at- 
tractive and  draw  around  it  a  fine  circle  of  friends 
and  acriuaintancQS.  Judge  and  Mrs.  McCoy  have 
two  cliildren — David  T.,  born  October  26,  1850, 
and  Minnie  E.,  born  May  2,  1857.  The  latter  is 
the  wife  of  Adolph  J.  Manandas. 

In  politics  Judge  McCoy  is  a  Democrat,  and 
bears  a  (irominent  part  in  the  councils  of  the  party 
in  this  locality.  He  has  served  as  a  raembLir  of  the 
Count}'  Central  Committee  nine  years  and  as  Chair- 
man of  the  Executive  Committee  six  years.  He 
still  keeps  up  his  literary  work  as  a  newspaper  cor- 
respondent and  retains  all  his  interest  in  public 
affairs  and  movements  which  promise  to  benefit 
society.  Judge  McCoy  has  a  complete  diary  of 
his  life  from  1847  to  the  present,  containing  every- 
thing that  transpired  in  all  his  meanderings. 


LAN.SDON.     Probably   no 
resident  in  Nebo,  Pike  Countv,  receives  a 


III  greater  share  of  honor  and  respect  from  his 
ssi^  fellow-men  than  the  gentleman  above  named 
who  is  now  Postmaster  in  that  town,  and  whose 
portrait  is  presented  on  the  opposite  page.  He  has 
become  well  known  in  various  parts  of  the  county 
as  a  teacher,  having  done  much  to  elevate  the  in- 
tellectual status  and  spread  knowledge  both  in 
countiy  and  village  schools.  He  is  self-educated 
and  the  foundation  for  the  knowledge  which  he 
now  possesses  was  obtained  in  the  common  schools 
of  this  county  during  the  years  of  his  early  boy- 
hood. He  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at 
an  earl}-  age  and  deserves  great  credit  for  the  way 


55S 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  which  his  time   has   been   spent  and   the    useful 
labors  which  he  has  performed. 

Our  subject  is  a  son- of  William  A.  and  Mar- 
garet C.  (Bryson)  Lansdon  both  of  wliom  were 
natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father  was  a  merchant 
and  broom  manufacturer  and  also  taught  music. 
When  a  young  man  he  came  to  Schuyler  County, 
this  State,  ivhcre  he  married  his  first  vvife.  She 
JKjre  him  one  son,  Henry,  who  died  in  Anderson- 
villc  prison.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr. 
Lansdon  married  again  and  removed  to  Missouri. 
In  1839  he  came  to  Pike  County,  this  State,  where 
he  made  his  liome  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  died  in  December,  1871,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four 
years,  having  been  born  December  18,  1817.  He 
had  served  iu  the  Mexican  War,  enlisting  from 
Oliio  and  also  spent  a  short  time  in  llie  service 
during  the  Civil  War,  being  discharged  on  account 
of  disability.  During  the  latter  contlict  he  was  en 
rolled  in  Company  E,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  daughter  of 
David  Bryson,  n  native  of  Ireland,  and  passed 
away  April  "21,  1870,  her  dying  hours  cheered  by 
lier  religions  faith  she  being  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  family  of  which 
our  subject  makes  one  included  eight  children,  four 
sons  and  two  daughters  having  been  reared  to  ma- 
turity.    The  paternal  giandparents  were   English. 

The  birthplace  of  Benjamin  C.  Lansdon  was 
INIacon  City,  jMo.,  and  his  natal  day  INIay  27,  1858. 
His  early  years  were  principally  spent  on  a  farm 
and  during  his  boyhood  he  attended  the  district 
school.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  began 
making  his  own  way  by  paying  for  his  board  and 
clothing  and  three  years  later  began  to  receive 
wages.  He  taught  five  years  in  the  country  schools, 
his  work  being  done  but  in  three  districts.  He  also 
carried  on  his  professional  duties  three  years  in  the 
village  of  Nebo,  was  Princii>al  of  Pearl  School 
two  years  and  taught  in  Detroit  two  j'ears.  In 
June,  1889,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Post- 
muster  at  Nebo,  where  he  continues  to  reside. 

iNIr.  Lansdon  won  for  his  wife  Alice,  daughter 
..f  Thomas  J.  and  Nancy  (Crowder)  Shaw,  who 
was  removed  from  his  side  by  death  March  11, 
1887.     She  left  three  children:  Onier  C,  Enola  C, 


and  Benjamin  C.  Mr.  Lansdon  contracted  a  sec- 
ond matrimonial  alliance,  his  present  wife  beine 
Mary  E.,  daugliter  of  David  and  Cassinda  Mills. 
This  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  one  son. 
Floyd  M.  Mr.  Lansdon  is  now  serving  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Town  Board  and  in  the  conduct  of 
municipal  affairs  manifests  great  interest  in  the  up- 
building of  the  town.  He  is  a  strong  Republican  i 
and   now  a  member  of  the  Central  Committee. 


* 


,41        IfclLLlAM  PKINGLE,  owner 
\^//    fiel'l  House,  the  principal  ho 
WW     aiifl  one  of  the   best  in   Sou 


•>ILLIAM  PRINGLE,  owner  of  the  Pitts- ^ 

hotel  of  this  city  i 
Southern  Illinois,! 
has  acquired  a  valuable  property  by  careful  man-! 
agement  of  his  affairs  and  unremitting  attention  loi 
his  business  and  is  classed  among  the  industrious' 
men  of  Pike  County.  | 

>Ir.  Pringle  was  born   in  Cambridgeshire,  Eng-; 
land,  October  1,  1832.     His  parents  were  John  and' 
^lary  (Simpson)  Pringle.      William   was  educated 
in  his  native  land,   his  school  days  being  limited' 
as  he  had  to  begin   work  on  a   farm   when  quite 
young.     He  continued  so  employed   until  he  at-; 
tai'.ied  his  twenty-first  year,  when  the  enterprising.^ 
imliitious  young   man  emigrated  to  America  wilb 
his   parents  in    1857,   landing  at   New  York,  and! 
thc.ice  coming  directly  to  Pike  County,    where  h€j 
had  a  brother-in-law  living,  who  had  come  over  tc 
this   country  several  years    before.     Just   before' 
coming  to  this  country  he  had  taken  unto  himself  s] 
wife  in  the  person  of    Miss    Mary  Ann   Males,  >■] 
daughter  of  George  Males,  to   whom   he  was  mar-i 
ried  in  1857.     He  was  accompanied  hither  by  hi; 
bride,  and  as  he  was  poor,  they  both  went  to  worl< 
in  earnest  to  obtain  money,  to  build  up  a  home  foi 
themselves  in  this  new  country.     She  assisted  hiaj 
in  every  way  possible,  and  he  found   work    by  th( 
month  under  Col.  Ross  and    was   engaged  on    lii' 
farm  for  two  and  one-half  years. 

Our  subject  then  became  more  independent  ant 
rented  his  employer's  farm  and  began  to  pursue  ag 
riculture  on  his  own  account,  raising  corn,  hogsan(( 
cattle.     He  was  ver\'  successful  in  this  venture  an(j 
made  money  fast,  clearing  a  good  sura  each  yea  j 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


559 


fixmi  the  proceeds  of  his  labors.  He  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  model  fanners  of  his  neighborhood 
nnd  Ills  JLidgment  concerning  cattle  and  horses  was 
nuirh  sought  after.  He  was  also  vxMy  successful  in 
ilie  growing  of  wheat  and  often  raised  as  much  as 
lliree  thousand  bushels  a  year.  In  all  his  work  he 
displayed  the  same  energy  and  push,  and  never  al- 
lowed any  part  of  his  business  to  lag.  He  contin- 
ued to  engage  in  farming  until  1884,  when  he  left 
the  farm  and  moved  to  Pittsfinld.  He  had  money 
loaned  on  the  Pittslield  House  and  he  then  bought 
it.  This  is  a  fine  three-story  brick  house,  is  well 
furnished  in  i'^s  various  departments  and  is  run  in 
lirsl-class  style  as  the  Pittsfield  Hotel  by  Mrs.  A.. 
II.  Hocking  and  her  daughters,  and  is  considered 
the  best  managed  hosteliy  in  Southern  Illinois.  I\Ir. 
I'lingle  and  his  wife  have  a  conifurtable  suite  of 
rooms  in  the  hotel  and  make  their  home  here. 

Besides  the  hotel  Mr.  Pringle  ovvns  one  good 
farm  which  he  rents  and  derives  therefrom  a  goodly 
income.  His  farm  is  known  as  the  "J.  M.  Bush 
Farm"  and  contains  two  hundred  and  forty  acrts 
of  land  of  exce[)tional  fertility,  which  is  well  im- 
proved and  is  supplied  with  substantial  buildings. 
Politically  Mr.  Pringle  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He 
is  a  man  of  keen  intelligence,  of  far-seeing  judg- 
ment, and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  de- 
velopment of  Pike  Count}-.  Mr.  Pringle  has  been 
very  kind  and  generous  to  his  friends  and  as  is  us- 
ually the  case  it  has  not  always  been  profitable. 


f}^ 


cultural  affairs. 


OHN  MOHTLAND  is  one  of  the  honest,  en- 
ergetic men  who  are  doing  much  to  develop 
the  resources  of  Calhoun  County  by  their 
connection  with  its  agricultural  and  horti- 
He  owns  a  "fine  tract  of  land  in 
Hardin  Precinct,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
>ixty  acres,  one  hundred  and  thirty  of  which  is 
(overed  with  fine,  thriftj-  fruit-bearing  trees.  This 
I  immense  orchard  is  the  source  of  a  satisfactory  in- 
come and  its  care  and  oversight  affords  Mr.  Mort- 
I  land  great  pleasure  as  well.  He  spends  a  part  of 
I'aeli  year  on  the  farm  and   duiing  the   balance  re- 


sides in  St.  Louis,    Mo.,  where   he   has   maintained 
a  home  for  many   \'ears. 

Mr.  Mortland  is  a  native  of  County  Tyrone,  Ire- 
land, bt)rn  in  1M27.  and  is  the  second  .«on  of  John 
and  Mar}' Mortland,  whose  history  is  noted  in  the 
sketch  of  William  Mortland,  on  another  page  in  this 
volume.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native 
county  and  continued  to  make  that  his  home  until 
1844.  He  then  set  sail  from  Liver|)ool,  landing  at 
Philadelphia  in  the  early  summer  after  a  voyage  of 
six  weeks.  Going  into  the  country  he  found  em- 
ployment on  a  farm  and  after  working  liy  the 
month  until  fall  lie  came  to  this  State,  traveling  to 
Pittsburg  on  a  canal,  thence  on  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissi|)pi  Rivers  to  St  Louis,  Mo.,  and  by  Illinois 
River  to  Jersey  County.  During  the  winter  he  was 
engaged  in  chopping  wood  and  in  the  s|iring  with 
his  brothers,  Thomas  and  Chiltick,  bought  a  flat- 
boat  and  began  carrying  freight  down  the  rivers 
to  St.  Louis.  At  that  time  the  city  named  was  but 
a  small  town  and  used  no  coal  whatever,  all  its  fuel 
being  supplied  from  the  forests  of  the  surrounding 
cou.itry. 

The  second  year  eacli  of  the  brothers  bought  a 
boat  and  operated  on  his  own  account.  When  the 
war  broke  out  our  subject  engaged  in  the  ice  busi 
ness  and  in  IBliS  l)ought  a  steamer  and  entered  the 
service  of  the  Government,  transporting  supplies 
and  troops  up  and  down  the  various  rivers.  He  was* 
thus  engaged  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he 
continued  the  ice  business  in  St.  Louis  for  a  few 
years.  Some  time  before  he  had  purchased  land 
in  this  county  and  he  finally  settled  upon  it.  He 
did  not  dispose  of  his  St.  Louis  home,  however  and 
as    before  stated  Sjjends  a  part  of  his  time  there. 

Mr.  Mortland  has  been  twice  married,  first  in 
1863  to  Miss  Margaret  Rogers,  a  native  of  Michi- 
gan, who  died  in  St.  Louis  September  5,  1874.  Two 
j-ears  after  her  demise  Mr.  Mortland  led  to  the 
hymeneal  altar  Miss  Elizabeth  Porter,  a  native  of 
County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  and  daughter  of  Kcv. 
John  Porter,  a  Presbyterian  minister.  The  second 
marriage  of  our  subject  has  been  blest  by  the  birth 
of  six  children,  named  respectively:  John  P.,  Her- 
bert E.,  Ernest  Albert,  Andy  Thomas,  Mabel  and 
Mary. 

As  a  citizen,  Mr.    Mortland    is  law-abiding   and 


560 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


straightforward;  as  a  business  man,  honorable  and 
energetic  and  as  a  neighljor  and  friend,  true-hearted 
and  benevoleni.  He  is  thoroughly  loyal  to  the  coun- 
try of  his  adoption  and  firmlj^  believes  tliat  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  partj-  are  best  calculated  to 
advance  its  interests.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was 
early  found  in  u  company  of  home  guards.  He  ami 
liis  wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


"^  OHN  KNEESE  is  a  fine  representative  of  the 
German  element  that  has  been  so  prominent 
in  developing  the  agricultural  interests  of 
this  State^and  is  numbered  among  the  pros- 
perous farmers  of  Hardin  Precinct, Calhoun  County. 
He  was  born  in  Hanover,  German}',  March  1,  1845, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  II.  Kneese,  a  native  of  the 
same  place.  Grandfather  Anton  Kneese  was  also 
liorn  there,  and  was  a  life-long  resident  of  Han- 
over where  he  was  engaged  as  a  f urmer.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity 
where  he  still  resides,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
butcher,  -which  he  carried  on  in  connection  with 
farming. 

Our  subject  and  his  brother,  Henry  Andrew, 
were  the  only  members  of  the  family  who  came  to 
•the  United  Stales  and  both  leside  in  Hardin  Pre- 
cinct. John  Kneese  attended  school  from  the  age 
of  sis  to  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  gleaned  an 
excellent  education.  He  assisted  his  father  on  his 
farm  and  remained  an  inmate  of  the  parental  home 
until  he  vvas  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  then  be- 
came a  soldier  in  the  German  Arm}'  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  during  his  six 
months  service  took  i)art  in  the  war  between  Han- 
over and  Prussia,  and  was  engaged  in  several  bat- 
tles. After  leaving  the  army  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1866,  and  upon  reaching  this 
countr}'  made  his  wa}'  to  Calhoun  County  wiiere  his 
half  sister  lived. 

Mr.  Kneese  commenced  life  here  as  a  farm  hand, 
working  by  the  month,  and  continued  thus  em- 
ployed until  he  settled  on  the  place  where  he  now 
resides,  lie  has  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
line  land,  a  part  of  it  lying   in   tiie   Illinois  River 


bottom,  and  as  fertile  and  productive  as  can  be 
found  in  the  State.  He  has  placed  it  under  good 
tillage  and  has  on  it  good  buildings  and  all  neces- 
sary improvements  to  make  it  a  desirable  farm.  A 
view  of  his  fine  residi^nce  will  be  noticed  elsewhere 
in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Kneese  took  unto  himself  a  wife  April  22, 
1873,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Caroline  Schleeper,  who 
has  been  of  great  assistance  to  him  in  his  work. 
She  is  a  native  of  this  county  and  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Catherine  Schleeper.  For  her  parental 
history  see  biograph}-  of  Henry  Schleeper,  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kneese 
have  four  children,  namely,  Katie,  Annie,  Harman 
and  Luc}'.  The  family  are  members  in  high  stand- 
ing of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Kneese 
is  a  man  of  good  capacity,  thrifty,  energetic,  hard 
working  and  is  considered  one  of  our  most  useful 
citizens. 


,jp^  AMUEL  OSBORXE,  a  worthy  representa- 
^^^  five  of  the  agricultural  class  of  Pike 
l|jL/j()  County,  is  located  on  section  30,  Perry 
Township,  where  he  is  reaping  a  due  re- 
ward for  his  labors.  His  farm  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirt}'  acres  in  the  township  nanieil. 
together  with  one  hundred  and  sixtv  acres  in  Fair-' 
mount  Township  adjoining.  At  least  two  hundred 
acres  of  land  is  under  the  plow  and  the  owner  has 
no  reason  to  feel  dissatisfied  with  the  quality  or 
quantity  of  the  crops  raised.  Various  improve- 
ments have  been  made,  such  as  indicate  to  tlie 
passer-b\'  that  the  farm  is  under  the  control  of  a 
prosperous  and  orderly  man,  and  the  place  is  well 
stocked  with  good  animals  and  a  suHiciencj'  of  farm 
machiner}'. 

Mr.  Osborne  was  born  in  County  T^'rone.  Ire-. 
land,  October  30,  1811,  and  was  well  reared  under 
the  care  of  Christian  parents.  When  he  w.as  fifteer: 
years  old  he  went  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  i 
serving  under  an  acquaintance  of  the  family,  oni  J 
James  Stephenson,  who  taught  him  proficiency  ill* 
the  use  of  tools.  The  lad  served  an  apprentice  I 
ship  of  four  jears  and  after  completing  his  tradr 
set  sail  for  America,  in  1834.     He  took  passage  oi|  , 


RESIDENCE  OF   JOHN    KN  ESE,  5EC.I5.  HARDl  N  PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO. ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF   LEMUEL     LO  NG  ,  5EC.I2.  BELLEVI  EW   PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO. ILL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


563 


.1  sailer  fr(_)m  Londoiuleny  to  Liverpool  and  thence 
to  Quebec,  Canada.  Afterwaid  he  went  to  Toronto 
and  a  year  or  so  later  became  a  resident  of  the 
United  Stales.  He  worked  as  a  journej'man  in 
Ohio,  finally  marrying  and  locating  in  Tuscarawas 
County.  After  successfuU}'  prosecuting  Lis  trade 
for  some  years  In;  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  [ 
bringing  his  wonted  persistence  and  energ3'  to  his  [ 
new  occupation.  In  1854  he  removed  to  this  State 
and  took  possession  of  the  land  which  has  been  his 
home  for  about  thirty-seven  years.  I 

Our  subject  has  given  abundant  evidence  of  his 
ability  as  a  farmer,  being  pointed  out  as  one  of 
those  who  have  surrounded  themselves  and  fami- 
lies witli  all  of  the  comforts  of  life,  by  means  of  a 
calling  which  is  sometimes  considered  ill-paid 
drudgery.  A  quiet  and  unassuming  man,  he  has 
never  pushed  iiimself  forward  in  [aiblic  affairs,  but 
lias  always  been  ready  to  assist  those  who  were  in 
need,  morally  or  materially.  He  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  principles  of  Republicanism  and  he  and  his 
sons  vote  as  they  think.  Mr.  Osborne  and  his  good 
wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  wear 
their  religion  as  an  everyday  garment. 

The  wife  to  whom  our  subject  owes  the  joys  of 
his  domestic  life  was  known  in  her  girlhood  as  Miss 
Margaret  Evans.  She  was  born  in  County  Fer- 
managh, Ireland,  Jhirch  8,  1822,  and  vvas  about 
eleven  years  old  when  her  parents  emigrated  to 
America.  Their  home  was  made  in  Tuscarawas 
Count3f,  Ohio,  in  a  section  where  the  counlr}-  re- 
tained its  primitive  condition  of  wildness.  Mathew 
and  Sarah  (Johnson)  Evans  reared  their  children 
to  habits  of  usefulness  and  gave  them  every  op- 
portunity possible  to  obtain  an  education.  Mrs. 
Osborne  was  therefore  well  qualified  to  take  her 
position  by  the  side  of  an  industrious  man  who  was 
endeavoring  to  build  up  his  finances,  and  with  her 
imsband  she  has  worked  hard  to  make  a  good  iiome. 
She  now  enjoys  with  him  the  comforts  by  which 
they  arc  surrounded  and  llie  respect  of  their  fel- 
'low-men. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Osborne  were  born  in  the 
same  county'  as  herself,  but  were  of  Scotch  ances- 
try. They  were  adherents  of  the  High  Church  of 
England  and  on  coming  to  this  country  connected 
themselves  with  the  Methodist   Episcopal   Church. 


Two  children  had  been  born  to  them  before  their 
removal  to  America  and  their  family  was  afterwaid 
increased  to  three  sons  and  five  daughters.  The 
sons  and  three  daughters  are  now  living,  Mrs.  Os- 
borne being  the  eldest.  The  parents  after  settling 
in  Ohio  continued  to  reside  there  until  called  from 
time  to  eternit}',  each  being  about  seventy-six  years 
of  ."ige  when  called  hence. 

The  living  children  of  our  subject  and  his  wife 
are  Anna,  wife  of  William  H.  Laird,  who  lives  ou 
a  farm  in  New  Salem  T(jwnship;  Thomas  A.,  who 
married  Mary  G.  .Seaborn  and  occupies  a  farm  in 
McPherson  County,  Kan. ;  Eliza  M.,  Robert,  Sarah 
J.  and  Hettie,  who  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 
Robert  now  operates  the  homestead.  The  deceased 
children  are  Sarah  ^I.,  who  died  when  two  years 
old;  Mathew,  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixj-ears; 
Samuel,  Jr.,  Rebecca,  John  and  one  unnamed,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

The  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  driven  from 
Scotland  into  Ireland  during  tiie  religious  wars  of 
former  centuries  and  the  family  has  alwaj-s  adhered 
to  the  Protestant  faith.  Some  lielong  to  the  High 
Church  of  England  and  some  to  the  Presbyterian 
denomination.  \'arious  members  of  the  family 
have  been  remarkable  for  their  longevity,  the  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  having  lived  te  the  age 
of  one  hundred  and  four  years  and  the  grandfather 
to  that  of  ninety-four.  Tiie  latter  lived  and  died  in 
County  Tyrone,  Ireland.  He  married  Miss  Faith 
Hurst,  a  lady  who  was  born  in  County  Fermanagh 
and  whose  ancestral  history  w.is  similar  to  his  own. 
Both  were  members  of  the  Church  of  Engbinil. 
They  had  quite  a  large  family,  on?  of  the  oldest  of 
whom  was  John,  the  father  of  our  subject. 

John  Osborne  was  born  in  County  Tyrone, 
reared  and  educated  there,  and  brought  up  as  a 
farmer.  He  married  Anna  Wallace,  a  native  of  the 
same  county  and  a  descendant  of  a  Scotch- Irish 
family  of  the  Presbyterian  faith.  Iler  parents, 
Hugh  and  Ann  (McEiroy)  Wallace,  were  numbered 
among  the  agriculturists  of  County  Tyrone,  wherein 
the}' spent  their  lives,  reaching  an  advanced  age. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Osborne  established  themselves  on  a 
farm  in  the  same  community  and  there  the  husband 
died  when  about  fifty  years  of  age.  He  had  been 
well  known  in  the  countj'    as  a   man    of  worth    in 


564 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


church  'and  State.  His  widow  after  some  years 
came  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Brown  County', 
III.,  wliere  she  eventually  died  at  the  home  of  her 
son  Thomas  when  eighty-two  years  old.  She  was 
identified  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  during  her 
entire  mature  life,  wiiile  her  luisliand  adhered  to 
the  Episcopal  Church  in  which  he  had  been  bred. 
Our  subject  is  the  third  of  th.e  children  born  to 
his  parents  and  he  had  seven  brothers  and  two  sis- 
ters. Nine  of  the  family  lived  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  married  and  reared  families.  Eight 
came  to  the  United  States,  but  our  subject  and  his 
brother  Thomas  are  all  who  are  left  on  earth.  The 
wife  of  our  subject  died  April  21,  1886. 

^  ATHAN  H.  ZUMWALT.  Among  the  men 
who  have  been  cultivating  a  portion  of  the 
soil  of  Pike  County  and  reaping  satisfac- 
tory results  from  their  labors  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  who  began  his  life  career  with  no  capital 
except  that  with  whicli  natnie  had  endowed  him 
and  a  common  school  education.  He  has  accumu- 
lated propert}'  and  now  owns  two  hundicd  and 
fifty  acres  on  section  fi,  Spring  Creek  Township, 
liis  residence  being  situated  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  the  section. 

Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Andrew  and  Susan 
(Coonee)  Zumwalt,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Jacob 
Zumwalt,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  the  same  .State  and  is  descended  from  one  of 
live  brothers  wlio  emigrated  from  Germany  many 
years  ago,  settling  at  what  is  now  known  as  Little 
York.  The  descendants  of  these  brothers  are  now 
to  be  found  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
Grandfather  Zumwalt  removed  from  Pennsylvania 
lo  Cj'nthiana,  Ky.,and  in  1800  went  to  St.  Charles, 
Mo.,  spending  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  that 
State  and  dying  in  Calloway  County.  He  reared 
a  large  family,  three  sons  and  three  daughters 
having  been  born  to  his  first  wife. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  oldest  member 
of  the  parental  family.  He  came  to  Martinsburg 
Township,  this  State,  in  the  spring  of  1847,  set- 
tling in  the  neighborhood  to  which  one  of  his  sons 


had  preceded  him.  He  owned  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Pike  County-.  He  was  twice  married. 
His  second  wife  is  of  German  origin  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Coonee,  who  died  in  Oregon.  The 
first  marriage  of  Andrew  Zumalt  was  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  two  children — William  and  Elizabeth, 
the  Latter  uow^  the  wife  of  Jacob  Null,  of  Texas. 
The  second  marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  twelve 
children,  eleven  of  whom  were  reared  to  maturit}'. 
Samuel  now  lives  in  Missouri;  Christiana  died  on 
her  way  to  Oregon  in  18.53;  Jacob  died  in  Mis- 
souri during  the  Civil  A\"ar;  Cynthiaria  lives  in 
Oregon;  Sarah  died  in  this  State;  Edna.  David  and 
Isaac  live  in  Oregon;  Nathan  H.  is  our  subject; 
Levi  lives  in  Oregon;' and  Andrew  J.  resides  in 
Missouri.  The  father  died  in  September,  ISoo.  at 
the  age  of  seventy-six  ^ears  and  the  mother  in 
in  1875,  aged  eighty-five.  *Botb  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Ei)iscopal  Church. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
St.  Charles  County,  Mo..  January'  27.  1827.  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  received  his  education  in  tlie 
subscription  schools.  He  lived  with  his  parents 
until  twenty-three  j-ears  old  when  he  began  life  for 
himself  as  a  farmer.  He  has  lived  in  his  present 
vicinitj'  since  his  marriage  and  in  the  spring  of  1869 
located  where  he  now  lives.  His  wife  owns  eighty- 
five  acres  of  goiid  land  in  Martinsburg  Township. 
In  politics  Mr.  Zumalt  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his  : 
wife  belong  to  the  Missionary'  Baptist  Church  and  ] 
earnestly  endeavor  to  make  their  lives  correspond 
with  their  profession.  The}'  have  reared  a  large 
family  into  whose  minds  and  hearts  the}'  instilled  I] 
good  principles  and  upon  whom  they  bestowed 
the  best  educational  advantages  thev  could  com- 
mand. 

January  24,  1850,  the  marri.age  rites  were  cele- 
brated between  Nathan  Zumwalt  and  Elizabeth  J. 
Harlow.  The  bride  was  horn  in  Lincoln  County, 
Mo.,  to  Humphrej'  D.  and  Amilda  (^IcKinney) 
Harlow.  She  was  the  only  child  of  this  couple, 
but  her  mother  married  a  second  husband,  Har- 
lan McCoy,  and  bore  him  one  child.  Jlr.  and 
Mrs.  Zumwalt  have  had  twelve  children — Isabella. 
Sarah,  James  H.,  Mary,  John  W.,  Purlina,  Andrew 
P.,  David,  Nathan,  Ilarr}',  Nettie  and  Frank.  Isa- 
bella is  the  wife  of  Presley  R.  Clare,  of  Arkansas; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


56.-) 


Sarah  raarriefl  James  Shelbj' ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Daviil  Walston  and  Nettie(cleceasefl)was  the  wife  uf 
Truman  Sniitli;  Purlina  died  in  infancy  and  Harry 
when  five  j'ears  old. 


RS.  NANCY  (MEDARIS)  HARVEY  has 
a  pleasant  home  in  Barr}',  Pike  Count}', 
and  is  well  known  and  greatly  esteemed  by 
*  the  entire  community.     She  is  the  widow 

iif  Thomas  Harvey,  who  was  for  many  j'ears  con- 
nected with  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  county. 
Oiu-  suliject  is  a  native  of  Adair  County,  Ky.,  horn 
.laiiuary  2S,  1828.  Austin  Medaris.  her  father, 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  was  horn  near 
the  city  of  Ralcigli,  Marcli  26,  1805.  He  was  a 
son  of  Charles  Medaris,  a  native  of  the  same  State 
and  his  father,  Mrs.  Harvey's  great-grandfather,  is 
thought  to  liave  been  born  in  the  same  State  and 
was  a  descendant  of  one  of  three  brothers  who  came 
from  Italy  to  America  in  Colonial  times  and  settled 
in  North  Carolina.  Tlie  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject removed  from  his  native  State  to  Kentuckj', 
and  was  one  of  the  early  pioneer  farmers  of  Adair 
County.  He  bought  a  tract  of  timber  six  miles 
from  Columbia,  tlie  count}' seat,  and  cleared  a  farm 
which  remained  his  home  until  he  closed  his  eyes 
to  the  scenes  of  earth.  His  wife,  Barbara  (Grider) 
Medaris,  is  thouglit  to  liave  been  born  in  North 
Carolina  aud  was  of  German  antecedents. 

Austin  Medaris  was  young  when  his  parents  re- 
move<l  to  Kentucky,  and  he  was  there  reared  and 
married,  taking  as  his  wife  Lydia  lioolier,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  i)orn  near  Richmond.  Her  father, 
.lolui  Booher,  was  born  on  tiie  ocean  when  iiis  par- 
ents were  emigrating  from  Germany  to  America. 
Me  was  reared  in  the  Old  Dominion,  and  afier  iiis 
marriage  with  Nancy  Wlieat,  wlio  was  of  English 
ancestry,  moved  to  Kentucky  and  resided  in  Adair 
County  until  1830.  In  tliat  year  he  went  to  Mc- 
Donough  County.  III.,  where  his  death  occurred 
about  1860. 

Mr.  Medaris  continued  to  live  in  Kentucky  until 
1838,  but  duringthat  time  he  visited  Illinois  view- 
ing the  country  to  find  a  suitable  location.     Early 


in  1838  he  started  with  his  wife  and  three  childicn 
for  their  new  home  in  Illinois  making  the  renuiv;d 
with  teams,  and  cooking  aud  camping  liy  the  way 
when  necessary.  On  the  25th  of  April  the  little 
party  arrived  at  Griggsville  in  Pike  Count}-,  which 
was  at  that  time  a  hamlet  and  the  surrounding 
country  was  very  thinly  inhabited.  In  the  fall  of 
the  same  year,  Mr.  Medaris  bought  land  three  miles 
north  and  a  half-mile  east  of  Barry.  The  family 
moved  into  one  of  the  log  cabins  that  stood  on  the 
l-ind,  and  he  at  once  cora-nenced  to  develop  a  farm 
from  the  wilds.  There  were  no  railways  here  for 
a  few  years  and  the  river  towns  were  the  markets. 

Mr.  Med.aris  lived  on  that  place  seven  years  and 
then  sold  and  bought  anotlier  tract  in  Barry  Town- 
ship, where  he  resided  until  his  life  was  brought  to 
a  close.  His  wife  died  in  1857.  Mrs.  Harve}'  was 
ten  years  old  when  she  came  to  this  count}'  with 
her  parents  and  can  well  remember  it  when  it  was 
in  its  primitive  wijdness.  She  was  early  taught 
to  make  herself  useful,  and  learned  to  card,  spin 
and  weave.  She  resided  witli  her  mother  until  her 
death  and  continued  to  live  with  her  father  until 
her  marriage,  .June  3,  1858,  to  Thomas  Harvev. 
Their  pleasant  wedded  life  was  blessed  to  them  by 
children  of  whom  the  following  four  are  living: 
Florence,  Owen,  Bruce  an<l   Xewton. 

Tliomas  Ilarvey  was  born  in  Virginia  and  was  a 
son  of  Samuel  and  Anna  Ilarvey,  natives  re- 
si)ectively  of  France  and  Virginia.  Thomas  was 
but  a  boy  when  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio  and 
were  among  its  pioneers.  He  was  there  reared  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Indiana,  whence  he  came 
to  Edgar  County,  tins  .State,  from  there  going  to 
Adams  County,  where  he  resided  for  a  short  tinu. 
when  he  came  to  Pike  County,  of  which  he  was  a 
permanent  resident  until  his  death  June  26,  1870, 
removed  one  of  its  valued  citizens;  a  man  whose 
honor  and  integrity  were  unquestioned  and  whose 
career  in  life  was  such  as  to  secure  the  confidence 
of  all  with  whom  became  in  contact  whether  in 
a  social  or  a  business  way. 

After  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  Harvey  bought 
a  farm  which  he  placed  under  good  cultivation 
and  provided  with  substantial  buildings.  The  most 
of  the  time  after  his  removal  here  he  resided  in  the 
village  of  Barry,  though  he  still   looked   after    his 


566 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM.. 


farming  interests  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  had 

phieed  himself  in  good  eirenn-.stances  and  was  one 
of  the  moneyed  men  of  Barry.  For  more  llian 
iialf  a  century  Mrs.  Harvey  has  been  an  earnest  and 
consistent  Christian  and  for  tifty-one  years  has 
been  a  devoted  member  of  tlie  JNIetliodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 


aHARLES  CARLTON  SQUIER  is  theson  of 
a  pioneer  of  Calhoun  County,  where  he  has 
'  passi'd  nearly  all  his  life.  Il-e  is  one  of  the 
most  extensive  and  prosperous  landfiwners  within 
its  limits,  owning  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  which 
is  (inely  located  in  Hardin  Precinct  in  the  beautiful 
and  fertile  valley  of  ihe  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
Jamestown,  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y..  June  30, 
1831.  His  father,  Charles  Squier,  was  a  native  of 
the  town  of  Monson,  Hampden  County-,  Mass., 
where  His  father  owned  a  larjie  mill  and  was  ;i  well- 
to-do  citizen.  He  spent  his  last  3'eai's  there  and  in 
his  comfortable  home  reared  eleven  sons  and  four 
dt^ughters  to  useful  and  iionorable  lives. 

The  father  of  our  subject  passed  his  boyhood 
.'intl  early  manhood  in  his  native  State  an<i  was 
there  married  to  Aznbah  Green,  who  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Wales,  Mass.,  March  4,  1797,  and  was 
a  daughter  of  Robert  and  Hannah  (Gardner) 
Green.  Fioni  a  genealogical  work  prepared  by 
R.  Green,  M.  D.,  of  Boston,  M.ass.,  we  extract  the 
following  information  concerning  the  origin  of  the 
t-ireen  family  in  America:  ''The  first  known  an- 
cestor of  Azubah  (ireen  in  America  was  Robert 
Green,  who  settled  in  Wales,  Hampden  County, 
Mass.,  in  1784  (his  birthplace  not  given).  He  mar- 
ried Sarah  Rogers,  and  later  moved  to  Tolland, 
Conn.,  and  resided  a  few  yer.rs.  then  returned  to 
Wales  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days. 
The  next  in  line  was  his  son  Joel,  who  was  born  in 
\Vales  and  married  Abigail  Nelson.  And  the  next 
in  order  was  their  son,  Robert  Green  (grandfatlier 
of  our  subject)  who.  so  far  as  known,  spent  his 
entu-e  life  in  Wales." 

Previous  to  his  marriage  Mr.  Squier  had  visited 
Western  New  York,  making  the   journey  on  foot, 


with  a  desire  to  see  something  of   the  country  anc 

with  a  view  of  locating  there  if  lie  liked.      He  vra 

favorably  impressed   with  what   he  saw,  and  afte 

he  was  wedded  he  took  his  bride  and  all  his  world 

ly  possessions  and  started  in  a  one-horse    carriag 

for  their  future  home.       He  bought  a  tr.act  of  tin 

ber  land  and  as  soon  as  he  settled  on  it  commence 

to  clear  and  improve  a  farm.      His  title,  howeve 

was  not  good,   and    after   a    few   years  he  lost  h 

land.     He  then   concluded    to  come    farther  wes 

ward  and  with  his  wife  and  six  children  started  f< 

Illinois.     They  proceeded  on  a  raft  down  the  All 

gliany  River  to  the  Ohio  and  thence  down  the  Ohii 

and  up    tlie    Mississippi    and  Illinois    Rirers  on  j 

steamer,   landing  at  the    present  site  of   Hardin  I 

the  spring  of  1833.     Mr.  .Squier  had  but  sevent 

five  cents    in    his    [locket    when    he  arrived  on  tl' 

scene  of  his  new  home,  but  he  went  to  work  with' 

will  to  better  his   financial  condition.      He  and  [>■ 

family  moved  into  a  log  cabin  six  miles  below  Hs! 

din  and  he  commenced  life  here  by  working  at  .] 

cents  a  day.     At  that  time  the  country  was  spars 

I3'  settled  and    but   very    little    improved.       Dei 

bears,  wolves  and  w-ild  turkeys  were   plentiful  a 

often  passed  by  the  cabin,  so  that  he  could  taket'i 

chinking  from  the  wall  of  his  dwelling  and  shooii. 

I 
turkey  with  his  old  flintlock  gun. 

Mr.  Squier's  labors  were  wi?ll  rewarded  and  ; 
was  finally  enabled  to  become  more  independent  ^ 
renting  a  tract  of  land,  and  in  the  course  of  t  j 
years  was  so  prosperous  th.at  he  had  the  means  i 
buy  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  H  >• 
din  Precinct  and  a  i)art  of  it  included  in  the  loV'^ 
valley  of  the  Illinois  River.  The  one  hundred  a5 
sixty  acre  tract  was  timber  land  and  the  forty  a  a 
l)iece  was  mostly  improved.  He  erected  his  hoi  J 
on  section  23,  five  miles  south  of  Hardin  and  1  ) 
a  resident  here  with  the  exce[)tion  of  two  or  th  jB 
years  till  his  death,  which  occurred  herein  p 
year  1857.  His  wife,  mother  of  our  subject,  di^ 
in  Gilead  Precinct  in  1835.  Six  of  their  child  b 
were  reared  to  maturity,  namely:  Caroline,  Elvii 
C,  Mary  A.,  Asher  Green,  Luna  P.  and  Cha  18 
Carlton.  '* 

The  latter,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this  revi ', 
was  in  his  second  jear  when  he  came  to  CaUKJi 
County  with  his  parents  and    here  he  was  brccp 


RESIDENCE  OF  JOSEPH    CRESSWELL,  SEC.  35.  RICHW00D5   PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO. ILL. 


RESIDENCE     OF    C.   C.  S  QU  1  ER,  5EC.22.  HARDI  N    PRECT.  CALHOUN   CO,  i  LL  , 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


569 


their  pioneer  home.  He  attended  school  in  a  nule 
primitive  biiilriing  wiljj  a  puncheon  floor  and  hcal- 
vd  hv  an  old-fasliioned  fireplace,  furni-ihed  with 
slahs  for  seats  and  a  board  across  the  end  of  the 
room  for  a  desk  on  which  the  larger  scliolars  prac- 
ticed tlieir  writing.  The  schools  were  taught  on 
the  subscription  plan  and  the  teacher  "boarded 
iirotind"  among  the  parents  of  his  pupils.  To  use 
a  common  phrase  he  "boarded  the  longest  where  the 
pot  boiled  the  strongest."  As  soon  as  large  enough 
our  subject  commenced  to  assist  on  the  farm  and 
lielpod  his  father  till  his  marriage.  He  then  rented 
land  for  two  years  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time 
iiKivcd  on  the  farm  he  now  owns,  and  he  occupies 
a  part  of  his  father's  old  homestead.  His  farm  is 
liighly  cultivated  and  improved  with  a  substantial 
resilience,  a  view  of  which  will  be  found  elsewhere 
in  tliis  volume.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest 
!ind  most  desirable  estates  in  the  county.  He  owns 
nearlj'  nine  hundred  acres  of  land  including  quite 
a  tract  of  rich  l)ottom  land  on  the  Illinois  River 
finil  has  besides  forty  acres  in  the  Territorj'  of 
Arizona. 

Mr.  Squier  and  Miss  Jane  Mortland  united  their 
lives  and  fortunes  November  9,  1854.  Mrs.  Squier 
was  born  in  County  Tyrone.  Ireland,  and  is  a 
(laughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Lammy)  Mortland. 
The  following  six  children  have  blessed  their  happy 
wedded  life,— Mary  J.,  John  A.,  Ella  E.,  Charles 
L.,  Azubah  and  Cora.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Squier  are 
people  whose  intelligence,  kind  and  courteous  man- 
ners and  generous  consideration  in  their  relations 
with  others  have  gained  them  genuine  respect  and 
a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  all  about  them.  They 
are  earnest  and  cotisistent  Christians  and  are  con- 
nected with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Rei)ubliean. 


■> <i-*^ a 


I 


OSEPH  CRESSWELL.  The  citizenship  of 
Calhoun  C'ount\',  is  no  better  represented 
than  by  those  men  who  were  born  within 
l^j/'  its  limits  and  are  now  actively  identified 
with  its  various  interests.  Among  them  is  Jose|)h 
Cresswell,  whose  birthplace  was  in   Point  Precinct 


five  miles  south  of  Brussels,  where  he  was  born 
Kebruary  IG.  18.j2.  He  is  now  identified  with  the 
farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  his  native  county,  and 
owns  and  is  successfully  managing  a  farm  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct. 

Our  subject  comes  of  good  iiioneer  slock.  His 
father,  Robert  Cresswell,  was  born  in  Maryland, 
and  his  gn^udfather.  also  Robert  Cresswell,  was 
a  native  of  Scotland  and  a  pioneer  of  St.  Louis 
Count}',  Mo.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  one 
of  the  jiioneers  of  this  county.  He  bought  a  large 
tract  of  land  south  of  Brussels,  engaged  extensively 
in  farming  and  there  death  rwunded  out  his  career 
in  the  month  of  September,  1860.  He  had  mar- 
ried in  early  life  Margaret  Huff,  a  native  of  Tennes- 
see; her  father,  John  Huff,  was  also  a  native  of 
that  State  and  a  son  of  one  of  its  pioneer  families. 
He  came  from  there  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day  and 
settled  among  the  pioneers  of  Bond  County,  resid- 
ing there  for  a  time  and  then  going  to  St.  Louis 
County,  Mo.,  whence  he  came  to  Calhoun  County 
in  1824  and  was  oue  of  the  earliest  settlers  here. 

At  that  time  there  were  but  few  white  inhabitants 
within  the  borders  of  this  countv,  Indians  bying 
much  more  plentiful,  and  deer,  wihl  turkeys,  pan- 
thers, and  other  wild  animals  abounded  and  roamed 
at  will  through  the  forest  and  over  the  i)rairies. 
Mr.  Huff  located  near  the  Salt  Springs  in  Gilead, 
and  there  bought  land  and  built  a  home  in  which 
he  spent  his  last  days.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  three  times  married  and  died  in  Point  Precinct 
June  25,  1890.  Our  subject  has  one  brother,  John, 
who  was  born  March  2,  1850,  and  has  alw.ajs  re- 
sided in  this  county. 

Joseph  Cresswell  of  this  notice  was  but  eight 
years  old  when  his  father  died,  and  was  reared  by 
his  mother  and  step-father.  He  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools  as  opportunity  offered,  as  he  was  anx- 
ious to  obtain  an  education,  and  when  not  in  school 
he  assisted  on  the  farm  and  continued  to  live  with 
his  parents  until  he  attained  manhood.  He  was 
bred  to  the  life  of  a  faruiei'  and  having  a  natural 
liking  for  that  calling  adopted  it  as  his  own,  and 
in  1883  settled  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides. 
His  land  is  fertile  and  well-tilled,  giving  him  rich 
harvests  in  return  for  the  toil  and  care  expended 
upon    it,    and    being  im|iroved     with   comfortable 


570 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


biiililings  and  evorvtliiiig  necessary  to  cany  on 
farming  operations.  A  view  of  his  comfortable 
liorae  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  Album. 

That  our  subject  has  a  cozy  home  where  comfort 
abides  is  in  part  due  to  the  fact  that  by  his  mar- 
riage April  19,  1877,  to  Jliss  Candace  Greamba,  he 
secured  a  willing,  capable  wife  and  a  true  helpmate 
and  companion  who  knows  well  how  to  look  after 
the  interests  of  her  household.  Mrs.  Cresswell  is  a 
native  of  this  county  and  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Lucinda  (Gillnian)  Greamba.  She  and  her  husband 
ar(^  the  parents  of  five  children,  who  are  named 
Egbert,  Floyd,  Bessie,  Raymond  and  Carroll.  Mr. 
Cresswell  is  a  true  man  in  every  .sense,  and  his  ex- 
cellent personal  traits  of  character  have  gained 
him  the  esteem  of  the  entire  community.  He  is  a 
man  of  earnest  religious  views,  which  find  expres- 
sion in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith,  and  he  has 
united  with  the  church  of  that  denomination  in  this 
place.     In  politics  he  stands  with  the  Republicans. 


"\f]OHN  RAY,  a  retired  business  man  and  an 
honored  citizen  of  Pitlsfleld,  was  for  many 
years  prominent  in  the  mercantile  life  of 
Pike  County,  and  has  been  variously  asso- 
ciated with  some  of  its  other  interests.  He  is  a 
Virginian  by  birth,  and  was  born  July  6,  1823,  on 
the  banks  of  the  James  River,  opposite  the  city  of 
Lynchburg.  His  father  bearing  the  same  name  as 
himself,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  was  a 
son  of  Benjamin  Ray,  who  was  descended  from  an 
old  English  family. 

The  father  of  our  suliject  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  his  native  State,  and  was  there  married  to  Fan- 
nie Floyd,  who  was  also  born  in  Virginia  and  was 
a  daughter  of  Thomas  Floyd.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ray- 
passed  the  early  years  of  their  wedded  life  amid  the 
pleasant  scenes  of  Virginia,  but  Bnall}'  removed  to 
the  State  of  Missouri  witii  their  family  when  our 
subject  was  a  boy  of  eleven  years.  They  located  on 
a  farm  in  Lincoln  County,  where  the  father  lived 
until  within  a  short  time  before  his  death,  when  he 
removed  to  Auburn,  Mo.,  where  he  died  in    1857. 


He  left  a  widow  and  five  children.  The  mother 
died  in  1860,  and  there  are  but  three  of  the  children 
now  living;  our  subject  and  his  brothers  Jefferson 
and  Tliomas,  the  former  a  resident  of  Missouri,  and 
the  latter  of  Argenta,  111. 

John  Hay  to  whom    these   lines   refer,  laid   the 
foundation  of  his  education  in  the  subscription  and 
in  the  public  schools  of  Missouri,  where  he  acquired 
sufficient  knowledge  to  become  a  teacher  himself,    ' 
and  was  thus  engaged  for  a  period  of   nine  years, 
lie  next  turned  his  attention  to  mercantile  business 
and  established  himself  as  a  merchant  at  Pleasant    ' 
Ilill,  this  county,  in  1850.     He  did   not,  however,    j 
wholly  abandon   his  profession,  as    good  teachers 
were  in  demand,  and  he  occasionally  taught  school. 
He  finally  sold  out  there  and  removed  to  Roekport,   j 
where  he  kept  a  hotel  two  years  and  also  handled   ■ 
grain  and  stock  and  managed  a  general  store.     We 
next  hear  of  him  at  Gilgal  on  the  Mississippi  River 
where  lie  was  engaged  in  shipping  all  kinds  of  prod- 
uce and  had  a  large  warehouse  for   heavy  freights 
for  steamboats. 

In  1867  Mr.  Ray  removed  to  Pittsfield  and  em- 
barked in  the  drug  business,  which   he  carried   on 
with  profit  until  1880.     During  his  business  career 
Mr.  Raj-  displayed  great  sagacity  and  enterprise, 
and  acquired  considerable  wealth.    He  has  just  sold  , 
one  valuable  farm,  comprising  three   hundred  and  , 
twenty  acres  of  land  and  he  owns  two  small   farms  J 
besides  other  fine    property-.     He   has  mingled  in  ' 
public  life  and  has  alwaj's  shown  true  public  spirit  ; 
and  a  deep  interest  in  whatever  concerns  the   wel-  , 
fare  of  citj'  or  county.    He  was  at  one  time  a  mem- ,; 
ber  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  during  his 
residence  at  Pleasant  Hill  representing  that    town- 
ship.    He  has  been  a  membfer  of  the  .School  Board 
at  Pittsfield  one  term,  and  in  whatever  capacity  he 
has  acted  he  has  endeavored   to  promote  the  goodij 
of  the  community.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  : 
fraternity.     In  his  political  views  he   endorses  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 

]\Iay  8,  1851,  was  an  auspicious  day  in  the  life  of 
our  subject,  as  on  that  date  he  was  wedded  to  Miss 
Margaret  Huber  of    Martinsburg.     Mrs.   Ray  isaj 
native  of  Switzerland  and  was  born  March  26,  I  832, ' 
to  Frantz  and  Saplirona  Iliiber.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hay 
are  the  parents  of   four  children,  and    have   four 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


571 


1  grandchildren.  Tho  record  of  their  children  is  as 
follows:  Olive  A.  is  tlie  wife  of  G.  Payne,  of 
iGreenview,  III.,  engaged  in  general  mereliaiidis 
'ing;  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Lewis,  of  Bluff. 
III.;  Frank  II.  is  a  resident  of  Chicago,  a  wholesale 
tobacco  dealer  and  a  partner  of  J.  P.  Sage  &  Co. 
of  Ohio;  Charles  C.  is  a  physician  and  druggist, 
practicing  at  Meredosia,  III. 

^OTGER  FREESMEYER,  Sr,.  is  one  of  the 
oldest  German  pioneers  of  Calhoun  County. 
J1\V  He  is  a  well-knosvn  resident  of  Ilan.lnirg 
Precinct,  his  home  on  section  12,  and  he  is 
one  of  the  most  extensive  landowners  and  farmers 
in  this  part  of  the  Slate.  He  was  born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  March  3.  1822,  a  son  of  Bernhard  and 
Mary  (.Tacob)  Froesme^-er,  natives  of  Germany.   He 

'  grew  to  maturity  in  the  Fatherland,  passing  his 
early  life  |)rineipally  on  a  farm,  and  receiving  an 
excellent  education  in  the  local  schools.  Since  com- 

'  ing  to  this  country  he  has  picked  up  a  fair   knowl- 

I  edge  of  liie  English  language,  and  is  quite  well 
informed.  During  the  winter  seasons  after  he 
was  fifteen  years  old  he  was  engaged  in  making 
wooden  shoes  until  the  jear  1855,  when    ho  aban- 

;  floned  that  trade.  He  was  married  in  Germanj- 
in  the  j'ear  1851,  to  Elizabeth  Diiksmeyer,  who 
w.is  also  of  German  Ijirtli  and  antecedents,  and  is 
a  sistei  of  Anton  Dirksmeyer,  of  whom  appears  a 
sketch  in  this  volume.  B}'  this  marriage  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  liave  become  the  parents  of  nine 

I  children:  Ann.  wife  of  Casper  Reichter;  .Stephen, 
dece.iscd ;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Albert  .Sevier;  Mary, 

,  wife  of  Frederick  Peters;  Frances,  wife  of  Gottlieb 

'c^uiller;  Rotger;  Gertrude,  wife  of  ^Yilliam  Baugh; 

'John  and  .Josephine. 

j     In  the  fall  of  1853  our  subject  and  his  good  wife 

'Started  for  this  countr}'  with  the  two  children  that 
had  been  born  to  them  in  the  Fatherland.  They 
look  passage  on  a  sailing-vessel  at  Bremen,  and  af- 


'  ler  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  landed   at  New   Or- 

j  leans  whence  they    made  their   way  to  St.   Louis, 

]  where  they  arrived  after  a  journey   of  nine  d.ays. 

From  there  they  came  to  their  destination   in   Cal- 


houn County,  and  for  several  years  Mr.  Freesmeyer 
engaged  principall3'  in  chopping  cordvvood,  mak- 
ing staves,  and  in  the  sumiijer  time  raised  some 
corn.  AVhen  he  first  came  here  he  worked  for 
twent}'  five  cents  a  day,  and  took  his  pay  in  corn 
and  wheat.  In  1854  or  1855  he  settled  on  the 
farm  where  he  now  lives,  having  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  for  which  he  paid  $90.  He  removed 
with  his  family  into  an  old  log  cabin  which  stood 
on  the  place  and  immediately  entered  upon  the  task 
of  redeenvng  his  land  from  the  wilderness,  it  being 
just  about  as  the  Indians  had  left  it.  He  has  since 
increased  the  acreage  of  his  real  estate  by  subse- 
(juent  purchases  from  time  to  time,  until  he  now 
owns  several  tracts  of  valuable  land  in  various 
parts  (tf  the  count}'.  He  has  doae  much  hard  pio- 
neer labor  in  the  accumulation  of  his  estate,  and  is 
entitled  to  a  high  place  among  the  pioneers  of  Cal- 
houn County,  who  have  been  most  active  in  re- 
claiming it  from  its  wild  condition.  He  has  been 
nobly  assisted  in  his  work  by  his  devoted  wife  who 
'has  been  to  him  a  true  helpmate  and  a  wise  coun- 
selor. 

Mr.  Freesme3-er  is  held  in  high  consideration  by 
the  entire  community,  and  has  frequently  been  so- 
licited to  fill  minor  offices  of  trust,  but  would  not 
.accept  the  honor,  preferring  the  quietude  of  his 
comfortable  home.  He  and  his  wife  are  true  and 
consistent  membtrs  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
and  are  eminently  worthy  people.  He  is  a  sound 
Democrat  in  politics  and  it  has  been  his  aim  to  do 
what  he  could  to  advance  the  interests  of  his 
adopted  country. 


jj^TEPHEN    M.    DAVIS.      For    some   years 
^^^    past  a  high  rank  among  the    agriculturists 
\J-^  of  Pike  County  has  been  held  by  the  gen- 
tleman above  named,    who  is  now    prose- 
cuting his  calling  on  section   13,  Derry  Township. 
He  is  one  of  those  who  have  risen  from  poverty  to 
affluence  by  dint  of  assiduity,  tact  and    enterprise 
in    business    affairs,  and   the  exercise    of   sterling 
principles  and  prudent  habits.   His  home,  although 


J 


5  72 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


not  so  pretentious  perhaps  as  some  in  the  county,  is 
extremel}'  comfortable,  well  built  and  set  in  the 
midst  of  attractive  surroundings.  It  is  a  commo- 
dious frame  bouse,  erected  in  1875  at  a  cost  of 
iS2,000  and  is  surrounded  by  one  hundred  fertile 
acres,  whose  appearance  at  every  point  indicates  the 
neatness  and  good  judgment  of  the  manager. 

Mr.  Davis  is  of  Revolutionary  ancestry,  iiis 
grandfather  having  fought  with  the  Colonists  and 
?|)ent  a  memorable  winter  at  Valley  Forge.  He 
had  emigi'ated  to  this  country  from  W.ales.  After 
the  Revolution  he  was  awarded  land  in  New  York, 
on  -which  the  town  of  Lansing  now  stands,  for  his 
services.  The  manner  of  his  death  and  the  cause 
thereof  are  unknown,  as  he  disappeared  from  his 
home  and  was  never  again  heard  from.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Democrat.  He  reared  five  sons,  one  of 
whom,  Isaac  V.,  was  born  in  Massachusetts  M.ay  10, 
1775,  and  reared  at  Wiliiamstown.  When  twenty 
years  old  he  went  to  Lower  Canada,  as  the  Prov- 
ince of  Ontario  was  then  called,  and  ran  a  lumber 
camp  for  forty  winters.  In  the  spring  he  would 
raft  the  lumber  down  to  Quebec,  building  his  raft 
on  the  ice  and  floating  down  stream  when  the  ice 
went  out.  In  1846  he  came  to  this  State,  bought 
land  in  Pike  Count}',  and  lived  here  during  the 
remnant  of  his  days,  dying  October  23,  1853. 
Like  his  father  before  him,  he  was  a  Democrat. 

Isaac  Davis  first  married  !Mercy  R.  Rogers,  who 
was  born  in  August,  1782,  and  died.Iuly  10,  1818. 
This  marriage  resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  chil- 
fh-en— Orrin  J.,  Sidney  W.,  Catherine  M.,  Clark  P., 
Isaac  v.,  Ebenezer  R.,  Benjamin  B.  and  Mercy  R. 
The  father  of  our  subject  won  for  his  second  wife 
Margaret  Robidoux,  a  French  lady,  who  was  not 
able  to  speak  the  Knglish  language  when  twenty 
years  old.  She  was  born  September  23,  1798,  and 
died  October  18,  1862.  She  was  reared  in  the 
Catholic  faith  and  her  children  were  christened  and 
their  birtlis  recorded  in  Ihe  Catholic  Church.  Her 
family  consisted  of  eight  children — Polly  J., 
Steplien  M.,  Elizabeth  S.,  George  W.,  Andrew  J., 
Rebecca  P.,  Matilda  A.  and  Margaret  J. 

The  natal  day  of  Stephen  M.  Davis  was  Febru- 
ary 18,  1823,  and  liis  birthijlace  what  is  now  the 
Province  of  Ontario,  Canada.  His  schooling  was 
obtained  in  the  old  fashioned  log  schoolhouse  whose 


construction  and  furnishings  are  a  matter  of    his- 
tory and  whose  teachers  "boarded  round"  and  wore 
paid  by  subscription.  At  the  early  age  of  eighteen  i 
j'ears  the  young  man  married  and    began    life    fori 
himself.     He  busied  himself  as  a  shingle-maker,  in 
this  way  earning  mone}-  with  which  to    remove    to 
this  State  in  1843.  He  left  Kingston.  (Canada.  Octo-  ; 
ber  23,  went  by  boat  to  Buffalo   and    thence   took  ■ 
passage  for  Chicago.     On  the  way  a   severe   storm  ( 
was  encountered,  during  the  prevalence    of  which  , 
Mr.  Davis  stood  for  four  hours  one  night    in    his, 
berth  with  the  water  over  his  boot  tops   and   wind  ' 
and  wave  raging  without. 

Eleven  days  after  leaving  Buffalo  the  passengers 
were  landed  in  Chicago  and  Mr.  Davis  paid  the  last; 
twent3'-five  cents  he  had  for  wharfage,  and  was  l«fti 
without  means  and  with  a  wife  and  two  children  to; 
support.     He  went  to  an  hotel  and  gave  the   land- j) 
lord  his  few  household  goods    as    security'    for  thelj 
board  of  liimself  and  his  family  until  he  could  getj 
work.     He  spent  a  few  days  in  fruitless  search  for' 
work,  then  leaving  his  wife  and  children  in  a   cot-i 
tage  he  had  rented,  struck  out  for  Pike  County  on! 
foot,  carrying  an  ax  and  a  little  bundle  containing! 
a    clean   shirt.     He    walked    three   hundred   miles,' 
reaching  this  county  December  1st. 

Mr.  iJavis  struck  the  Illinois  River  at  Peru  where 
there  was  a  little  hotel  into  which    he   walked   andj 
called  for  the  landlord.     Telling  that  gentleman  of  j 
his  penniless  condition  and  the    fact   that    his   feet 
had  become  too  sore  for  him  to  continue   his  jour-! 
vey,  he  asked  for  work  to  pay  for  his  lodging  until' 
ho  could  rest.      His    request  was  granted  and    fori 
three  days  he  sawed  wood  for  his  board.     He  then' 
fell  in  with  three  men  and  a  boy  who  were  going  on 
foot  to  New  Orleans  and    started  on    with    them,,! 
walking  with  the  boy.     By  nightfall  our   subjectij 
was  tired  out,  and  telling  his  companions  to  go  on,(| 
he  lay  down  in  the    fence   corner   and   fell    asleep., 
He  would  doubtless  have  perished  in  the  cold  hadi 
not  his  companions  roused  him  in  a  short  time  and 
succeeded  in  getting  liim  to  a  town  at   midnight.' 
where  they  secured  a  bed. 

After  this  effort  Mr.  Davis    worked   his  pa^sagc^ 
on  a  boat  dovvii  the  Illinois  River,  but  before    the}', 
reached  Peoria  the  vessel  w.as  icebound  and  he  and 
others  broke   the  ice    with   cordwood    until    they 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


573 


ic;itlictl  that  eit\'.  He  landed  al  Florence,  receiv- 
ing from  the  captain  a  silver  half  dollar  niiicii  was 
all  the  money  he  had.  He  had  relatives  in  this  vi- 
cinity and  was  able  to  send  a  nephew  with  a  team 
to  Chicago  after  iiis  family,  who  reached  here  .Ian- 
nary  10,  1844.  During  the  remainder  of  the  winter 
Mr.  Davis  worked  in  Detroit  Township  and  in  the 
spring  rented  a  farm,  continuing  to  operate  rented 
land  until  1849.  He  then  purchased  the  farm  lie 
now  occupies,  and  on  December  1,  moved  into  a 
log  cabin  witii  a  stick  chimney  which  he  was  proud 
to  call  home.  At  one  time  Mr.  Davis  owned  two 
Inuiilred  and  forty  acres  but  has  reduced  his  estate 
to  the  size  before  mentioned.  In  former  jears  lie 
has  carried  on  farming  quite  extensively,  putting 
ill  as  much  as  one  hundred  acres  of  wheat  in  a  year 
and  he  has  also  raised  considerable  stock. 

Having  labored  long  and  arduously,  Mr.  Davis 
feels  that  he  is  entitled  to  more  ease  and  leisure 
and  is  therefore  withdrawing  somewhat  from  the 
active  life  which  has  raised  him  to  his  present  finan- 
cial [losition.  although  be  is  too  energetic  to  en- 
tirely give  over  the  business  of  life  as  long  as  his 
strength  will  permit  him  to  bear  a  hand.  His 
duties  as  a  private  citizen  have  been  all  that  he  de- 
sired, but  he  served  two  terms  as  Township  Col- 
lector very  acceptably.  His  first  Presidential  ballot 
was  cast  for  J.imes  K.  Polk  and  he  has  alw.ays  voted 
the  straight  Democratic  ticket.  He  is  a  man  of  in- 
telligence, keeping  himself  well  informed  regarding 
the  world's  events  and  particularly-  those  which 
have  a  special  bearing  upon  National  affairs.  He 
is  interested  in  every  idea  which  is  promulgated 
for  the  benefit  of  the  community  and  which 
promises  to  aid  in  the  material  development  and 
growth  of  civilization.  He  has  therefore  risen  to  a 
prominent  position  in  social  circles,  as  well  as 
among  the  members  of  the  agricultural  community. 

On  March  16,  1841,  Mr.  Davis  led  to  the 
hymeneal  altar  Jliss  Harriet  Young,  a  native  of 
Ca:iada,  who  was  spared  to  him  but  a  few  years. 
She  bore  him  three  children,  named  respectively, 
John  L.,  Julia  A.  and  James  P.  The  daughter  is 
now  Mrs.  Kestorson.  Jul3'  2,  1848,  Mr.  Davis  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucinda  M.  Fore- 
man, wlio  was  born  in  Ohio,  March  20,  1824.  This 
lady  was  an  enterprising,  intelligent  Christian,   to 


whom  ISIr.  Davis  owes  much  for  encouragement, 
good  counsel  and  clie  joys  of  home;  she  died  July 
20,  1886,  strong  in  the  faith  of  the  Chiistian  Church. 
She  was  the  m  itlier  of  nine  cliildren,  eight  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity,  namely :  .Sidney  W.,  Samuel  I., 
Sarah  E.,  Louis  M,,  Mary  J.,  Flora  E.,  Henry  E., 
Ella  F.  and  Charles  W.  H. 


HARLES  P.  LIPPINCOTT.  Among  those 
who  were  born  in  Pike  County  in  pioneer 
''^^^r'  times,  have  been  reared  within  its  limits 
and  have  taken  part  in  its  agricultural  develop- 
ment, Mr.  Lippincott  has  played  no  unimijortant 
part.  He  is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Barry  Town- 
ship where  he  was  born  .September  24,  1839. 

William  Lippincott,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Darrtown,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and 
there  learnetl  the  trade  of  a  millwright,  which  he 
followed  in  his  native  State  till  about  1830.  That 
was  the  year  wiien  he  liecame  a  pioneer  of  Illi- 
nois and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Pike  County. 
He  first  located  at  Florence  and  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  first  flour-mills  which  were  ever  erected  in 
this  country.  After  the  village  of  Worcester,  as 
Barry  was  llrst  called,  was  platted  he  located  here 
and  was  a  pioneer  in  the  mercantile  business,  hav- 
ing a  store  here  for  a  time.  Selling  out  that  busi- 
ness he  built  a  flouring-mill  about  one  mile  north- 
west of  Barry  known  as  the  Shields  mill  which  was 
run  first  b3'  water,  then  by  a  tread-wheel  and  fin- 
ally 1)3'  steam.  He  o|)crated  that  some  years  and 
then  sold  out  to  William  Wike  and  went  to  New 
Cincinnati,  where  he  [)urchased  a  sawmill  which 
he  rebuilt  and  managed  till  death  closed  his  earthly 
career.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Delina 
Decker.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  and  spent  her  last 
years  in  Pike  Count}-. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  has  been 
a  resident  of  Pike  County  his  entire  life.  He  grew 
with  its  growth  and  has  witnessed  almost  its  whole 
development.  In  his  youthful  days  deer,  wolves, 
wild  turkeys,  catamounts  and  other  wild  animals 
ranged  across  the  prairies  tiirough  the  forests  and 
over  the  bluffs  scarcely-  disturbed  bj-  the  presence 


574 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  tlie  white  settlers.  He  has  seen  tlie  forests 
removed  and  the  country  transformed  into  a  beau- 
tiful farming  region.  The  schools  which  he  at- 
tended were  taught  in  the  primitive  log  scboolliouse 
of  olden  times,  witii  slab  benches  with  wooden  pins 
inserted  for  legs,  and  a  board  against  the  wall  sup- 
ported-on  wooden  pegs  inserted  in  holes  in  the  side 
of  the  room  vvas  the  onlj'  desk  on  which  the 
scholars  had  to  write.  John  Watson  was  one  of 
the  first  teachers  whom  our  subject  can   remember. 

;\Ir.  Lippincott  was  only  nine  years  old  when  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father  by  the  latter 's 
death.  Shortly  after  that  event  he  engaged  in  a 
blacksmith  sho|)  and  worked  in  that  two  or  three 
years  and  after  that  he  resumed  farming.  lie  was  a 
man  of  more  than  ordinary  industry  and  with  wise 
economy'  he  saved  his  earnings  so  that  he  might 
become  more  independent,  and  was  finally  enableil 
to  Commence  farming  for  himself  on  rented  land. 
About  that  time  he  began  threshing  and  assisted  in 
the  operalion  of  a  threshing  machine  in  this  county 
for  fourteen  seasons.  In  1867  Mr.  Lippincott 
bougiit  the  place  where  he  now  resides,  which  is 
as  good  and  well  conducted  a  farm  as  can  be  found 
in  this  part  of  the  county.  Its  one  hundred  and 
and  sixt\'  acres  are  well  improved,  its  fields  are 
carefully  cultivated  and  he  has  placed  on  it  a  neat 
set  of  farm  buildings. 

Mr.  Lippincott  and  Miss  Chloe  Bill  were  married 
in  1K67.  She  is  a  native  of  Barry  Township.  She 
is  a  most  excellent  woman  and  is  an  earnest  worker 
in  the  Methodist  Epis(:opal  Church,  of  which  she  is 
a  member.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lippincott  have  the  fol- 
lowing six  children  living — Isabell,  William,  Mary, 
Charles,  John  and  Bessie. 


I  L  LI  AM  E.  WILLIAMS,  of  Pittsfield, 
,,-^ljl  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  Pike  County, 
iy>^  though  a  3'oung  man  has  already'  won  his 
way  to  a  high  place  among  the  most  able  members 
of  the  legal  profession  in  this  part  of  the  State,  and 
has  a  large  practice  aside  from  the  work  devolving 
upon  him  in  his  official  position.  He  is  a  native  of 
tins  county,  born  in  Detroit  May  5,  1857.     He  is  a 


son  of  the  well-known  David  A.  Williams,  who  was 
born  in  North  Carolina.  Jul}-  22,  1832.  He  in 
turn  was  a  son  of  John  A.  Williams,  who  was  also 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  was  of  English 
descent.  He  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this 
county.  His  father,  William  Williams,  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolutionary  War  of  1812. 

David  A.  Williams  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Pike  Count}'  when  he  was  but  two  }ear8  old.  Thev 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Detroit  Township.' 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  there  married  Em- 
ily A.  Hayden,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  E.  IlaydenJ 
who  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  that  township' 
coming  from  Virginia  in  1835.  Afier  marriage' 
Mr.  Williams  settled  on  a  farm  in  Detroit  Town' 
ship,  and  there  he  and  his  good  wife  are  passinEj 
their  declining  years  amid  the  comforts  that  the}I 
have  procured  by  their  united  labors.  To  thes(l 
worthy  people  have  been  born  eight  children,  foui; 
sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living. 

William   E.  Williams,  of  whom    this   sketch   i: 
written,  was  the  second  child  of  the  family  in  ordeij 
of  birth.     He  laid  the  foundation  of  a  liberal  edu' 
cation  in  the  district  schools  which  he  attended  un 
til    he    was    eighteen  jears  old,  when    he  enteret] 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville,  where  he  pursue('< 
his  studies  with  characteristic  earnestness  and  zea' 
for  three  years.     At  the    expiration  of  that  time! 
having    decided  to  enter  the  legal   profession.  Ii 
commenced  the  stud}'  of  law  with  the  firm  of  Irwii' 
&  Johnson,  and  was  admitted  to  the   bar   in    188'' 
before  the  Appellate  Court,  first  district  of  Chi 
cago.    He  thus  started  out  on  his  career  as  a  lawye 
well  equipped  for  his  work. 

Our  subject  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  prq 
fession  at  Pittsfield,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  yeai 
his  success  was  so  marked  that  he  became  well  au'' 
favorably  known  througliout  the  county,  and  whe 
the  office  of  Prosecuting  Attorney  for  the  count ' 
became  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  H.  C.  Johnsoi ! 
our  subject  was  elected  to  take  his  place  in  Apri . 
1887.  At  the  expiration  of  the  term,  so  ably  had  li 
managed  the  affairs  of  the  office,  he  was  re-electe 
in  the  year  1888  for  the  full  term  of  four  yean' 
He  still  continues  his  civil  law  practice  in  coneclio 
with  his  official  duties.   He  has  a  keen,  bright  rain( 
seema  to  have  a  tliorough  understanding  of  the  la' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


575 


as  it  bears  upon  the  various  cases  that  come  under 
Ills  consiiieration.  is  prompt,  decisive  and  earnest 
in  action,  and  is  alnaj's  faitliful  and  true  to  the 
cause  of  his  clients.  Politically  our  subject  is  one 
of  the  leading  Democrats  of  this  section  of  the 
country.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  in  high 
standing  in  the  Congregational  Church,  and  gen- 
erously contribute  to  its  every  good  work  and  to 
all  things  that  will  in  anj-  waj'  enhance  the  welfare 
of  I'iltsfield  or  of  the  county  at  large. 

Mr.  Williams  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Margaret  Gallaher  in  the  month  of  August.  1879. 
Ill  their  attractive  home  one  daughter,  Mabel  E., 
completes  their  pleasant  household  circle.  Mrs. 
Williams  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  aud  is 
a  daughter  of  the  well-known  James  Gallaher,  of 
Quincy.  City  Librarir,n,  who  for  many  years  was 
editor  of  the  Old  Flag  at  Pittsfield. 

y^ATIIANIEL  P.  HART,  a  veteran  of  the 
I  jjl  Mexican  "War,  and  the  son  of  a  pioneer  fam- 
lii^  ily  of  Pike  County,  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  this  sec- 
lion  of  the  country  for  a  period  of  forty  years.  He 
now  owns  and  occupies  one  of  the  most  valuable 
farms  in  Barry  Township  of  which  he  is  a  leading 
citizen. 

Mr.  Hart  was  born  in  Ashburnham,  Worcester 
County,  Mass.,  February  G,  1826,  and  is  a  descend- 
ant of  stnrd}'  New  England  stock.  His  father, 
bearing  the  same  name  as  himself,  was  born  in  New 
Hampshire,  April  14,  1801.  He  was  a  son  of  David 
Hart  who  is  thought  to  have  been  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts. He  removed  from  Ashby  in  that  State  to 
Dublin,  Cheshire  County,  N.  H.,  and  after  residing 
there  a  few  years  came  to  Pike  County  and  was  one 
of  its  pioneers.  He  bought  land  and  improved  a  farm 
In  Barry  Township,  of  which  he  was  an  early  settler 
and  resided  there  until  death  closed  his  mortal  ca- 
reer. His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Miss  Lucy 
Page,  also  died  on  the  home  farm.  .She  was  the 
mother  of  seven  children  of  whom  only  one  is  now 
living. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  on  a  farm 


and  directly  afler  marriage  settled  in  Massachu- 
setts. He  lived  in  Ashburnham  where  he  purchased 
a  farm,  a  few  years  and  then  removed  to  Cambridge 
and  engaged  in  farming  there.  In  1838,  with  his 
wife  and  four  children,  he  started  for  Illinois  com- 
ing by  rail  to  Providence  and  thence  by  steamer 
to  New  York,  from  there  by  rail  and  canal  to 
Pittsburg  where  he  built  a  flatboat  in  connection 
with  two  other  families  and  embarked  on  the  Ohio 
River.  The  water  was  so  low  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  for  the  boat  to  float  and  the  little  party 
staid  near  Wheeling  a  few  weeks  waiting  for  the 
river  to  rise.  When  the  water  rose  a  small  steamer 
came  along  and  the  owners  of  the  boat  sold  it  and 
boarded  the  steamer  and  made  their  way  by  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to  Cincinnati,  Pike 
County. 

From  that  place  Mr.  Hart  and  his  family  came  to 
Worcester,  as  Barry  was  then  called,  with  a  team. 
Where  the  thriving  town  of  Barry  now  stands  they 
found  an  insignificant  hamlet  of  a  few  buildings 
and  the  surrounding  country  almost  in  its  primitive 
wild  condition.  Mr.  Hart  bought  a  tract  of  land 
in  the  northwest  quaiter  of  section  27,  two  miles 
west  of  Barry,  part  timber  and  the  rest  of  it  prai- 
lie.  Ilis  first  work  after  arriving  here  was  to 
build  a  cabin  to  shelter  his  wife,  children  and  him- 
self. He  made  it  of  round  logs  and  split  clapboards 
to  cover  the  roof. 

We  next  hear  of  the  father  of  our  subject  on  a 
farm  comprising  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  the  same  section  that  he  was 
on  before.  The  small  frame  house  with  its  one 
room  that  stood  on  the  place  was  one  of  the  first 
frame  houses  ever  built  in  this  count3'.  With  char- 
acteristic energ3"  and  capability  our  subject  entered 
upon  the  pioneer  task  of  improving  and  develop- 
ing his  farm.  In  1844  he  built  a  commodious 
frame  house  and  in  that  comfortable  home  he 
abided  until  death  called  him  hence  in  April,  1884. 
In  early  manhood  he  had  married  Clarissa  Hill 
who  vvas  born  October  12,  1800,  and  died  August 
3,  1883.     She  was  born  in  Massachusetts. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  twelve  years  old 
when  he  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents.  He 
was  reared  amid  the  primitive  scenes  of  the  early 
settlement  of  this  section  of  the  country  and  was 


576 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


educated  in  its  pioneer  schools.  Ke  was  lirst  taught 
in  a  log  schoolhouse  with  slabs  for  benches  and 
other  rude  furniture  anil  the  speller  was  the  only 
text  book  in  use  in  the  school.  He  can  remember 
the  wild  condition  of  the  country  when  deer,  wild 
turkeys  and  various  kinds  of  game  were  very  plen- 
tiful. He  resided  with  his  parents  until  he  was  of 
age  and  then  went  to  St.  Louis  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  mill. 

After  the  Mexican  War  broke  out  our  subject 
early  enlisted  and  became  a  member  of  Company 
K,  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  remained  in  the  ser- 
vice eighteen  months.  He  went  with  his  comrades 
to  Mexico  and  after  his  discharge  returned  to  Illi- 
nois, having  won  a  good  military  record  for  efli- 
ciency,  promptness  and  bravery.  After  he  came 
back  to  this  State  he  rented  land  two  j'ears  and 
then  bought  one  hundred  acres  on  the  southwestern 
(jiuarter  of  section  26,  Barry  Township.  A  log 
cabin  stood  on  the  place  and  a  few  acres  were 
broken  and  that  was  all  that  had  been  done  toward 
devi'lo]Hng  a  farm  from  a  wild  tract  of  land.  Un- 
der his  able  management  his  estate  was  develoijed 
into  one  of  the  flnest  improved  and  most  desirable 
pieces  of  i)roperty  in  tlie  whole  township.  Mr. 
Hart  built  a  fine  frame  house  and  planted  shade 
trees  on  the  [)lace  and  in  other  ways  made  it  at- 
tractive besiiles  adiling  to  Its  value.  In  1888  he 
sold  that  place  and  removed  to  whore  he  now  re- 
sides on  the  northern  half  of  section  26,  and  his 
land  comprises  the  south  half  of  section  22. 

Mr.  Hart  and  Miss  Louisa  A.  Blair  were  married 
in  November,  1850.  Samuel  and  Lucj'  Blair,  of 
Ohio  and  Connecticut  respectively  are  Mrs.  Hart's 
parents  and  tiicy  became  pioneers  of  Barry  Town- 
ship. Mr.  and  Mrs  Hart  have  five  children  living 
— George  B.,Lucy,  Anna,  William  and  Clara. 

Mr.  Hart  is  prominent  in  the  social,  political  and 
public  life  of  Barry  Townshi|)  and  is  a  man  of 
much  influence.  He  is  one  of  the  Democrats  of 
this  section  of  the  country,  taking  an  earnest  inter 
est  in  the  political  life  of  the  Nation.  A  man  of 
his  siirewdness,  ])racticality  and  well-known  iion- 
esty  in  all  his  dealings  is  necessarily  sought  to  hold 
ollice  and  for  nearly*  thirty  years  he  has  assessed 
thi^  township  and  four  years  represented  it  on  the 
County    Board     of    Supervisors.     He    belongs    to 


Barry  Lodge,  No.  3.36.  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  is  one  of  its 
most  respected  members.  He  and  iiis  wife  are 
people  who  are  very  highly  thought  of  by  the  en- 
tire community  and  Mrs.  Hart  has  the  distinction 
of  having  been  the  first  white  child  born  in  Harry 
Township. 


51  DWARD  B.  POOR.  The  fertile  soil  of  Cal- 
houn County  affords  a  sustenance  to  many 
enterprising  farmers  and  their  families,  and 
also  supplies  the  wants  of  a  large  number  of  busi- 
ness men,  farm  products  finding  a  ready  market. 
Among  the  successful  tillers  of  the  soil  in  Hamburg 
Precinct  is  Edward  B.  Poor,  who  occupies  a  lead- 
ing position  among  the  citizens,  and  is  meeting 
with  a  very  satisfactory  degree  of  success  in  that 
which  he  has  chosen  for  his  life  work.  His  estate 
consists  of  six  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  of  land, 
most  of  which  is  under  cultivation,  and  it  is  sup- 
jjlied  with  all  needed  improvements  in  the  way  of 
farm  buildings,  etc. 

Mr.  Poor  is  still  quite  young,  having  been  born 
April  10,  1857,  and  is  a  native  of  the  county 
throughout  which  he  has  become  well  known.  His 
father,  the  late  AVilliam  A.  Poor,  was  born  in  Lin- 
coln County,  Mo.,  and  was  one  of  the  men  to  whom 
the  development  of  Hamburg  Precinct  is  due. 
When  he  came  to  Calhoun  County  he  settled  on 
timber  land  which  he  labored  to  clear  and  [jrcpare 
for  cultivation,  enduring  in  the  meantime  some  of 
the  usual  hardships.  His  ability  and  worth  of 
character  were  recognized,  and  he  was  elected  to 
the  position  of  .Justice  of  the  Peace  in  which  he 
acted  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics.     His  death  occurred   March    15,    1890. 

The  mother  of  our  suliject,  INLartha  A.  (Mozier) 
Poor,  is  a  native  of  Calhoun  County  and  belongs 
to  a  pioneer  family.  She  is  still  living,  now  nearly 
threescore  years  of  ago.  The  survivors  of  the 
parental  family  besides  our  subject,  include  Luella. 
wife  of  George  Howland ;  Penola.  wife  of  John 
Wagner;  Andrew,  a  resident  of  Hamburg;  Wesley, 
whose  home  is  in  Calhoun  County;  and  Charles, 
who  also  lives  in  this  countv. 


J 


a% 


Ti.   ^ 


•^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


579 


Mr.  Poor  of  whom  wc  write  can  recall  many 
scenes  whicli,  contrasted  with  tliosc  whicli  now  meet 
his  sifrlit,  illustrato  the  progress  tiiat  has  been  made 
durinij  tlie  few  decades  which  have  elapsed  since 
Ills  buvhood.  He  was  educated  in  the  public; 
seliools  wliieh  were  not  as  thorough  as  at  present, 
but  which  still  gave  all  the  studious-minded  a  fair 
Insiglil  into  the  more  practical  branches  of  knowl- 
edge. By  reading  and  observation  he  has  extended 
iiis  own  information,  particularly  on  all  subjects 
which  liave  a  bearing  upon  his  vocation.  His  prop- 
erty has  been  acquired  by  his  peisonal  efforts,  ably 
seconded  by  the  prudence  of  a  faithful  wife  who 
w.as  willing  to  join  her  fate  with  his.  although  he 
was  destitute  of  means  when  they  w(!re  married. 

Mrs.  Poor  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Emma 
Peeler  and  became  the  wife  of  our  subject  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1880.  Like  him  she  is  a  native  of  the 
county  and  belongs  to  a  pioneer  family,  her  par- 
ents being  John  and  Eva  (Carpunk}-)  Peeler.  Four 

I  children  have  come  to  bless  their  happy  union,  upon 
whom  have  been  bestowed    the  names  of   Frank, 
.lames,  Serena  and  Eva. 
Mr.  Poor  is  recognized  as  a  man  of  public  spirit, 

I  and  the  favor  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  follow- 
eitlzens  is  indicated  by   the  positions  of   trust  and 

'  respoiisihility  to   whicii   he   has  been   elected.     In 

j  November,  1887,  he  was  elected  County  Commis- 
sioner for  a  term   of  three  years,  and   he    had    pre- 

'  viously  served  four  years  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  for  a  lengthy  period  as  a  School  Director.  At 
present  he  is  filling  the  office  of  President  of  the 
rown  Board  of  Hamburg. 


^^^E 


li^ 


m 


'S/AMES  D.  RUPERT.  No  one  in  Atlas 
Township,  Pike  County,  has  been  more 
closely  identified  with  the  business  interests 
of  the  town  of  Rockport,  and  the  devclop- 
nent  of  the  Missi.ssippi  bottom  land  in  that  vicinity 
han  the  gentleman  whose  name  stands  at  the  head 
|if  this  biographical  review.  Having  come  to  Pike 
.'ounly  with  his  parents  in  1838,  and  settled  in 
|he  locality  where  he  has  ever  since  resided,  his  life 
ceui'd  is  a  part  of   llie   history  of   the   settlement, 


growth  and  development  of  this  part  of  the  county. 
Could  the  years  but  backward  roll  and  open  to  our 
vision  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood  days,  more  than 
half  a  century  ago,  we  should  doubtless  first  find 
our  subject,  primer  in  hand,  occupying  a  seat  in 
one  of  the  primitive  log  schoolhouses  of  that  per- 
iod, with  pin- legged  benches  and  w'ide  open  fire- 
place, little  dreaming  of  the  long  chain  of  events 
that  should  link  his  life  with  the  growth  and  de- 
veloj^ment  of  the  v.ast  wilderness  about  him. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Armstrong  Count}-,  Pa., 
January  12,  182.3.  His  father,  David  Rupert,  was 
also  a  native  of  the  Ke3-stone  State,  but  nothing  is 
known  of  the  ancestry  of  the  Rupert  family  save 
that  they  were  of  German  descent.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer,  and  came 
to  Pike  County,  111.,  with  his  family  in  September, 
18.'i8,  when  he  was  in  the  prime  of  a  vigorous 
manhood,  he  being  then  about  forty  ^-ears  of  age. 
Settling  in  Atlas  Townshi[).  just  above  the  town  of 
Atlas,  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  which  was  in  a  wild  condition.  He  also 
opened  a  blacksmith-shop  and  followed  his  trade  a 
great  deal  of  the  time.  He  passed  aw.ay  from  the 
scenes  of  his  labors  in  18GG,  and  his  memory  is 
cherished  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  He 
was  an  old-line  Whig  and  took  an  active  part  in 
the  cami)aign  of  1840,  being  a  strong  Harrison 
man.  After  the  organization  of  the  Republican 
party  he  joined  it,  and  was  a  firm  believer  in  its 
principles  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  before  her 
marriage  Martha  Linch,  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania anil  was  of  mingled  Dutch  and  Irish  descent. 
In  her  death,  when  about  sixty-five  3'ears  of  age, 
the  Congregational  Church  lost  one  of  its  most 
faithful  members.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  namely:  Mary 
Ann  (Mrs.  Snyder),  James  D.,  Caroline  (Mrs. 
Wade),  Julia  A.  (Mrs.  Dunaway,)  Catherine  (Mrs. 
Hesley)  and  William. 

James  D.  Rupert,  of  whom  these  linos  are 
written,  was  twelve  j'cars  of  age  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  this  county.  His  youth  was 
spent  in  attending  school  in  the  log  schoolhouse 
and  in  helping  to  clear  the  farm,  mauling  rails, 
huntinu  deer  and   turkeys,  of   which   there   w.as  an 


580 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


abundance,  and  he  kept  the  family  larder  well 
supplied.  He  began  life  on  his  own  account  at  the 
age  of  twenty,  and  luxving  learned  the  trade  of 
a  blacksmith  from  his  father,  he  followed  that  for 
five  years  or  until  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age. 
He  then,  in  1850,  made  the  trip  across  the  plains 
with  a  j^oke  of  oxen,  following  tlie  long  train 
of  emigrants  who  had  been  hastening  thither  since 
tlie  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in  1849.  He 
was  six  montlis  to  the  very  day  on^the  way,  and 
afler  his  arrival  on  the  Pacific  Coast  located  twenty- 
fivo  miles  west  of  Sacramento  City,  and  there 
worked  at  the  trade  of  a  blacksmitli  until  1S53, 
when  he  made  tlie  return  tripaeross  the  plains.  In 
18.')4  he  once  more  made  the  journey  to  California, 
going  the  same  way  as  before,  and  coining  back  in 
1855. 

Aftei-  his  second  return  from  the  gold  regions, 
Mr.  Rupert  entered  into  the  mercantile  business  in 
Rockport,  and  about  eight  months  later  purchased 
a  third  interest  in  a  flouring-mill  in  Rockport, 
which  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  largest  in 
the  State.  It  had  a  capacity  of  three  hundred  and 
fift-y  barrels  a  day,  and  on  a  test  produced  four 
iiuridred  and  forty-two  barrels  in  twenty-four 
111  urs.  It  was  located  on  the  Sny  Carte,  and  was 
propelled  by  water  power.  The  original  mill  was 
erected  in  1830  by  John  Warburton,  but  it  was 
biirneil  and  rebuilt  three  successive  times  in  the 
years  1846,  1853  and  1867.  The  last  building  was 
consumed  by  the  flames  in  1876  and  has  never  been 
replaced.  When  our  subject  was  connected  with 
it  the  firm  name  was  Shaw  &  Rupert. 

Mr.  Rupert  has  been  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business  in  Rockport  since  1856,  and  now  carries 
one  of  the  largest  stocks  of  general  merchandise  in 
Pike  County.  His  store  is  a  large  two-story  brick, 
and  is  the  finest  structure  of  the  kind  in  Rockport. 
He  also  has  one  thousand  acres  of  rich  bottom 
land,  the  greater  part  of  which  has,  under  his 
supervision,  been  changed  from  a  swampy  wilder- 
ness to  fertile  fields  of  waving  grain,  and  from  its 
rental  he  derives  a  handsome  income.  He  has  a 
fine  large  two-stor^^  frame  residence,  which  is  taste- 
fully furnished,  and  with  its  ample,  well-shaded 
biwn,  forms  one  of  the  most  beautiful  homes  in 
Rockport.   Here  he  lives  in  comparative  retirement. 


leaving  the   management  of   his   store  to   his  son. 

He  of  whom  we  write  has  been  twice  married. 
In  1846  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth 
Applegate.  who  was  born  in  Missouri,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-tiiree  years.  She  liore  him  four  , 
children,  of  whom  two  grew  to  maturity.  Charles 
I.  and  Carson  N.  In  1883  our  subject  was  wedded 
to  his  present  estimable  wife,  who  is  a  native  of 
this  county  and  was  known  in  maidenhood  as 
Ellen  L.  Crenshaw.  She  was  married  prior  to  her; 
union  with  our  suliject.  and  her  two  children  byi 
her  first,  marriage — H.  Wallace  and  W.  Homer 
Haines— now  form  a  part  of  the  Rupert  family. 
Mrs.  Rupert  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  a  devoted  Christian  woman.  Mr.. 
Rupert  is  widely  and  favorably  known  throughoutj 
the  county  with  whose  interests  his  own  have  been, 
so  long  and  so  closely-  identified,  and  whose  pros-i 
perit3'  he  has  greatl}'  advanced.  He  is  a  man  oil 
superior  intelligence,  of  sound  principles,  and  hii! 
wlmle  career  has  marked  him  as  possessing  taon 
than  ordinary  keenness  and  judgment  in  regard  t(, 
business  matters.  He  is  a  loyal  citizen  of  tru<, 
public  spirit,  and  is  ever  earnesll}'  interested  ii. 
whatever  concerns  the  welfare  of  town  and  count}-. 
and  in  politics  he  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Repn'uti 
licaii    1-arty. 

In  connection  with  this  brief  personal  sketch  o 
.Mr.  Rupert,  his  lithographic  portrait  is  also  pre 
sen  led. 


■ss^  EAMAN  SPRAGUE  is  the  proprietor  of 
valuable  farm  in  Pike  Count}',  pleasanti; 
located   cm  section  9,  Kinderhook  Town 
ship,  which  he    is    managing  with  excel 
lent  financial  results.     He  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  bor 
in  Washington   County,  April  3,  1821,  and  come 
of  one  of  the  oldest   families   of   that  Slate.     Hit 
father,  Jonathan  Sprague,  was  born  in  Nova  Seoti 
and  when  quite  young  was  taken  by  his  parents  t 
Massachusetts  where   they  remained  until  he  wa 
eighteen  years  old.     They  then  removed  to  Obi 
and  were  the  third  family  to  locate  in  W.ashingto 
County.     There   grandfather  Joshua  Sprague  ei 
gagcid  in  trapping  and  hunting  and  he  built  the  fin 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


581 


oven  in  that  State.  Our  sulijecl's  father  and 
uncle  .Spiagiie  luiilt  .1  blockhouse  in  Marietta, 
Washington  Count}',  Ohio.  He  it  was  who  cut  the 
fiijt  brush  that  was  ever  cut  in  Beverlj'  Township 
by  a  while  man.  lie  was  a  millwright  and  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  he  built  and  operated  two  mills 
ill  Washington  Count}'  until  they  were  past  their 
usefulness.  He  sawed  the  lumber  that  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  famous  Blennerhasset  house 
on  lilennerhasset  Island  in  the  Ohio  River. 

Mr.  Sprague  married  his  first  wife  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Oliio,  and  they  had  five  children: 
.loshua,  Wayne,  Jonathan  (who  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty -six  years  in  1890),  Mary  and  Cynthia,  all 
of  whuni  are  deceased.  Mr.  Sprague  married  for 
ills  second  wife  Susan  Owens,  the  mother  of  our 
subject  who  was  born  in  Massachusetts.  She  bore 
him  live  children,  as  follows:  P^lijah  who  is  now 
seventy  two  jears  old;  Seaman,  Benjamin  (de- 
ceased), and  two  daughters. 

Seaman  Sprague  was  the  second  son  of  the  fam- 
ily and  was  reared  in  his  native  count}'  under  the 
influence  of  pioneer  life.  He  attended  school  in  a 
rude  loi  liouse  furnished  with  puncheon  seats  which 
had  stakes  for  legs.  He  remained  with  his  father 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  old  when  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1840  to  Mary  DeVol.  She  was  born  in 
[Washington  County,  Ohio,  and  there  the  young 
couple  settled  on  a  farm  on  which  they  resided  un- 
til 1852. 

'    In  that  year  in  the  vigor  and  prime  of  a  stalwart . 

manhood  our  subject  and    his  wife  came  to  Pike 

ICounty,  journeying  thither  by  water  and  first  lo- 

tated  two  miles  south  of  Kinderhook  village  on  a 

Irtict  of  eighty  acres  of   wild   land.     Mr.   Sprague 

afterward  added  forty  acres  to  his   first   purchase, 

fenced  his  land  and  placed  upon  it  many  neat  im- 

[jroveraenls  including  a  barn.  lie  and  his  wife  were 

imODg  the  first  settlers  of  the  township,  being  the 

,hird   family  to   locate  here.     They  subsequently 

|<ent  to  Missouri  where  they  remained  four  years, 

111  they  liked  this  part  of  the  country  much  belter 
ind  at  the  end   of    that    time    returned    to    Pike 

ounty  and   Jlr.  Sprague  bought  the  place  cora- 
jirising  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  acres  where  he 

ow  resides.  He  has  here  a  neat  and  attractive  home, 

is  dwelling  being  a  substantial   two-story   frame 


house  which  is  comfortably  furnished.  He  gives 
his  attention  to  general  farming  and  from  his  rich, 
well-tilled  land  raises  good  harvests  and  has  his 
farm  well  stocked  with  cattle,  hogs  and  horses  of 
good  grades. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  people  whose  many 
pleasant  qualities  of  bead  and  heart  and  whose 
genuine  integrity  of  character  have  contributed  to 
make  them  highly  regarded  in  the  community  of 
which  they  are  valued  members.  To  them  has 
been  vouchsafed  an  unusually  long  wedded  life, 
and  on  the  •25th  of  November,  1890,  if  all  is  well 
they  will  celebrate  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their 
marriage  morn.  To  them  have  come  seven  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  three  danghlers,  named  as  fol- 
lows: Silas  served  three  years  in  the  Union  army; 
William,  David,  Mary  Matilda,  Eliza,  Lucy  and 
Merritt.  Mr.  Sprague  is  a  stanch  Republican  in 
politics  and  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  the 
illustrious  grandfather  of  our  present  Chief  ftlagis- 
trate.  He  has  been  School  Director  and  has  never 
been  found  wanting  in  all  that  goes  to  make  a  good 
citizen.  He  is  a  Deacon  of  the  Baptist  Church  and 
contributes  liberally  of  his  means  to  the  support  of 
the  society  giving  $100  this  year  to  the  church. 

-^ ■'^-^ ^- 


HRISTIAN  IIOSS,  who  is  the  proprietor  of 
a  good  farm  in  Griggsville  Township.  Pike 
)^^J  County,  was  born  in  Lewis  Township,  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  November  21,  1819.  The  Hoss  fam- 
ily came  originally  from  Germany  and  the  first  pro- 
genitor of  our  subject  to  come  to  America  was  his 
grandfather,  Daniel  Hoss,  who  settled  in  North 
Carolina  prior  to  the  Revolution  and  began  life 
there  as  a  farmer.  It  is  thought  that  he  married  an 
American  lady  who  was  most  likely  of  German 
|)arentage.  Her  name  was  MoUie  Barr.  After  mar- 
riage Daniel  Hoss  and  his  wife  continued  to  live  in 
North  Carolina  near  Lincoln,  probably  in  the 
county  of  the  same  name,  for  some  years.  After 
all  their  children  were  born  and  reared  and  some 
of  them  married,  Mr.  Hoss  and  his  wife  and  at  least 
three  of  their  sons  removed  to  Brown  County, 
Ohio,  when  that  pari  of  the  country  was  almost  a 


582 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


dense  wilderness  mul  very  sparsel}'  settled,  the  time 
of  their  removal  being  in  tiie  earl}'  part  of  this 
century.  They  built  up  a  home  in  the  primeval 
forests  of  what  is  now  Lewis  Township  and  there 
spent  their  last  3'ears,  dying  when  very  old.  Tiiey 
vsrere  among  the  substantial  pioneers  of  Brown 
County  and  were  known  as  good  Christian  people, 
though  it  is  not  known  to  what  chnrch  they  be- 
longed; our  subject  thinks  it  was  probably  of  the 
New  Light  order. 

David  IIoss,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
tliird  child  in  a  very  large  family  of  sons  and 
daughters  and  he  was  born  near  Lincoln  in  North 
Carolina.  lie  there  grew  to  maturity  on  a  farm 
and  when  of  age  married  Miss  Nellie  Trout,  who 
was  also  born  and  reared  in  North  Carolina  and 
was  of  German  jjarentage.  After  tlie  birth  of  their 
lirst  child  they  accompanied  his  parents  and  other 
members  of  tiie  family  to  the  pioneer  wilds  of 
Lewis  Township,  Ohio.  They  there  lived  some 
years,  Mr.  Iloss  being  busily  engaged  in  improv- 
ing a  farm,  and  there  the  first  wife  died  in  middle 
life  leaving  nine  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  The  mother  was  a  thor- 
oughly good  woman  and  had  many  friends  in 
Hrown  Count}'. 

David  IIoss  was  a  second  time  married  in  Ohio, 
Sliss  Martha  Plummer,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  be- 
coming his  wife.  Shortl}'  after  this  marriage  Mr. 
IIoss  crossed  the  border  into  Indiana  and  became  a 
resident  of  Lawrence  Township,  Marion  County, 
he  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  to  locate  on  Indian 
Creek,  from  source  to  mouth.  lie  began  life  there 
in  a  heavily  timbered  section,  where  the  Indians 
still  made  their  home  and  wild  game  abounded. 
There  he  and  his  wife  lived  many  years  in  comfort 
and  before  their  death  saw  the  country  well  im- 
proved. Mr.  IIoss  had  helped  to  lay  out  the  first 
roads  through  to  what  is  now  the  capital  of  the 
Iloosier  .State.  He  was  a  man  of  powerful  phys- 
ique and  life  did  not  close  with  him  till  he  had 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-four  years,  in 
1882.  He  was  fairly  successful  as  a  farmer  and  was 
an  active  man  in  his  township  and  county.  He  was 
drafted  in  the  AVar  of  1812  and  did  good  service 
as  a  solilier.  He  was  a  stanch  Jackson  Democrat 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist  Church.   His 


last  wife  had  died  some  twelve  years  liefore  he  did  j 
wiien  she  was  past  three-score  years  old.  She  was  \ 
the  mother  of  two  ciiildren,  of  whom  one  is  yet  I 
living.  Four  children  of  his  first  wife  are  living;  ' 
our  subject,  two  of  iiis  sisters  and  one  brother. 

Our  subject  was  thirteen  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Indiana  and  in  Marion  County  he  ' 
became  of  age.      Like  all   boys  in  his  day  he  ob-  ' 
tained    nothing    but   a   log  cabin  education.     He. 
worked  very   hard  after  he   attained   his  majority  1 
and  earned  money  enough  to  permit  of  his  marry-  i 
ing  and  establishing  a   home.      He  then  went  b&ckf 
to  Ohio  and  was  married  in  Brown  County  to  Miss! 
Louisa  Gra}',  who   was   born   and   reared  in  Cler- ' 
monl  County,  her  birth  occurring  April  2C,  1824.  [ 
She  was  a  true,  whole-souled,  warm-hearted  woman,  i 
was  .1  loving  wife  and  kiml  mother  and  her  death' 
July  20,   1889,  was   a  sad  loss   to   her   household.! 
Mrs.  Hoss  was  the  daughter  of  Christian  and  Sarah  I 
(Plummer)  Gray,   natives  of  Kentucky  who  were  i 
both  30ung  when  their  parents  moved  to  Clermont' 
County,  Ohio.     There  the}'  grew  to  maturity,  werej 
married  and  began  life  on  a  farm  where  Mr.  Gray' 
died  after  the  birth  of  seven  children  and  when  hisi 
daughter,    Mrs.   IIoss   was    three  3'ears  old.      His' 
widow  afterwards   moved    to    Brown   County  and' 
thero   married   for   her  second   husband   Benjamin 
Sells.     They  lived   in  Brown  County   some  years 
and  there  Mr.  Sells  died.     Mrs.  Sells  subsequently 
came  to  Illinois  and  spent  her  last  years  with  herj 
daughter,  dying  in  the  home  of  our  subject  in  this' 
township  when  full  of  years.      She   was  an  arJent 
Methodist,   as   were  both  her  husbands,  Mr.  Gray' 
having  served   as  Class-Leader  in  his  church  for 
years. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  brought  to  him  ten' 
children  of  whom  four  are  deceased:  Sarah  E..' 
who  died  when  twenty-three  years  old;  George  W.. 
Dora  and  Rufus,  all  of  whom  died  young.  Those 
living  are:  William  J.,  who  married  Sarah  Delia 
Harrington  and  lives  in  Kansas  City,  where  he  is_ 
engaged  in  plumbing;  Amanda  E.,  wife  of  Maut- 
ford  Rushen,  a  farmer  of  this  township;  Nelson  H.. 
who  married  Alice  Maddux  and  lives  on  his  father's 
homestead;  Anna  M.  the  wife  of  Charles  Har- 
rington, a  farmer  of  Clinton  County,  Mo.;  Charles 
L.,  who  married  Agnes    Bentley  and   lives  in  Sai) 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


583 


Martial,  N.  M..  where  he  is  engaged  as  a  raih'oad 
man,  and  Florence  M..  who  lives  with  her  brother 
Cliarles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoss  identified  themselves 
willi  llie  ciiurcli  ver}'  early  in  life  aiid  wliile  in 
Indiana  were  members  of  the  United  lirelhren 
Church  and  since  coming  here  have  belonged  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  family  all  adher- 
ing to  that  faith. 

After  liis  marriage  Mr.  Hoss  settled  in  Marion 
Connty  and  lived  there  till  18G4,  when  he  came  to 
Pike  Count}-,  111.,  and  purchased  his  present  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sevent^'-two  acres  on  section  2, 
(iriggsville  Township.  He  has  since  made  his  home 
Ill-re  and  has  placed  himself  among  the  sul)stantial 
farmers  of  tliis  localit^^  his  farm  comparing  favor- 
fihly  in  [loint  of  cultivation  and  improvement  with 
others  in  its  vicinity. 


WILLIAM    RUYLE   settled    on  his    present 
farm  on  section  32,Carlin  Precinct,  Calhoun 
County,  in  1858,  and  devoted  his  energies 
:  to  its  development  and    improvement    until    the 
I  breaking  out  of  the  war.  when  he  threw   aside    all 
i  personal  aims  and  ambitions  to  help  his  country  in 
I  her  hour  of  need.      He  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  the 
j  place  of  his  birth  in  Greene  County,  aud  the  date 
I  thereof  December    12,    1836.     His    parents  were 
Alfred  and  Sarah  (Blackstun)  Ruyle  and  were  both 
natives  of  Kentucky.     His  paternal  ancestors    are 
said  to  have  been  of  German  origin.     In  1850  the 
.parents  of  our  subject  came  to  Calhoun  County  and 
jcastin  their  lot  with  its  pioneers.     Thej'  located  at 
'ithe  Ba}-,  near  the  present  site  of  Ba^-  Post-office,  and 
resided  there  a  number  of  years.     They  afterward 
returned  to  Greene  County  where  the  father  died 
lin  1882.     The  mother  departed  this  life  in  18C4. 

Our  subject  was  reared  to  man's  estate  in  this 
county  amid  its  pioneer  scenes  and  since  attaining 
imanbood  has  been  a  worthj'  factor  in  promoting  its 
]S;rowth  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  its  pioneers, 
jlle  remained  with  his  father  until  he  was  eighteen 
ft'ears  old  and  then  Itegan  working  out  as  a  farm 
(hand  and  was  thus  engaged  for  some  years.  He 
was  prudent  and  careful  in  the  management  of  his 


money  affairs  and  by  close  economj'  saved  up 
enough  of  his  wages  to  enable  him  to  buy  eighty 
acres  of  land  for  which  be  p.aid  -$800.  He  has 
added  to  his  first  purchase  from  time  to  time  and 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  as  good 
farming  land  as  can  be  found  in  this  part  of  Cal- 
iioun  County.  When  it  came  into  his  hands  it  was 
just  as  its  aboriginal  owners  had  left  it,  aud  it  was 
only  by  dint  of  energy  and  perseverance,  by  work- 
ing early  and  late,  and  hy  shrewd  management 
that  be  was  enabled  to  bring  it  to  its  present  fine 
condition,  which  makes  it  one  of  the  most  desir- 
able pieces  of  properly  in  tiie  neighborhood.  Our 
subject  has  ever  proved  himself  a  worthy  citizen 
of  the  county  and  has  so  conducted  himself  in  all 
affairs  of  life  as  to  win  the  entire  respect  and  re- 
gard of  the  people  among  whom  he  makes  his  home. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  ever  stood 
stanchly  by  his  party. 

Our  subject's  connection  with  the  Grand  Armj' 
Post  at  Hardin,  111.,  is  commemorative  of  the 
active  part  he  took  in  the  late  war.  He  enlistcil 
in  the  month  of  August,  1861,  in  Company  C, 
Tenth  Missouri  Infantry,  which  became  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  the  West,  and  at  different  times  was 
under  Generals  Logan,  Grant,  Sherman,  McPherson 
and  other  noted  leaders.  Mr.  Ruyle  fought  at  Cor- 
inth and  Jackson,  Miss.,  did  good  service  at  the 
battle  of  Champion  Hills,  took  part  in  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg,  was  in  the  ranks  at  Missionary  Ridge, 
and  was  under  fire  in  many  other  important  en- 
gagements. September  16,  1862,  he  was  captured 
liy  the  Confederates  at  luka.  Miss.,  and  was  made  a 
prisoner  in  the  Vicksburg  prison  twenty-one  days. 
Mr.  Ruyle  was  honorably-  discharged  from  the 
army  in  the  month  of  Sei)tember,  1864  and  re- 
enlisted  in  March,  1865,  in  Company  C,  Sixty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry,  which  operated  in  Arkansas 
and  Indian  Territory  against  the  Indians  in  order 
to  keep  them  quiet.  He  received  his  final  discharge 
in  March,  1866.  For  his  services  while  in  the  army 
he  receives  a  pension  of  $6  a  month. 

After  his  hard  experience  of  a  soldier's  life,  our 
subject  returned  to  Calhoun  County,  and  resumed 
the  work  that  he  had  dropped  when  he  marched 
forth  to  defend  his  country- and  has  continued  farm- 
ing very  successfully.     He  has  been  greatly    aided 


584 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  his  labors  by  bis  capable,  energetic  wife  to  whom 
he  was  wedficd  October  12,  185G.  Mrs.  Ruj'le's 
maiden  name  was  Lj'dia  Lumley,  and  she  is  a  sis- 
ter of  Mrs.  D.  S.  II.  Ncvius,  of  Crater  Precinct. 
By  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ruyle  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  nine 
are  living:  Nancy,  Turner,  Thomas,  Julia,  George, 
Luther,  Oscar,  Effle  and  Arthur.  Those  deceased 
are,  Sarah  M.,  Caroline  and  Lualga.  Mrs.  Ruyle  is 
the  dauglitcr  of  Turner  and  Nancy  (Beeman)  Lum- 
ley; her  parents  had  six  children  of  whom  five  are 
living.  Mrs.  Ruyle  the  eldest,  Mrs.  Sarah  Nevius, 
George,  Mrs.  Martha  McConnell,  (Thomas  de- 
ceased) and  Turner. 


»-*^ 


^- 


ARRISON  C.  P'RENCIi  is  one  of  the  pros- 
Yl  perous  farmers  of  Pike  County,  owning  and 
occupying  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  fine  land  on  section  30,  Montezuma 
Township.  His  estate  has  been  well  improved, 
supplied  with  a  complete  line  of  convenient  farm 
buildings  and  a  residence  which  is  one  of  the  most 
comfortable  and  tasteful  in  the  vicinity,  while  the 
acreage  has  been  thoroughly  and  iiitelligenlly 
tilled.  Mr.  French  divides  his  attention  between 
the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  and  tlie  raising  of 
stock,  keeping  Short-horn  cattle,  Poland- China 
hogs  anil  horses  of  good  breeds.  Were  there  no 
other  reason  for  his  receiving  the  respect  of  his 
acquaintances  it  would  be  found  in  the  fact  that  lie 
gave  several  of  the  best  years  of  his  life  to  the 
service  of  his  country,  enduring  the  dangers  and 
l)rivations  of  campaign  life  and  suffering  the  hor- 
rors of  imprisonment. 

Mr.  French  is  the  youngest  child  of  Isaac  and 
Rebecca  French  and  was  born  October  9,  1834, 
at  Haidwick,  Caledonia  County,  Vt.  He  was  two 
years  old  when  his  mother  died  and  he  was  left 
fatherless  wlien  eleven  years  of  age.  He  was  taken 
care  of  by  a  sister  for  about  a  year,  next  spent  two 
3'ears  in  the  household  of  a  Mr.  Craig,  following 
which  he  was  with  Timothy  Fuller  at  Newberry 
for  two  years.  During  the  ensuing  five  years  he 
lived  with  Ora  Crosby.     During  all  these  years  he 


worked  on  a  farm,  having  three  months  schooling  i] 
each    year.     When   twenty-one  j-ears  old  he  came  j 
to  this   State,  reaching  Milton  in  18.56  and  finding 
eraplo^'ment  for  a  couple   of  mouths  in   driving  a 
team.     He   rented  a  farm    of   his    brother,   E.  N.  ': 
French,    one    season,  then    went    to    McDonougli 
County  and  broke   prairie  for  George  Underwood, 
of    Milton    one  season.     Returning  to  Milton  he 
rented  a  farm  until    the  war    broke   out  when    be 
abandoned  his  peaceful  occupation  for  the  exciting, 
and   dangerous  life  of  a  soldier.     In   1858  he  had  ' 
started  overland  with  an  ox-team  for  Pike's  Peak, 
but  only  journej'ed  as  far  as  Pawnee  Creek,  Kan., 
when  he  turned   back  persuaded  that  the  Prairie  i| 
State  held  resources  enough  for  him.  i 

August  3,  1861,  the  name  of  Hariison    French! 
was    placed    on  the    muster  roll   of   Company  E, ' 
Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry  as  Second  Sergeant. ! 
The  regiment  was  organized  at  Springfield   under 
Col.    Waters,    and    after    camping    two    weeks  at 
Thebes    on   the    Mississippi    River  spent  an  equal' 
length  of  time  at  Bird's  Point,  Mo.     This  time  was 
spent  in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  military  tactics 
and  making  preparations  for  the  active  campaign 
duties  in  which  the  boys  expected  to  take  part.  No 
heav3'  engagements   were    participated    in  during 
the  fall  and  the  winter  was  spent  at  Ft.  Holt,  Ky.. 
in  the  tedious  round  of  camp  duties.     Mr.  French 
look  part  in  the  battle  at  Belmont,  Mo.,  thence  went  j 
to  Paducah,  Ky.,  and  after  a  few  days  started  for 
Ft.  Henry.     He   participated  in  the  engagement  at 
Ft.  Donelson,  cani[)ed  at  Shiloh  and  took  part  in: 
the  first  day's  fight  on  that  bloody  field. 

Mr.  French  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  enemy 
spent  the  night  at  Shiloh  Church  and  was  tbei 
taken  to  Corinth,  Memphis,  Mobile  and  Tuscalooj; 
in  succession,  spending  a  month  in  the  last-namei 
town.  From  there  he  was  sent  to  Montgumer\ 
and  two  weeks  later  removed  to  the  military  |)iisor 
in  IMacon  where  he  was  confined  five  months.  Il< 
was  next  taken  to  Richmond  and  after  spendiiii; 
two  days  in  Libby  Prison  was  exchanged  and  seir 
to  Annapolis,  Md.  At  Tuscaloosa  and  Montgom 
ery  he  had  been  kept  in  close  confinement  but  m 
Macon  had  the  liberty  of  twenty  acres.  His  usua 
prison  fare  was  a  pint  of  meal  per  day,  a  little  meal 
and  occasionally  a  little  salt.    When  he  entered  tb( 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


585 


arm}'  lie  weighed  one  hundred  and  eighty-six 
pounils  but  when  exclianged  his  weight  had  been 
reduced  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five.  AVhilc 
in  Libby  Prison  he  was  taken  sick  and  was  unable 
to  do  anytliing  for  a  year  afterward.  When  ex- 
chan"ed  he  was  given  a  furlough  of  five  months 
which  he  spent  in  Boston  with  his  brother-in-law, 
Charles  Morris  He  was  discharged  March  27, 1863, 
remained  in  Vermont  and  JIassachusetts  until  Oc- 
tober and  then  returned  to  this  State  and  resumed 
the  arts  of  peace. 

Mr.  French  rented  a  farm  until  1871  theu  bought 
the  land  which  he  now  occupies  and  made  a  per- 
m.int'nt  settlement  upon  it.  It  is  often  said  that 
marriage  is  a  lottery,  and  if  this  bo  true  Mr.  French 
drew  a  prize,  as  his  comi)anion  jjossesses  one  of 
Ihoseiioble  natures  which  shed  luster  on  the  name 
of  woman.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  S.  E. 
Lona;  and  became  Mrs.  French  in  1865.  She  was 
born  in  the  township  in   vvhich   she   now   lives  in 

I  1841  to  Nelson  and  Martha  (Gale)  Long,  both  [lar- 
ents  being  natives  of  Kentucky.  After  coming  to 
this  State  they  first  located  in  McDonough  County 

'  hut  later  removed  to  I'ike  County  settling  in  Mon- 

Itcznma  Township.  Mr.  Long  was  a  prominent 
fanner,  owning  two  hundred  acres  of  land  and  was 
a  man   of  exceptionally  fine  character,  charitable, 

[industrious  and  practically  faultless  in  disposition. 
lie  passed  away  in  1869  but  Mrs.  Long  still  lives, 
making  her  home  with  our  subject  and  enjoying 

'good  health  although  eighty-three  yenrs  old.  Mrs. 
Long  belongs  to  the  Christian  Church  in  which  her 
liush.nnd  also  held  membership.  Their  family  can- 
|irised  eight  children,  six  now  living. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  French  seven  children  have 
heen  born  but  one  has  been  removed  from  them  by 

P'eath.  The  others  have  received  good  educations 
nd  have  been  carefully  traineil  in  walks  of  use- 
'fulness.  They  bear  the  respective  names  of  Ora  J., 
iLauia  L.,  Herbert.  Nellie  J.,  Walter  and  Ruth  B. 
It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  more  intelligent,  court- 
eous and  unselfish   srroun  than  that  which  clusters 

I 

Mound  the  hearthstone  of  I\Ir.  and    Mrs.   F'rench. 

Laura   an<l   her  mother    belong   to   the   Christian 

phurch    and    take    rai  active  part  in  the  Sunday- 

Bchool  work. 

Jlr.  French   is   open-handed   in    his  support    of 


church  and  Sundaj'-school  and  all  benevolent  en- 
terprises which  are  brought  to  his  notice.  He  served 
as  School  Director  in  District  No  8  during  nine 
successive  3rears  and  was  Township  Trustee  three 
years.  He  was  also  Township  Collector  two  years, 
handling|10,000  of  township  funds  in  1867.  In 
addition  to  these  offices  he  has  held  that  of  Roail 
Overseer,  in  which  bis  services  were  beneficial  to  the 
traveling  public.  He  is  conservative  in  his  political 
ideas,  voting  the  Republican  ticket. 


AMUEL  S.  HARRINGTON  was  for  m.any 
years  a  well-known  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
of  Pike  County  and  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests of  Griggsville  Township  where  he 
made  his  home,  receiver!  a  severe  blow  at  his 
death.  He  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  .Judge  Charles 
Harrington  who  in  his  day  was  prominent  as  a  pio- 
neer of  Pike  County  and  was  for  many  years  :i 
conspicuous  figure  in  its  religious  and  civic  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
April  19,  1827,  and  died  June  23,  1875,  and  was  the 
second  son  and  third  child  of  his  parents.  liis 
father  was  also  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York 
and  was  there  reared.  For  a  fuller  history  of  the 
Harrington  familj'  sec  sketch  of  Martin  Harrington^ 
uncle  of  our  subji-ct.  The  father  married  Hanunb 
Scranton  in  bis  native  .State,  and  after  the  birth  of 
four  children  came  westwprd  with  his  family  in 
1835  and  settled  in  Griggsville,  Pike  County,  on 
a  piece  of  wild  and  unbroken  land  on  section  1 . 
which  he  procured  from  the  Govci'nment,  entering 
it  when  he  came  and  purchasing  it  two  ye!%rs  later. 
There  he  and  iiis  wife  spent  much  of  their  remain- 
ing life,  passing  their  last  days  in  the  village  of 
Griggsville,  where  '.hey  removed  after  they  had 
attained  old  age,  both  dying  when  past  seventy- 
five  years  old.  Mr.  Harrington  was  a  Baptist 
minister  from  his  early  manhood  and  was  a  pioneer 
preacher  of  this  county,  having  devoted  much  of 
his  time  to  the  work  of  saving  souls  and  of  organ- 
izing new  churches  of  his  faith  in  this  section  of 
the  State.  He  was  also  a  successful  farmer  for 
some  years,  carrying  on  agriculture  in  connection 


586 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


witli  liis  other  pui-suits.  He  was  elected  Count}- 
Jiidjje  in  the  'GOs  and  served  four  j'e;irs  witli  credit 
to  himself  and  the  people  of  the  county.  lie  was 
a  prominent  Whig  and  Republican,  and  was  a  leader 
in  county  politics  for  many  years;  at  his  death 
the  township  of  Griggsville  lost  one  of  her  best 
citizens. 

Our  subject  was  _voung  when  his  father  estab- 
lished himself  in  this  county  and  it  was  here  he 
developed  to  manhood  on  his  father's  farm,  where 
he  attained  a  thorough  practical  knowledge  of  ag- 
riculture which  was  of  great  benefit  to  him  in  his 
after  life.  He  was  a  thoroughl}'  good  man,  was  re- 
vered in  his  township  and  was  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county.  He  was  in  no  sense  an 
office  seeker,  but  a  sound  Republican  in  politics. 
He  was  an  active  member  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  sustained  all  plans  for  the  relig- 
ious, social  or  material  improvement  of  the  townshij) 
and  county. 

Mr.  Harrington  w.is  married  on  the  farm  on  sec- 
tion 12,  Griggsville  Township,  where  he  afterwards 
lived  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  spent  in 
Perry.  Miss  Margaret  EUedge  became  his  wife. 
She  was  born  on  that  farm  April  30,  1832,  and  still 
occupies  it.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Tabitha  (Bell)  Elledge,  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her 
jjarerits  were  reared  in  the  State  of  their  birth,  and 
there  began  their  wedded  life  on  a  farm.  A  few 
years  after  the  birth  of  their  lirst  son,  between 
1820  and  1830,  they  came  to  Illinois  and  were 
among  the  first  pioneers  of  Scott  County,  where 
they  lived  some  six  years,  and  five  children  were 
burn  to  them  there.  The  father  died  in  that  countj' 
in  the  month  of  October,  1822,  a  few  months  be- 
fore his  last  child,  Mrs.  Harrington,  was  born,  lie 
being  in  the  prime  of  life  at  the  time  of  bis  death. 
He  was  a  thrifty  man  and  accumulated  a  goodly 
property.  A  few  months  before  his  death  he  had 
come  to  Pike  County  and  purchased  the  claim  on 
sections  11  and  12,  of  Griggsville  Township,  now 
•the  Iionie  of  his  daughter,  the  wife  of  our  subject, 
buying  it  of  a  Mr.  IMathews,  who  had  entered  it. 
After  Mr.  Elledge  died,  his  widow  and  her  six 
children,  came  to  the  new  home  in  this  township, 
and  were  among  the  first  settlers  in  this  portion  of 
it.     At  that  time  Indians  lircd  here  and  wild  game 


was  plenty.  The  pioneers  had  scarcely  any  of  th< 
luxuries  of  life  and  were  often  deprived  of  its  core 
forts,  and  the  little  family  had  to  face  many  hard! 
ships.  A  few  months  after  Mrs.  Elledge  had  lo 
catcd  here  her  daughter,  Margaret,  Mrs.  Harrington 
was  born.  Mrs.  Elledge  was  a  very  capable  womai 
and  managed  to  provide  the  necessities  of  life  fo 
her  famil\-  and  to  place  the  farm  under  very  goo( 
improvement  before  her  death,  which  occurred  Sep« 
tember  27,  1872,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three  yearsj 
She  was  a  kind  nif)thcrly  woman  and  a  useful  memi 
ber  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  I 

The  wife  of  our  subject  lived   with   her  mothe; 
until  the  latler's  death.     She  was  carefully  trainei] 
in  all  that   makes  a  good  housekeeper,   and   is  r 
woman  of  much  capability,  who  is  well  thought  cj 
by  the  entire  communit}',  where  she  Las  always  ha 
her  home.     By  her   marriage  with  Mr.  Harringto  | 
she  became  the    mother  of  five  children,  two  cl 
whom  are  deceased,  an  infant  and  MoUie  H.  Thos 
living  are  Sarah  A.,  wife  of  William  Hoss,  a  bus 
ness  man  of  Kansas  City;  (Charles  W.,  a  farmer  t 
Clinton   County,   Mo.,   who  married   Anna    Hos; 
and  Ada  B.,  wife   of  Joseph   Power,   they  makin 
their   home  with  Mrs.  Harrington;  Mr.  Power  o\ 
erates  the  farm.     Mrs.  Harrington  and   her  famil 
are  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churc' 
and  are  people  of  social  standing. 

i 


ENRY  IMMING,  a  retired  merchantof  Bru 
sels,  Calhoun  County,  is  a  finet\'peof  sellj 
made  men  who  have  been  successful  in  busi 
ness,  and  accumulated  a  competence  throuu| 
the  exercise  of  their  mental  and    ph3-sical  faeultie'i 
He  was  born  in  Hanover, German}', October  15.182  , 
His  father,  Hermann  Henry  Imraing,  was  also  a  n  j 
live  of  Hanover  and  was  born  in  the  same  house:! 
the  son.     He    learned   the  trade  of  a  weaver,  ar| 
operated  a  hand  loom,  until  his  death   in  1834.  I 
married  Margaret  Schmidt,who  was  a  life-long  res 
dent  of  Hanover,  dying  there  in   1884  when  near  J 
eighty  j'ears  old.     She  reared  three  children.     H 
son    Hermann    came   to   America   and    settled 


RESIDENCE^  BUSIN  ESS    PROPERTY  OF    HENRY   I  IVl  M  I  NG  .  BRUSSELS.  I  LL. 


RESIDENCE    OF   rvlARION   TODD ,  5  EC  19.  POI  NT   PRECT    CALHOUN   CO.  ILL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


589 


Hardin  Toiriisliip.  Callioun  County,  where  he  diecl; 
Garrett  still  rosi(ies  in  Hanovei-. 

Henry  Imming  was  the  j'outigest  son  of  the  fam- 
ily and  was  given  a  substantial  education  in  the 
siliools  of  his  native  land,  which  he  attended  reg- 
iihirlv  until  lie  was  fifteen  j'ears  old.  At  that  age 
he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  shoe- 
maker and  served  three  j'ears.  lie  carried  on  that 
oncupation  until  1852  when  he  decided  to  emigrate 
to  America  and  find  what  life  held  for  hiin  in  this 
land  of  splendid  opportunitief.  Me  set  sail  from 
liremerhaven  in  the  month  of  October  in  the  sail 
vessel,  "John  Long"  and  landed  at  New  Orleans  on 
the  24th  of  December.  Thence  he  pioceeded  to 
St.  Louis,  and  worked  nt  his  trade  in  that  cAty  one 
vear  ])rior  coming  to  Calhoun  County.  After  his  ar- 
rival here  he  settled  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where 
lie  now  resides  and  renting  a  home,  followed  his 
calling  five  years. 

At  the  expiration  of  that  time  Mr.  Imming  con- 
cluded to  change  his  place  of  residence  and  then 
hought  tlie  estate  where  he  now  resides.  When  he 
located  here  there  wore  but  two  houses  in  the  busi- 
ness part  of  Brussels,  and  the  surrounding  countiy 
was  still  in  a  wild,  sparsely  settled  condition  with 
deer,  turkeys  and   other  game   roaming  over   the 

I  site  of  the  present  village.  Mr.  Imming  first 
built  a  log  house  near  where  his  ))resent  buildings 

j  stand,  and  carried    on  his  trade  there   five  j'cars. 

I  Then  he  erected  a  commodious  two-story  brick 
building  in  which  he  put  a  stock  of  goods  and  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  He  kept  a  gen- 
<ral  store,  including  dry-goods  and  groceries,  bats, 
caps,  boots,  shoes,  hardware  and  in  fact  most  every- 

'tliingin  daily  use  in  the  house  and  for  out-of-door 

near.     He  continued  in    business  until    1886,  and 

'Was  very  successful  financially.      He  was  then  snc- 

'  ceoded  by  his   son  Herman    R..  who  is  conducting 

:i  profitable  trade. 

Mr.  limning  has  one  of  the  pleasant  homes  of 
tills  part  of  the  county,  which  is  ))rcsided  over  by 
his  amiable  wife,  who  is  an  excellent  housewife  and 
knows  well  how  to  make  the  inmates  of  the  bouse- 
!.old  comfortable.  The}-  were  married  in  18.52,  and 
111  them  hare  come  four  children — Herman,  John, 
Lena  and  Mary.  Jlrs.  Imming  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  P^lizabeth  Bullions,  and   was  born  in  Han- 


over, Germany.  The  family  are  held  in  liigh  con- 
sideration in  the  community,  and  arc  among  the 
leading  members  of  the  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church. 
During  his  business  career  our  subject  showed  him- 
self to  possess  a  fine  capacity  for  business  and  to  be 
intelligent,  energetic,  wide-awake  in  his  transac- 
tions and  always  square  in  his  dealings  with  others. 
He  is  one  of  the  good  citizens  of  the  place  and  is 
not  lacking  in  public  spirit  where  he  can  promote 
the  welfare  of  Brussels.  In  politics  he  can  alwa)'s 
be  found  su|)porting  the  Democratic  ticket.  The 
attention  of  the  reader  is  directed  to  a  view  on  an- 
other page  of  the  residence  and  other  substantial 
improvements  on  the  homestead  of  Mr.  Imming. 


//%  HARLES  W.  SQUIER  who  is  a  native  of 
(|[  Calhoun  County,  is  an  extensive  landowner 

^^^'  residing  on  section  10,  of  Giilead  Precinct, 
of  which  be  is  one  of  the  leading  agriculturists.  He 
was  born  in  Hardin  Precinct,  December  22,  1851, 
and  is  the  son  of  a  well-known  pioneer  of  this 
county,  Asher  Greene  Squier.  His  father  was  born 
in  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y..  and  w.as  the  son  of 
Charles  and  Azuba  (Green)  Squier.  For  an  ex- 
tended sketch  of  the  Squier  family  sec  biograph}' 
of  Charles  Carlton  Squier. 

Asher  Squier  was  but  nine  years  old  when  be 
came  to  this  county  with  his  parents.  He  com- 
menced very  early  in  life  to  assist  in  the  support  of 
the  family,  taking  advantage  of  each  opportunity 
offered  to  secure  an  education,  as  he  was  fond  of 
books.  He  inherited  traits  of  industiy.  sound 
judgment  and  good  personal  habits,  which  were  im- 
portant factors  in  making  him  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  this  county.  He  acquired  a  large 
landed  estate,  and  m.ay  rightly  be  classed  among 
the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  county  who  were 
instrumental  in  its  development.  He  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  and 
horticulture,  and  resided  in  Hardin  Precinct  until 
death  rounded  out  his  life  at  a  ripe  age  January  23, 
1883.  He  had  married  in  early  life,  taking  Miss 
Fanny  Oilman  as  his  wife,  and  they  reared  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  ^V.  and  Nancy  A.     The  mother  of 


rjoo 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


our  subject  died,  and  the  father  was  subsequently 
married  to  Sarah  H.  Bruwn,  who  resides  in  .Tersey- 
ville.     Slie  has  two  clnldren,  Alice  E.  and   Maud. 

The  subject  of  tliis  biographical  notice  was  reared 
and  educated  in  this  county,  and  when  quite  young 
commenced  to  assist  in  the  farm  work.  He  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  his  marriage,  when 
he  settled  on  one  of  the  farms  which  he  now  owns, 
located  in  Gilead  Precinct.  He  is  proprietor  of 
two  farms  in  this  precinct  comprising  a  large  tract 
of  four  hundred  and  sevent^'-eight  acres  of  bottom 
land,  which  are  the  most  rich  and  productive  in  this 
p:\rt  of  the  State.  His  farms  are  well  tilled,  and 
are  improved,  having  neat  and  well  ordered  build- 
ings, and  everything  necessary  for  carrying  on 
agriculture  advantageously  and  profitably.  Mr. 
Squier  was  married  November  23,  1873,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Elizabeth  Joslin,  a  native  of  this  countv, 
and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  (Howell) 
.Tosliu.  For  an  extended  history  of  her  parents  see 
sketch  of  Mrs.  Sarali  J.  Smitli  on  another  page  of 
this  Album.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Squier  have  established 
a  cozy  home,  where  comfort  predominates  and  lios- 
pitality  reigns.  Their  pleasant  household  is  com- 
pleted by  two  children,  Walter  G.  and  Clarerce  C. 

Mr.  Squier  is  in  every  way  a  credit  to  tlie  citi- 
zenship of  hi"!  native  county,  as  he  is  a  man  of  fine 
personal  character,  whose  habits  are  exemplary,  and 
he  deserves  the  confidence  and  respect  accorded  to 
him  by  his  fellow-citizens,  who  have  watched  his 
honorable  career  with  satisfaction.  In  him  the  Re- 
publican partj'  finds  one  of  its  stanchest  champions. 
He  is  a  member  of  Calhoun  Lodge,  No.  796,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  he  and  his  good  wife  are  members  of 
high  standing  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Vf  AMES  G.  WILLSEY.  The  world  is  wide 
and  the  occupations  that,  claim  the  attention 
of  men,  are  numerous  and  divez'sified,  wiiile 
the  progress  of  science  opens  up  new  ave- 
nues by  which  to  reach  human  greatness.  But  it 
is  doubtful  if  there  is  even  one  other  occupation 
that  brings  the  same  feeling  of  independence  and 
freedom  that  is  yielded   by  agricultural  pursuits. 


In  the  country  surrounded  on  every  side  by   field? 
of  waving  grain  and  the  peaceful  quiet  of   nature 
man  stands  as  it  were,  monarch  of  all  he  surveys  itj 
very  trutli. 

Our  subject  was  born   in  Tompkins  County,  N 
Y.,  February  28,  1830.  and  was  the  sixth  child  in  i 
family  of  fourteen  children,  of  whom  six  were  003'!, 
and  eight  were  girls.     His  parents  were   Harnett 
Willsey,  born  in  New  York,  and   Cornelia  Willsej, 
(formerl}'  Cornelia   Kiser)    who   was  also  born  ir 
New  York  in    1804  and   married   in    1821.     Thejj 
emigrated  to  Ohio  in  1836  and  thence  to  Illinois  ir 
1840,  locating  in  Pittsfield  Township,  Pike  County 
where  on  the  31st  of  January,  1859,  Barnett  Will 
sey  died  and  was  buried  on  the  old  homestead,  anC| 
on  .Januaiy  10,  1889,  the  mother  died  and  was  laitj 
to   rest  beside  her  husband  at  the   r'pe  old   age  ol 
eighty-five  years. 

Our  subject  removed  with  his  |iarcnts  to  Ohio! 
where  the}'  remained  until  the_\-    removed   to  Illi) 
nois.     Here  the  subject  of  our  sketch  has  continued 
to  reside  until  the  present  (1890).     When   abouj 
twenty-two  years  of  age  he  married  and  establisliecj 
a  liome  of  his  own.     Such  is  his  natural  abilitv  anc 
energy,  that  he  has  not  only  gained  tiie  respect  am 
friendship  of  all  who  know  him,  but   has  also  wc 
a  comfortable  fortune,  and  is  generally  conceded  I 
be  one  of  tlie  leading  agi-iculturists   in   this  sectio 
of  the  country. 

Mr.  Willse\'  was  married  June  19.  1851,  in  Nevj 
Hartford,  111.,  to  Miss  Melinda  Rogers,  daughter  c,i 
David  and   Fannie  (Alcorn)    Rogers,    natives  re, 
speetivel}'  of  South  Carolina  and  Kentucky.     He 
parents  removed  from  the  Blue  Grass  Stale  to  111. 
nois  in  the   spring  of  1826,  and  resided   in  Pife'j 
County  until  their  death,  the  father    passing  awa*' 
March  21,  1871,  and  the  mother  March    10,    187: 
Of  their  union  ten  children  were  born,  Melinda  b( 
ing  the  fourth  in  the  order  of  birth.    She  was  bor 
in  Morgan  Count}^  III.,  August  14,   1830,  and  i( 
ceived  a  common-school  education.     Her  thrift  ! 
a  housekeeper,  and  kindness  of  heart  as  a  neighbo 
have  won  her  the  love  of  many. 

Immediately  following  their   marriage  our  suli 
ject  and  his  estimable  wife  located  on  a  portion  ( 
his  father's  estate,  and  there  continued  to  reside  fc 
a  period  of  three  years.     Then  purchasing  tlie  fan 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


591 


where  he  now  lives,  he  began  its  cultivation.  It 
contains  four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  and 
when  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Willse}-. 
was  a  fine  rolling  prairie  interspersed  here  and  tiiere 
with  patches  of  scrub  oak  and  hazel  brush.  Much 
hard  labor  was  required  to  bring  it  to  its  present 
slate  of  cultivation.  All  of  the  buildings  aie  of 
the  higliest  order,  and  besides  farming,  he  is  also 
interested  in  stock-raising. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willse}-  have  been  born  two 
children,  one  of  whom  died  when  only  nine  days 
old.  The  other,  William  R.,  lives  on  a  part  of  his 
father's  farm  and  is  a  prosperous  farmer.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Judith  Browth,  a  native  of  Pike  County, 
and  they  have  three  children,  viz:  Grace.  Edith 
and  Scott.  While  Mr.  Willsey  has  been  at  no  time 
an  office  seeker,  still  he  has  at  various  times  been 
called  upon  to  fill  vacant  offices  of  public  trust,  hav- 
ing served  as  Highway  Commissioner  and  School 
Director.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  takes  a  great  interest  in  political  matters.  He 
helongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  has  done 
much  to  advance  both  the  educational  and  religious 
standing  of  the  comnuuiitj'. 


^"i-v-i-->- 


UGENE  GRAY.  Among  the  enterprising 
1^  business  men  of  New  Canton,  Pike  County, 
sa^  and  those  who  are  intimately  connected  with 
the  social  and  moral  element,  is  the  gentleman 
above  named,  who  is  engaged  in  the  sale  of  general 
'merchandise,  fuel,  grain  and  railroad  ties.  He  was 
Iborn  in  Barry  in  September,  1839,  and  is  the  oldest 
jman  now  living  in  the  county  whose  birth  took 
place  in  that  town.  He  traces  his  descent  in  the 
Ipaternal  line  from  an  old  New  England  family  and 
IS  the  son  of  honored  pioneers  of  this  county  who 
ire  still  living  and  proud  of  the  advancement  that 
lias  been  made  here  under  their  vcrj'  eyes. 

Going  back  a  few  generations  in  the  paternal 
fine  we  come  to  John  Gray,  who  was  born  in 
Salem,  Conn.,  in  1704.  The  next  in  the  direct  line 
)f  descent  was  Daniel  Gray,  who  was  born  in  the 
iame  State  in  17o7.     He  finally  maile   his  home  in 


New  York,  and  in  Rensselaer  Count}-  his  son 
Thomas,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
1812,  he  being  the  youngest  son  in  a  family  of 
thirteen  children.  In  the  same  county  Mary  F. 
Crandall,  who  became  his  wife,  opeued  her  ej-es  to 
the  light  in  1820.  This  highly-respected  couple 
have  been  married  fifty-two  years.  They  have 
reared  seven  daughters  and  three  sons  f.nd  the  fam- 
ily circle  still  remains  unbroken.  Their  children 
bear  the  names  of  Eugene,  Melissa,  Henry,  Char- 
lotta,  Josephine,  Fanny,  Florence,  Gertrude,  Hal- 
bert  and  Hattie.  Mr.  Gray  came  directly  from  his 
native  county  hither,  traveling  by  canal,  lake  and 
river,  and  establishing  himself  in  Barry  as  a  gen- 
eral farmer.  He  and  his  wife  have  witnessed  the 
greater  part  of  the  development  of  the  count}-  and 
have  borne  an  active  part  in  the  labors  from  which 
it  has  resulted. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  noti<;e  was  reared 
in  his  native  place  and  acquired  his  education  in 
her  schools.  His  first  occupation  was  that  of  a 
teacher,  after  which  he  engaged  in  clerking  and 
various  employments  until  he  was  able  to  establish 
a  stoie  of  his  own  in  Barry.  When  the  Civil  War 
broke  out  he  gave  up  his  business,  as  his  countrv 
was  more  to  him  than  wealth  or  ease.  He  first  en- 
listed in  1862,  in  the  Sixty-eighth  Illinois  Infantrj', 
and  afterwaril  became  a  member  of  the  Twenty- 
eighth.  He  bore  a  part  in  the  various  scenes  of 
warfare  until  April,  186<),  when  he  was  mustered 
out  at  Brownsville,  Tex.,  and  sent  North  to  receive 
an  honorable  discharge  at  Springfield.  During  the 
period  in  which  he  was  valiantly  acting  in  his  coun- 
try's  defense  he  had  the  fortune  to  be  present  dur- 
ing a  number  of  sieges,  the  last  being  that  of 
Mobile.  Whatever  duty  he  was  called  upon  to 
perform  was  cheerfully  undertaken,  and  Mr.  Gray 
won  the  commendution  of  his  officers  and  the 
admiration  of  his  comrades. 

When  his  army  life  was  over  Mr.  Gray  returned 
to  Barry,  and  until  1867  busied  himself  in  the 
occupations  of  a  schoolteacher  and  a  clerk.  He 
then  engaged  in  business  with  W.  H.  Odiorne, 
putting  a  very  small  capital  into  the  firm.  The 
connection  was  continued  one  j'earand  a  very  suc- 
cessful business  was  carried  on,  but  at  the  end  of  a 
twelvemonth  Mr.  Gray  sold  out  to  M.  D.  Massie 


592 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  became  a  cleik  in  the  store.  A  year  later  he 
entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Massie,  with 
whom  he  continued  in  business  until  1883,  when 
he  soUl  out  his  interest  with  the  intention  of  going 
West.  Not  finding  prospects  satisfactory  he  re- 
turned to  New  Canton  and  in  the  fall  again  engaged 
in  business,  this  time  alone.  Success  is  crowning 
his  efforts  in  the  sale  of  merchandise,  as  well  as  in 
the  other  branches  of  trade. 

During  the  past  seven  years,  in  which  he  has 
been  selling  railroad  ties,  Mr.  Gray  has  had  on  an 
average  tliiny  men  constantly  employed,  and  has 
turned  out  as  least  ten  tliousand  cords  of  wood  and 
two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  ties.  He  has  full 
control  of  the  latter  trade  for  the  Quincy  &  Lou- 
isiana branch  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  A-  Quincy. 
From  his  initial  enterprise  as  a  business  man  Mr. 
Graj'  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  known  in  her  maid- 
enhood as  Lydia  R.  Ware,  and  the  marriage  rites 
were  celebrated  between  them  January  8,  1878. 
Mrs.  Gray  was  born  in  Barry  February  28,  1847, 
reared  there  and  received  her  education  in  the 
public  schools.  Her  jiarents,  Isaac  and  Mary  Ware, 
are  well  known  to  the  residents  as  old  settlers, 
having  taken  up  their  abode  there  in  1839.  Mr. 
Ware  was  born  in  New  Jerse}-,  was  reared  in 
Pliiladelphia,  Pa.,  and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade. 
His  death  occurred  in  B'lrry  in  the  Centennial  year. 
Mrs.  Ware  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  spent 
her  cliildliood  and  youth  in  that  city  and  in  Phila- 
delphia. She  is  still  living,  making  her  home  with 
iier  daughter.  Mrs.  Graj'.  She  remembers  the  AVar 
of  1812  which  began  when  she  was  about  six  years 
old.  Although  eighty-four  3ears  of  age,  she  is  in 
good  health  and  spry  in  her  movements,  as  evinced 
hy  the  fact  that  during  the  past  summer  she  walked 
two  miles  and  climbed  a  stake-and-rider  fence. 

Mrs.  Gray  is  tlie  tenth  in  a  family  comprising 
eleven  children.  The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray 
lias  been  childless,  but  they  have  an  adopted  daugh- 
ter, Jenny  Gray,  and  an  adopted  son,  George  E. 
Gray,  who  was  taken  by  them  in  his  infancy  and  is 
now  nine  years  old. 

The  first  Presidential  ballot  cast  b^'  Mr.  Gra}' 
was  in  18G0  and  his  chosen  candidate  was  Abraham 
Lincoln.      He  has  continued   his   allegiance   to  the 


Republican  party  and  is  firmly  convinced  that  he 
will  always  be  a  Republican.  He  has  been  sent  to 
the  State  Convention  as  a  delegate  twice,  and  in 
the  local  work  of  the  party  takes  quite  a  prominent 
part.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of 
Pleasant  Yale  Township  two  terras  and  was  Treas- 
urer ten  years.  He  also  served  as  Postmaster  three 
years  when  the  salary  was  838  per  year.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Odd  Fellows  order,  being  enrolled  in 
a  lodge  at  Barry,  also  belongs  to  the  Mpdern  Wood- 
men of  America  and  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  Mrs.  Gray  is  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  and  her  husband  is  always 
ready  to  aid  in  the  benevolent  enterprises  which 
are  promulgated  by  the  societ}-. 

^  OSEPH  C.  HARRISON,  ex  County  Clerk  of 
Calhoun  County  and  a  prosperous  merchant 
of  Belleview,  is  a  very  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  this  part  of  the  State.  He 
comes  of  good  pioneer  stock,  and  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  born  September  5,  1851.  His  parents  were 
Joseph  C.  and  Bridget  (Red)  Harrison.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Penns^'lvania,  and  coming  to  this 
count3-  in  pioneer  times  he  married  heie,  and  wliile 
in  the  midst  of  a  useful  career  his  life  was  termin- 
ated while  yet  in  its  prime,  when  his  son  our  sub- 
ject was  only  sixteen  months  old.  He  was  the  father 
of  four  children,  of  whom  two  are  living,  George 
and  Joseph  C. 

The  latter  who  forms  the  subject  of  this  brief 
biographical  review,  was  early  left  an  orphan  by 
his  mother's  death  when  he  was  only  five  years  old. 
His  father  had  been  prominent  in  pioneer  life  hero, 
being  an  early  settler  of  Belleview  Precinct  and  be 
had  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  as  Deputy 
Slieriff  of  the  county.  Our  subject  was  reared  un- 
der pioneer  influences  and  passed  his  youth  on  a 
farm.  He  was  given  the  .iilvantages  of  a  liberal 
education,  laying  its  foundation  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county,  and  in  the  fall  of  1867 
he  became  a  student  at  the  Notre  Dame  University 
at  South  Bend,  Ind.,  where  he  devoted  himself  to 
his  books  for  two  years.      He    >vas  thus  well  quali- 


^^M&u^M,^/^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


595 


Red  to  teach,  and  he  pursued  that  profession  some 
six  months. 

Mr.  Il.arrison  w.is  selected  b\-  his  party  for   the 
responsible  office  of  Clerk  of  tiie  coiiiUy   in    1877, 
.snd  he  served  in  that  capacity   nine  years  success- 
ively with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction 
of  his  fellow-citizens  without  regard  to  party.     In 
|l887  he  located  at  Belleview,   having    decided   to 
give  his  attention    to  the  mercantile   business  and 
Sagaciously  concluding  that  this  was  a  fine  point  at 
which  to  open  a  general  store.      In  the  fall  of  1889 
'\\e  moved  into  his  present  commodious  quarters  in 
I  fine  brick  building,  two  stories  in   height,   2.5x50 
feet  in  diuKiisions,   which   he   has    fitted  up  ver}- 
leatly  and  has  it  well  stocked  with  goods  of  all 
.•lasses  that  are  demanded  b}-  his  customers  araouut- 
'ng  in   v.iUie    to    about  iii.OOO,  his    annual    sales 
iiinging  him  in  $8  000.     lie   is    a  well-educated 
nan,   possesses  a  sound   w'ell-balanced    mind,   and 
;ood  financial  talents,  which  place  him  among  the 
uccessful  business  men  of  his  native  count}'.     He 
s  a  leader  of  the  Democracy   in  this  section  of  the 
■'late,  and  his  hand  is  felt  in  various  enterprises  ad- 
iDced  to  further  the  interests  of  Belleview  and  the 
■ounty  at  large.     In  religion  he  is  a  true  Catholic 
|nd  is  a  member  of  the  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison's  pleasant  home  in  Belle- 

liew  is  made   very   attractive    to  their  numerous 

ieuds  by  the  kindness  and   cordiality  of  the  host- 

-  and  the  genial  courtesy  of  the  host.    'Ihese  two 

iple  were    united   in    the  bonds    of  matrimony 

I'lil  5,  1874,   and  three  of  the  five  children   born 

their  union  are  now  living — Charles   A.,   Lellia 

.  and  Mary.     William  L.   and  Rolin    E.  arc  de- 

:ise<l.    Mrs.  Harrison's  maiden  name  was  Julia  A. 

dwell,  and  she  is  a  daughter  of  the  v.-ell-known 

j)hn  Sidwell,  of  whom  a  sketch    appears    on  the 

'iges  of  tiiis  volume. 


ILLIAM  HENRY  PLUMMER  has  a  fii.e 
Jll  farm  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land,  four  miles  southwest  of  Hardin  in 
cad  Precinct,  and  is  classed  amongst  the  most 
ustrious  and  skillful  members    of    the    farming 


community  of  this  county.  He  is  a  native  of 
Missouri,  and  was  born  in  Lincoln  County,  April 
24,  1832.  His  father,  Philemon  Plummer,  was 
born  in  Kenluck>',  February  14,  1802,  while  his 
grandfather,  .Joseph  Plummer,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land. Philemon  Plummer,  tlie  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  w.as  also  of  English  birth  and  came 
to  America  from  his  native  land  iii  Colonial  times. 
He  fought  in  the  Revolution,  became  a  pioneer  of 
Kentucky  and  later  of  JSIissouri,  where  death  closed 
his  earthly  pilgrimage  in  his  home  in  Lincoln 
County. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents,  and  settled  in  St.  Louis 
County,  Mo.,  in  early  pioneer  d.ays.  At  that  time 
St.  Louis  was  but  a  village  and  the  surrounding 
country  was  very  sparselj'  inhabited.  In  a  few 
years  Mr.  Plummer  moved  to  Linc(dn  County 
where  he  bought  land  and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  3'oung  when  his 
parents  moved  to  Missouri,  and  he  was  there  reared 
and  married,  taking  as  his  wife  Mary  D.  Gordan 
a  native  of  Tennessee.  She  now  makes  her  home 
with  our  subject.  Philemon  Plummer  continued 
to  live  in  Missouri  till  1843,  when  he  came  to  this 
county  and  cast  iu  his  lot  with  the  pioneers  of 
Gilead  Precinct.  He  bought  land  and  entered  upon 
its  improvement  but  his  busy  life  was  cut  short  by 
his  death  in  1855,  when  a  useful  pioneer  was  re 
moved  from  the  scene  of  his  labors. 

William  II.  Plunuuer  was  eleven  3'ears  old  when 
he  accompanied  his  father  and  mother  to  this  county 
and  he  remembers  well  the  incidents  of  [lioneer  life 
here.  He  recollects  when  deer,  turkey  and  other 
kinds  of  game  were  plentiful.  There  was  but 
little  improved  land  in  this  county,  as  the  people 
were  chiefly  engaged  in  lumbering,  hunting  and 
fishing.  Our  subject  early  became  inured  to  the 
labors  of  farm  life  while  assisting  his  father  to 
carry  on  his  agricultural  affairs. 

Mr.  Plummer  resided  with  his  parents  till  his 
marriage  in  1S53,  when  Louisa  Lewis  became  his 
wife.  She  died  in  1855,  and  he  was  married  a 
second  time,  taking  as  his  helpmate  Sarah  Wilker- 
son  who  died  in  1870.  The  present  marriage  of 
our  subject,  which  took  place  in  1873,  w.as  to  Sarah 
(Ramsey)  Haynes.     Their  pleasant  wedded  life  has 


596 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


been  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  eight  children, 
wliom  they  have  named  James  Clifford,  William, 
Louisa,  Clara,  Charles,  Cleveland,  Rosa  and  Ray. 
By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Plummer  had  one  child — 
StepLen,  who  resides  in  Columbus, Cherokee  County, 
Kan.  Mar}-,  Mr.  Phnnraer's  daughter  by  liis  second 
marriage,  is  tlie  wife  of  Jonas  Ward,  of  Belleview 
Precinct.  Mrs.  Plummer  had  one  child  by  her 
(irst  marriage — Cyrus  Haynes.  Mr.  Plummer  is  a 
stanch  ]3emocrat  in  politics.  He  is  a  man  of  sturdy 
excellent  character  who  is  relied  upon  in  all  cases 
and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  entire  neighbor- 
hood. His  portrait  appears  in  connection  with  this 
brief  biographical  review. 


'v.',"^..;: ; 


jL^.  O^'-  WILLIAM  MORTLAND,  is  one  of  the 
Ij  most  enterprising  and  honorable  business 
men  of  Calhoun  County,  and  a  citizen  who 
has  done  much  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  people  in  local  affairs  and  in  public  life.  His 
home  is  in  the  count}'  seat  where  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years. 
His  store  is  well-fitted,  supplied  with  a  full  line  of 
well- selected  goods,  such  as  are  suited  to  the  wants 
of  the  people,  and  is  conducted  according  to  the 
best  business  principles. 

Mr.  Mortland  is  of  Irish  birth,  but  of  remote 
Scotch  ancestry.  His  grandfatiier,  Thomas  IMort- 
land,  spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Emerald  Isle  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming.  John  Mortland,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  reared  to  agricultural 
pursuits  and  pursued  the  same  until  about  four  years 
before  his  death.  In  1848  he  left  his  native  land 
and  with  his  wife  and  seven  of  his  ten  children 
turned  his  face  toward  America.  The  family 
set  sail  from  Londonderry  on  the  "Gypsy"  in  the 
month  of  Ajn-il  and  landed  at  New  Orleans  after  a 
voyage  of  eight  weeks  and  three  days.  They  went 
directly  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  made  that  city  their 
home, three  months  and  then  came  to  Hardin.  In 
a  short  time  they  were  located  on  a  farm  six 
miles  south,  which  Mr.  Mortland  had  purchased 
and  continued  to  operate  during  his  active  life.  He 


breathed  his  last  in  Hardin,  July  28,  188L  havin" 
removed  to  the  city  a  short  time  before. 

John  Mortland  was  three  times  married.  His  first 
wife,  the  motlier  of  our  subject,  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  Lammy.  Like  her  husband  she  was 
born  in  County  Tvronc,  Ireland,  and  there  she 
breathed  her  last.  The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Mfirt- 
land  was  Margaret  Simson,  who  came  to  America 
with  iiim  and  died  in  Callioun  County.  His  third  was 
Mrs.  Mar}-  Brannani.  The  first  marriage  resulted  in 
the  birth  of  nine  children — Thomas  L.,  Jobn,Jame«.  i 
Chittick,  William,  Jane,  Kanc}-,  Mary  and  Sally.' 
All  were  reared  to  years  of  maturity,  but  Cbittick 
and  Mary  are  now  deceased.  The  second  marriage 
was  l.lest  by  the  birth  of  one  daughter — Margaret. : 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  ancestral  farm  in  | 
■County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  September  28,  1828.    He' 
was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  as  soon  as : 
his  strength  would  permit  began  to  assist  his  father  ' 
in  the  cultivation   of  the  farm.     He  was  twenty, 
years  of  age  when  he  accompanied  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  to  America  and  he  continued  to 
reside  under  his  father's  roof  until  he  was  married. 
Previous  to  that  time  he  bought  a  farm  near  the 
homestead  and  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  pur- 
chased   the   well-known    Ilaper    farm    in    Hardin 
Township  and  made  it  his  home.     This  land  is  still, 
in  his  possession  and   is   a  valuable  piece  of  prop- 
erty.    A    particularly   noticeable    feature  upon  it, 
is  an  oreliard  of  sixty  acres,  one  of  the  finest  in  tbe 
entire  Prairie  State.     In  1878  Mr.   Mortland  gave 
up  active  participation  in  farm  work  and  became  s 
merchant  and  has  since  given  his  time  and  attcntioi) 
to  commercial  affairs,  except  when  serving  in  a  pub- 
lic capacity. 

Since  the  war  Mr.  Mortland  has   been   ideutifiedi 
with  the  Democratic  party.    He  has  been  a  memhci 
of  the  Village  Board,  except  one  year  when  he  re- 
fused to  serve,  since   he  lived   in    town,  and  wa; 
President  several  terms.     In   1872  he   was  electci 
County  Judge  and  served  on  the  Bench   five  years 
In  1880  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  and  dur 
ing  the  regular  session   of    1881-82   earnestly  en 
deavored  to  advance  the  interests  of   his  constitu 
ents   by  a  calm   consideration   and  just  judgmen 
regarding  the  measures  brought  before  the  Asseni 
bly.     He  has  done  etllcicnt  work   for   his  party  ii 


t 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


597 


Congressional  and  district  conventions  as  well  as  at 
he  polls.  He  belongs  to  Calhoun  Lodge,  No.  792, 
'4..  F.  &,  A.  I\L  Botli  himself  and  wife  belong  to 
,iie  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  have  high 
litanding  among  its  members.  In  1863  the  Hon.  Mr. 
^lortland  visited  the  old  home  in  Ireland,  being  ab- 
ent  some  four  months. 

'  Our  subject  established  his  own  househohl  April 
),  I80G,  when  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Javah  Smith.  This  lady  was  born  in  Jersey  Count}- 
o  Levi  and  Mary  Smith,  received  careful  home 
raining  and  developed  a  most  excellent  character. 
:."be  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mortlan<l  consists  of 
|ve  children:  Mary,  is  now  the  wife  of  Henry 
-isher,  their  home  being  in  Hardin;  Sarah  married 
)r.  Marion  and  lives  in  Guthrie  Oklahoma;  Rosa 
larried  Dr.  H.  W.  Springer,  of  Quincy ;  John  mar- 
led Ellen  Linkogle  and  occupies  the  home  farm; 
Villiam  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Business 
I'oUege  in  Leavenworth,  Kan. 


^.^^gm^^ 


s^TEl'HEN  R.  WniTAKER  is  one  of  the 
substantial  farmers  of  Pike  County,  and 
his  farm  on  section  21,  Kinderhook  Town- 
ship compares  with  the  best  in  this  vicin- 
Id  point  of  cultivation  and  improvement.  He 
las  born  in  Erie  Countj',  N.  Y.,  nine  miles  from 
iiffalo,  September  9,  1827.  When  he  was  but  six 
j-'ars  of  age  he  was  brought  to  this  county  in  1833, 
I'  Mr.  B.  D.  Brown  a  well-known  and  prominent 
|oneer  of  this  section  of  Illinois.  He  went  to  the 
Ig  schoolhouse  in  Barry  Township,  and  on  its 
pncheon  seats  studied  his  books  diligently  and 
pined  such  an  education  as  was  afforded  by  the 
iliools  here  in  pioneer  times.  He  can  remember 
pen  the  country  round  about  was  scarcely  de- 
■jloped,  and   deer,   wild   turkej's  and   other  game 

iire  very  plenty.  He  was  reared  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
own,  who  carefully  trained  him  to  the  duties  of 
e,  and  he  remained  an  inmate  of  their  home  until 
was  twenty-five  years  old.  After  marriage  he 
irned  the  trade  of  a  broom -maker  and  worked  at 


It  twenty  years,  a  short  time  in  St.  Louis  and  two 
and  one- half  years  in  Peoria.  After  tiie  death  of 
his  wife  in  that  city,  he  settled  in  Barry,  whern  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  remaining  there 
three  years.  After  his  second  marriage  ■  in  the 
month  of  January,  1878,  lie  took  up  his  resitlence 
on  the  place  where  he  now  lives.  Here  he  has  one 
hundred  and  ten  acres  whose  .soil  is  as  rich  and  fer- 
tile as  that  of  any  farm  in  Kinderhook  Township. 
The  land  is  all  under  cultivation  and  is  finely  im- 
proved, being  provided  with  an  excellent  set  of 
buildings,  neatly  fenced,  etc. 

Our  subject  has  witnessed  much  of  the  growth  of 
Pike  County.  When  he  was  young  he  cut  away 
the  brush  from  the  place  where  Mrs.  Benjamin 
Brown's  house  now  stands  in  Barry,  fifty-one  years 
ago.  He  can  remember  when  the  inhabitants  of 
that  town  lived  in  a  primitive  condition,  and  the 
merchants  had  to  go  to  St.  Louis  for  their  goods, 
going  with  a  wa;^on  and  crossing  the  Illinois  River 
before  Griggsville  was  laid  out.  Our  subject  can 
recollect  the  first  man  that  settled  in  that  place  who 
is  still  living  there  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years. 
Mr.  Whitaker  at  one  time  crossed  the  Mississippi 
on  a  flatboat  and  staid  all  night  at  Mr.  Wheelock's 
at  the  Atl.as  tavern,  fifty-seven  years  ago.  He  used 
to  go  to  school  with  Mr.  Wheelock,  whose  sketch 
appears  on  another  page  of  this  work.  Taylor  was 
the  first  President  for  whom  our  subject  voted.  He 
is  now  a  Prohibitionist  and  is  a  strong  supporter  of 
his  party.  He  has  been  School  Director  and  in 
every  way  possible  has  contributed  to  the  educa- 
tional, social,  religious  and  material  welfare  of  his 
township.  He  is  one  of  the  most  valued  members 
of  the  Baptist  Church  which  he  has  faithfully  served 
as  Deacon  many  years,  having  belonged  to  the 
church  for  the  long  period  of  fiftv  j'ears,  and  he 
has  ever  contributed  liberally  to  all  good  and  just 
causes. 

Mr.  Whitaker  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Dono- 
van in  1852.  She  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1830,  and 
died  in  Peoria  in  August,  1875.  Her  pleasant  life 
with  our  subject  was  blessed  to  them  ly  the  birth 
of  eight  children,  all  of  whom -are  deceased  but  one, 
Hattie,  who  married  and  lives  in  Nebraska.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  present  estimable  wife  of  our 
subject   was  Sarah  Sperry,  and  at  the  time  of  her 


598 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


marriage  with  Mr.  Wliitaker  slio  was  the  widow  of 
David  Hull.  She  is  a  good  woman,  true  in  all  the 
relations  of  life,  and  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Baptist  C'hujch. 


IS^ 


;RANK  STEBBINS   is  a  fine    representative 
of  tiie  native-born  citizens  of  Pike  County, 
/ll,  who  within  a  few  j'earshave  stepped  to  the 

front  to  aid  in  carrying  on  its  great  agricultural 
interests.  He  is  a  30ung  man  of  unusual  energy, 
enterprise  and  business  tact  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  Atlas  Township.  He  was  born 
in  Martinsburg  Township  June  22,  1860,  and  is 
the  son  of  a  former  well-known  resident  of  that 
place,  George  Stebbins,  who  was  for  man^'  years 
prominently  connected  with  the  manufacturing  and 
agricultural  interests  of  this  county  and  was  widely 
known  and  esteemed.  He  was  a  native  of  Alassa- 
chusctts,  where  he  was  born  in  March,  1816.  His 
father,  David  Stebbins  was  also  a  native  of  the 
old  Bay  State,  and  followed  the  trade  or'  a  black- 
smith all  his  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  Massa- 
chusetts and  early  acquired  a  practical  knowledge 
of  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  which  he  pursued  in 
his  native  State  for  some  years.  In  1839  when  in 
the  prime  of  a  vigorous  manhood  he  left  the  home 
of  his  birth,  having  determined  to  locate  in  this 
State.  AVith'prophetic  keenness  he  realized  that  men 
of  his  calling  endowed  with  energ}'  and  ambition 
could  make  more  of  life  than  in  the  older  settled 
regions  of  the  East.  He  came  hither  by  rail,  and 
water,  and  after  his  arrival  settled  in  Martinsburg 
Township,  Pike  Count}',  where  he  opened  a  black- 
smith shop  and  a  plow  manufactory  and  was  en- 
gaged in  business  many  jears.  He  manufactured 
the  Stebbins  Plow  which  was  widely  used  through- 
out the  Prairie  State  and  was  considered  one  of  the 
best  implements  of  the  kind  in  its  day.  Finally  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  stock-rTising, 
devoting  himself  especially  to  the  latter  branch  of 
agriculture  with  marked  success.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  owned  about  six  hundred  acres  of  land 
which  formed  a  valuable   piece  of    [property.      Mr. 


Stebbins  died  in  the  month  of  December,  1880,  in  '^ 
St.  Louis  while  on    his  way  home  from  a  deer  hunt  I 
in  Arkansas.     His  death  was  a  severe  blow  to  tbe  ' 
interests   of  the   communitv,  and  his  friends  and  .j 
farail}'  especially-   met    with  a   sad  loss.     In  early  \ 
manhood  he  married    Orisa   Kingsle}',  a  native  of  ( 
Massachusetts  and  who  was  about  Bfty-three  years 
of  age  at  the  lime  of  her  death.     She  was  a  devout 
Christian    and    a  member   of    the    Congregational 
Church.     Nine  children  were  born  of  her  marriage, 
five  of  whom  are  living. 

Frank  Stebbins  was  reared  in  this  county  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  education  in  its  district 
schools.  He  early  displayed  a  taste  for  agricultural 
pursuits  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  began  life 
as  an  independent  farmer.  By  the  division  of  his 
father's  estate  the  homestead  comprising  two  hun- 
dred and  four  acres  of  choice  land  fell  to  his  share  i 
and  he  is  very  successful  in  its  m.auagement.  He 
farms  quite  extensively  and  raises  considerahle 
stock  having  his  place  well  supplied  with  cattle, 
horses  and  swine  of  a  high  grade. 

The  fine  farm    which    Mr.   Stebbins  operates  is 
represented  by    a  view    on   another   page  and   is 
pleasantly  situated  just  south  of  Summer  Hill.  To 
the  lady  who  presides  ever  his  home  he  was  united 
in  marriage  January  19,  1882.     Mrs.  Stebbins  was 
formerly  Lydia  A.  Bixby  and  was   born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, Julj'   2,   1860.     Her   happy  wedded   life] 
with  our    subject  has  been  blessed  to  them  by  llicj 
birth  of  the  following  four  children:  George  C. 
Lcroy,  Marcia  M.  and  Waller  Percy.    Mr.  and  MrsJj 
Stebbins  are  people  of  high  standing  in   social  nml 
religious  circles,    and  are  among  the  leading  mem 
bers  of  the  Congregational  Church.     In  his  polili' 
cal  views  Mr.  Stebbins  is  a  Republican. 


^^AVID  J.  HOOVER,  the  son  of  a  hmUy 
numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  I'iki 
County,  has  performed  much  pioneer  lahoi 
thereby  contributing  to  the  upbuilding  of  this  par  | 
of  the  State  and  at  the  same  time  accumulalinf | 
a  handsome  i)roperty.  He  is  one  of  the  weallliicSj 
men  in  Montezuma  Township,  where  he  has  a  largi 


Residence  of  FrankStebbins,5ec. 13.  Atlas  Tp.  Pike  Co. Ill, 


Residence  OF  D.  J  .Hoover  ,  SEC.a.MoNTEZUMATp  Pike  Co.Ill. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


601 


and  valuable  farm  ami  a  be:uitiful  home,  repre- 
sented by  a  view  on  aiiutlier  page. 

John  B.  Hoover,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Jessamine  County,  K)'.,  wliere  he  w.as 
born  in  1804  and  w.as  there  bred  as  a  farmer.  He 
was  married  in  White  Count}-,  this  State,  to  Cyn- 
thia Ann  Patton,  "iio  was  also  of  Kentucky  birth. 
Tlu'V  began  their  wedded  life  in  I'ike  County  and 
,■»  few  years  hiter  came  tiienee  to  this  countj'  in 
182',t,  and  settled  on  section  8,  Montezuma  Town- 
ship where  Mr.  Hoover  purch.ased  sixty  acres  of 
land.  He  was  in  poor  circumstances  at  that  time 
and  iiad  to  work  hard  to  make  a  living.  He  built 
a  log  house  for  the  shelter  of  his  family  in  this  then 
sparsely  settled  wilderness,  there  being  but  few 
white  people  located  in  the  county  and  in  Milton, 
the  nearest  settlement,  only  a  few  houses,  and 
wild  animals  were  very  plentiful. 

The  father  of  our  subject  entered  activel}-  upon 
the  improvement  of  his  land,  developing  it  into  a 
very  good  farm  which  he  sold  in  18.50.  He  then 
moved  to  section  7.  where  be  had  one  hundred  and 
sixty  .acres  of  land  upon  which  he  made  several 
improvements,  includinga  good  brick  house,  which 
was  the  first  of  that  material  in  the  place.  He 
rounded  out  liis  busy  life  in  1868,  his  wife  having 
preceded  him  to  the  grave  in  1865.  He  was  a  very 
worthy  man  and  was  well  thought  of  by  all  in  the 
township.  He  was  School  Director  here  for  several 
years,  and  in  politics  was  a  steady  upholder  of  the 
Democratic  part}'.  Ho  and  bis  wife  had  nine 
children  of  whom  the  following  are  now  living: 
Margaret,  Mrs.  Hudson;  our  subject;  Fllijah,  John 
A.,  Eli,  Frances,  Mrs.  Smithers;  Nancy,  Mrs.  D. 
Hoover;  and  Filizabetb,  Mrs.  Bissell. 

August  18.  1829,  was  the  date  of  the  birth  of 
our  subject  in  White  County,  III.  He  was  an  infant 
when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Pike  County,  and 
since  then  his  da3-s  liave  been  passed  here.  He 
grew  witli  the  growth  of  the  county  and  received 
liis  e<lucation  in  the  pioneer  log  schoolhouse  of 
early  times,  attending  the  Orst  one  that  was  opened 
in  this  township.  He  helped  his  father  on  the 
home  place  until  he  was  twenty  jears  of  age,  and 
then  worke<l  out  by  the  month  for  B.  F.  Stewart, 
receiving  as  payment  813  per  month.  He  cradled 
wheat  for  him  and  worked  thiee  months  and   after 


that  he  worked  for  others  for  a  year.  He  wisely 
saved  iiis  money  and  as  soon  as  able  invested 
enough  to  purchase  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  one 
mile  southwest  of  his  present  farm.  He  built  a 
little  frame  house  and  cultivated  his  land  and  also 
rented  farms. 

By  his  marriage  February  6,  1859,  to  Amanda 
Smithers,  he  gained  the  .active  co-operation  of  a 
wife  who  has  faithfully  labored  by  liis  side  and  has 
done  much  to  help  him  upbuild  their  home.  Mrs. 
Hoover  is  a  daughter  of  Noah  and  Klizabeth  (New- 
churcli)  Smithers,  natives  of  Kentucky.  They 
subsequentl}-  moved  to  Lincoln  County.  Mo.,  in  an 
earl}'  day  of  its  settlement  and  died  within  ten  days 
of  each  other  in  1846.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living.  Mrs. 
Hoover  was  born  in  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  October 
19,  1839,  and  after  the  death  of  her  parents  lived 
with  her  uncle  until  she  became  self-supporting  at 
an  early  age. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Hoover  lived  on  his  little 
farm  three  years.  In  1862  he  sold  it  and  bought 
eighty-eight  acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives  and 
moved  with  his  family  into  the  frame  house  that 
stood  on  the  place.  His  industry  and  persistent, 
well-directed  labors  have  been  duly  rewarded  and 
he  now  has  five  hundred  and  twenty-nine  acres  of 
good  land,  of  which  four  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
are  under  plow  and  highly  cultivated.  Mr.  Hoover 
has  made  all  the  improvements  on  his  farm  himself 
and  among  them  is  liis  present  handsome  residence 
which  be  built  in  1889  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  and 
whicli  with  its  farm  surroundings  is  represented  by 
a  view  on  another  page.  It  is  well  constructed, 
conveniently  arranged  and  nicely  furnished  and 
forms  one  of  the  most  attractive  homes  in  the 
township.  He  carries  on  mixed  farming,  raising 
stock  and  feeding  all  the  grain  that  he  gets  from 
his  farm.  lie  raises  a  good  grade  of  Norman  and 
Clydesdale  horses,  and  also  some  fine  roadsters. 
Short-born  cattle  are  his  favorites  and  Poland-China 
hogs,  of  which  be  has  some  fine  specimens. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoover  have  a  fine  family  of  eight 
children  of  whom  the  following  is  the  record: 
Edgar  W.,  is  twenty-eight  years  old;  William  H., 
twenty-six;  Ida  Cordelia,  twenty-four;  Minnie, 
twenty-two;   Orpha,  eighteen  ;   Ina,  fourteen  ;  Artie 


602 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Francis,  twelve,  and  Nellie,  eight.  Our  subject 
has  given  his  children  fine  educatior.al  advantages 
and  all  are  bright  scliolars.  Ina  stood  No.  1  on  the 
list  at  the  central  examination  in  this  county,  her 
percentage  being  ninety- five,  and  she  stood  No.  3 
in  the  Pike  County  examination  for  the  year  1890. 
William  Henry  and  Or|)ha  hold  certificates  to 
teach  in  this  count}-,  and  the  former  taught  in  his 
home  district  last  winter  veiy  successfully.  Ida, 
Minnie  and  Ina  have  taken  music  lessons  and  all 
play  exceedingly  well.  Miss  Ina  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years  plays  with  good  taste  and  expression  and 
sings  very  sweetl}'.  The  children  are  brought  up 
to  correct  habits  and  all  attend  Sunday-school. 

Every  citizen  who  makes  life  a  success  contrib- 
utes to  the  welf:ire  and  prosperity  of  his  commun- 
ity, and  so  it  has  been  with  our  subject.  He  has 
been  a  potent  factor  in  developing  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Montezuma  Township,  and  has  ever 
earnestly  sought  to  improve  its  condition,  especially 
in  regard  to  educational  matters.  He  h.as  held  the 
olHce  of  School  Director  for  twenty-two  years,  and 
is  still  occupying  that  position.  He  contributes 
liberally  to  the  support  of  the  church  and  Sunda}'- 
school.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  takes  an  interest 
in  politics  and  was  formerly  a  Democrat,  subse- 
quently identified  himself  with  the  Greenback 
party,  but  is  now  independent,  giving  his  support 
to  the  candidates  who  he  deems  best  fitted  for 
office  or  to  the  party   which  he  thinks  to  be  right. 

I/ON  SHASTID.  This  name  will  be  at  once 
recognized  by  the  most  of  our  readers  as 
that  of  a  prominent  citizen  of  Pike  County, 
/  and  one  of  its  most  influential  educators. 
lie  was  for  some  years  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits in  the  town  of  Perry,  but  has  now  retired 
friim  that  business,  occupying  his  time  in  looking 
after  his  financial  and  real-estate  interests.  He  is 
the  owner  of  a  large  amount  of  laud  in  the  county, 
most  of  which  is  irajiroved,  and  he  has  .also  con- 
siderable possessions  in  Texas. 

Mr.  Shastid  was  born  in  Overton  County,  Tenn., 


June  2,  1827,  and  was  a  year  old  when  his  father 
came  to  this  State,  locating  in  what  was  then  San- 
gamon County.  In  183G  the  family  removed  to 
I'ike  County,  making  their  home  in  Pittsfield.  where 
our  subject  grew  to  manhood.  After  studying  in 
the  home  schools  he  attended  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  lie  began 
his  career  as  a  teacher.  He  was  thus  engaged  for 
more  than  twenty  years  in  the  towns  of  Pittsfield, 
Barry,  Griggsville  and  Perry,  and  in  the  adjoining 
country.  He  also  taught  at  Lewistown,  Fulton 
County,  and  in  Sterling,  in  Whiteside  County.  Of 
high  moral  character,  earnest  purpose  and  skillful 
in  the  presentation  of  science,  his  influence  as  a 
teacher  was  useful  and  greatlj-  appreciated. 

A  store  for  the  sale  of  general  merchandise  was 
established  in  Perrj'  some  years  ago  and  conducted 
under  the  style  of  Cockill  &  Shastid   until  1884. 
when  the    junior    partner  withdrew.      The  senior 
partner  had  previously  died,  and  his  widow  and  son  ' 
succeeded  him  in  the  business,   becoming  sole  pro- 
prietors when    Mr.  Shastid  withdrew.     In  the  con- 
duct    of    his    mercantile    enterprises    our  subject 
exhibited   care,  prudence  and  frugality,  and  met' 
with  uniform  success.     He  has  secured  a  sufficient 
amount  of  this  world's  goods  to  insure  him  against 
fuUire   want,    and     to   enable  him    to  indulge  his  ■ 
tastes  and  take  an  active  part  in  the  benevolent  and  ' 
educational    enterprises     and     various     elevating^ 
miivements  of  this  section.  ', 

Mr.  Shastid  was  fortunate  in  securing  for  bis' 
wife  a  lady  who  has  been  helpful  and  true,  and 
deeply  sympathetic  in  all  his  troubles  or  sickness.- 
This  lady  was  formerly  known  as  Miss  Esther 
A.  Cockill.  and  was  born  in  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.. 
January  11.  1843.  She  became  a  resident  of  this 
State  when  fifteen  years  old.  Her  parents,  Jose|)li 
and  Anna  B.  (Beatty)  Cockill,  settled  in  Perry. 
wlie«-e  the  father  passed  away  in  1873  at  the  age  ol 
fifty-six  years.  He  was  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  during  the  entire  time  of  his  residence  in 
this  village,  and  held  the  office  of  Postmaster  sonu 
years.  His  political  adherence  was  given  to  llit 
Republican  party.  Mrs.  Cockill  and  her  son 
Charles  H.,  now  own  and  operate  the  store,  brinf,'- 
ing  to  the  prosecution  of  the  business  intelligence 
tact  and  honor.     Mrs.  Shastid  was  well  reared  an(i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


603 


educated,  and  for  some  time  prior  to  ber  marriage 
was  eiio^aged  in  teaciiing.  She  is  a  popular  mem- 
ber of  society  in  Perry,  wlicre  slie  is  well  l<nown. 
She  attends  the  Cliristian  Cliurcli,  of  wliieli  lier 
husband  is  a  member.  Mr.  Shastid  is  an  earnest 
Republican. 

Mr.  Shastid  traces  his  ancestry  on  his  fatlier's 
side  to  Franco.  The  Soutliern  States  were  the 
home  of  iiis  family  for  several  generations.  His 
grandfather,  William  Sliaslid,  was  born  in  South 
Carolina,  grew  to  maturity  there  and  was  engaged 
as  a  farmer.  He  m;irried  Jliss  Green,  who  was  of 
Knglish  lineage.  William  Shastid  and  his  wife 
made  Iheir  home  in  Green  County,  K^'.,  where  their 
son,  John  G.,  was  born.  Someyears  later  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Tennessee,  and  later,  in  1828,  set- 
tled in  what  is  now  Menard  County,  III.  There 
Grandfather  Shastid  died  when  more  than  fifty 
years  old.  He  had  left  his  Southern  home  and 
come  to  Illinois  on  account  of  his  ojjposition  to 
to  human  slavery'.  He  was  a  man  of  generous 
impulses  and  of  Christian  character.  On  (jne 
occasion,  during  a  famine,  he  refused  a  high 
price  for  corn,  of  which  he  had  a  large  suppl}', 
selling  it  at  but  a  slight  profit  to  pay  for  its  cul- 
tivation. He  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  as  was  also  his  wife.  After  his  decease  iiis 
widow  removed  to  Arkansas,  where  she  died  at  the 
age  of  sixty-eight  years. 

The  paternal  great-grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Jarvis  Green,  who  settled  in  Kentucky  in  the 
days  when  Daniel  Boone  was  colonizing  that  re- 
gion. At  the  battle  of  Blue  Licks,  Jarvis  Green 
was  killed  by  the  Indians  while  with  others  defend- 
ing the  frontier  homes.  His  wife  with  three  chil- 
dren was  in  a  stockade  at  the  time  and  escaped 
i  de.ath.  She  was  but  twenty-six  years  old  when  she 
lost  her  husband,  and  lived  to  be  ninety-eight. 

Juhn  G.  Shastid,  the  father  of  our  subject,  be- 
came of  age  in  Tennessee  and  there  married  Eliza- 
beth Edwards,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  William  and  Ailsie  (Jus- 
lice)  Edwards.  The  family  was  of  linglisb  des- 
cent, but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  were  born  in  South 
Carolina  and  ^■iroinia  respectively.  Some  years 
after  their  marriage  the}'  removed  to  Tennessee. 
Still  later  they  cam(^  to  Menard   Count}-,   III.,  and 


finally  to  Pike  County,  in  which  they  were  pioneers. 
Mr.  Edwards  died  here  at  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  and   his  widow  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight. 

John  G.  Shastid  and  wife  emigrated  to  Illinois  In 
1828,  making  their  first  settlement  near  what  is  now 
Petersburg,  Menard  County.  They  finally  sold 
out  in  1835  and  came  to  Pike  County.  They  lo- 
cated in  Pittsfield,  then  a  small  village,  but  the 
county  seat,  and  there  spent  their  last  days.  Mrs. 
Shastid  was  called  hence  in  1863,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-nine  years,  and  Mr.  Shastid  in  1874,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years.  Both  were  members  of 
of  the  Christian  Churcli,  and  Mr.  Shastid  belonged 
to  the  Republican  party.  Their  family  consisted 
of  nine  children,  of  wliom  one  daughter  and  four 
sons  are  still  living. 

W^e  herewith  give  two  S[)ecimens  of  the  literary 
efforts  of  Jon  Shastid: 

To  my  dear  wife. 
The  cheer  of  mj'  life, 

I  write  this  little  letter. 
And  hope  that  she 
May  by  this  time  be 

In  health  and  spirits  better. 

I'd  go  home  very  quick 
If  my  horse,  our  old  Dick, 

Could  pull  us  over  this  road. 
But  since  this  heavy  rain 
'Twill  quite  be  in  vain 

To  start  with  such  a  big  load. 

But  look  for  me  soon. 
Say  by  next  Friday  noon. 

Or  perhaps  some  few  days  before; 
I  feel  very  glum. 
That  from  home  I  have  come, 

1  won't  do  it  (may  be)  any  more. 

Now,  dearest,  farewell, 
And  let  this  letter  tell. 

That  as  long  as  this  body  has  life. 
That  most  certain,  most  true. 
Do  I  love  only  30U, 

"You,  my  darling,  my  own  pretty  wife. 

The  following  Mr.  Shastid  says  contains  far 
more  truth  than  poetry.  It  was  written  in  Sterling, 
in  M.ay,  1866,  when  he  was  awa}'  from  home, 
teaching  a  short  term  of  scliool. 


604 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


By  clear  Rock  River's  peaceful  brink, 

I  saunter,  weary,  sad  ami  lone, 
To  bear  its  murmurs,  love,  and  think 

Of  thee,  dear,  absent  one. 

Or  by  the  river's  dashing  stream. 

Where  flows  the  torrent,  wild  and  free. 

Where  dancing  waters   brightly  gleam, 
I'm  thinking  still  on  thee. 

la  b'terling's  long  and  bus3'  street. 

Where  flows  its  stream  of  trade  or  strife, 

I  too  still  press  with  hurrying  feet, 
Yet  think  on  thee,  sweet  wife. 

Or  in  the  quiet,  lone  graveyard, 

'Neath  sighing  tree,  by  marble  tomb. 

To  muse  life's  end  and  life's  reward, 
I  muse  on  wife  and  home. 

And  when,  by  night  to  rest  I'm  driven. 
When,  'fore  my  God,  I'm  on  my  knee, 

Witli  prayer  to  Him  and  tho'ts  on  Heaven, 
Are  mingled  tho'ts  on  thee. 

When  sleep  shuts  up  my  weary  eyes. 
Then  fancy  mounts,  unfettered,  free, 

And  ere  the  dreary  night  time  flies, 
Brings  j'ou  in  dreams  to  me. 

Then  haste,  you  sluggish  hours  away. 
Ye  wearv  weeks,  like  moments  flee. 

And  haste,  O  liappy,  happy  d.ay. 
That  brings  me,  love,  to  thee. 


-1^^- 


'UGUSTUS  DOW,  of  the  firm  of  C.  P. 
Chapman  &  Co.,  proprietors  of  the  Chap- 
man roller  mills,  PittsBeld.  is  classed  among 
the  most  enterprising  and  progressive  bus- 
iness men  of  Pike  County.  He  is  one  of  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  this  city,  and  is  pre-eminent  in  its 
public  and  political  life. 

Our  subject  is  of  New  England  birth  and  antece- 
dents. He  was  born  in  the  town  of  South  Coventrj-, 
Conn.,  October  9,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  Cyrus  and 
Charity  A.,  (Chapman)  Dow,  who  were  of  Scotch 
descent.  His  mother  is  still  living  and  is  now  in 
her  eightieth  year.  His  father  was  born  in  1800, 
and  died  in  1855,  while  yet  scarcely  past  the  prime 
of  life. 

Augustus  Dow,  of  wiiom  we  write,  was  educated 


in  tlic  public  schools  of  his  native  town  and  later 
attended  an  academy  where  he  pursued  a  good 
practical  course  of  study.  He  began  his  career  in 
life  as  a  clerk  at  Hartford,  Conn.  Wisely  thinking 
that  in  the  great  West.of  which  Illinois  was  then  con- 
sidered to  be  a  part,  a  young  man  of  energj-,  good 
business  habits  and  enterprise,  could  make  his  way 
more  rapidh'  than  in  the  older  towns  of  the  East, 
he  came  to  this  county  in  1858.  He  accepted  a 
position  as  clerk  in  a  store  in  Pittsfleld,  and  was 
employed  in  that  capacity  till  1862.  In  that  year 
lie  entered  the  service  of  the  Government  and  was 
appointed  paying  clerk  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land under  iNIaj.  W.  E.  Norris,  with  his  head- 
quarters at  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  he  remained  till 
1865. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Dow  returned  to 
rittsdeld  and  established  himself  as  a  dry-goods 
merchant.  He  conducted  that  business  till  1871, 
when  he  joined  Mr.  C.  P.  Chapman  in  the  milling 
business.  He  has  devoted  himself  strictly  to  liis 
work  and  has  gained  a  full  understanding  of  mill- 
ing in  all  its  details.  The  mills  of  which  he  is  part 
proprietor,  were  built  in  1870,  and  were  operated 
as  burr  mills  until  the  j-ear  1883,  when  they  were 
changed  to  tiie  roller  process.  We  take  from  the 
folliiwing  notice  this  fine  desciiption  of  the  mills: 
"  The  Chapman  &  Co's.  roller  mills  arc  the  flnest 
and  largest  flouring  mills  in  this  whole  section  of 
Illinois,  having  a  daily  capacity  of  five  hundred 
barrels.  They  were  refitted  in  1883  with  the  full 
roller  process,  and  in  fact  with  cver3'tliing  in  the 
machinery  line  known  to  the  art  of  advanced  mill- 
ing. The  mill  is  a  three  story  brick,  50x100  feet 
in  dimensions,  with  a  basement  and  an  elevator  in 
the  rear  of  the  mill,  28x32  in  dimensions.  It  is 
lighted  throughout  by  the  Thompsonlloustou  in- 
candescent system.  The  brands  of  flour  manufac- 
tured liy  Messrs.  Chapman  &  Co.,  are  'Crystal,' 
'Gem,'  'Principio,'  'Shaws'  Mills,'  'Dow's  Extra,' 
'Superlative,'  and  'Peace  in  the  family,'  which  have 
a  sale  all  over  the  United  States,  but  particularly 
throughout  New  Engla'id,  owing  to  the  light  grade 
and  standard  qualitj'.  The  com panj- manufactures 
all  its  own  barrels,  and  has  a  brick  cooper  shop  in 
the  rear,  40x80  feet  in  dimensions  with  an  L 
40x40    feet   and    employing    twenty-five   coopers. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


605 


Tiif  whole  luimber  of  men,  empIo}'efl  about  tlie 
mills  is  fruiii  forty  to  lifty." 

Mr.  Dow  lias  been  twice  manied.  His  first  mar- 
riage wliic'U  was  with  Miss  Jennie  S.  Weinans,  was 
consuiiiniated  in  this  founty  in  ISC').  She  was  a 
native  of  New  Jersey,  was  born  in  1841,  and  died 
in  1870.  Mr.  Dow  was  .again  married  in  1872  in 
St.  Lonis,  to  Juditli  W.  Morton,  who  w.as  born  in 
Massachusetts  in  1810.  Mi.  and  ^Alrs.  Dow  have 
one  son,  Harry  A.  They  have  a  iiandsome  residence 
in  Pittstield,  which  is  the  centre  of  one  of  the  most 
attractive  homes  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Dow  is  a  very  consiiieuous  figure  in  the 
maii:\L,'eiiient  of  public  affairs.  He  is  Presiflent  of 
of  Ihe  Board  of  Trustees,  and  has  been  a  member 
of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  in  both 
ea[)a(ities  his  fine  business  talents,  tact  and  good 
executive  ability  make  him  an  invaluable  oflicial. 
Mr.  Dow  is  one  of  the  leading  Kei)ublicans  of  the 
county  and  is  secretary  of  the  Central  Committee. 
He  is  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  F'irst  National 
Bank  and  his  name  stands  high  in  financial  circles 
far  beyond  the  limits  of  this  county. 


-•alfci-: 


"X — ^- 

^^HOMAS  SIMPKIN.  Among  tliose  who  are 
TO^^  tilling  a  portion  of  the  soil  of  Pike  County, 
\^f'  and  making  a  practical  success  of  their 
chosen  vocation  is  Thomas  Sim|)kin,  whose  estate 
is  located  in  Griggsville  Township.  His  property 
consists  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
that  is  well  watered,  and  has  been  finely  improved 
and  well  stocked.  About  one  hundred  head  of  cat- 
tle, a  good  herd  of  horses  and  a  large  drove  of  bogs 
roam  over  the  pastures  and  are  sheltered  intheade- 
(juute  barns  and  sheds  with  which  the  farm  is  su|)- 
plied. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  of  English 
parentage,  being  a  son  of  Thomas  Simpkiu,  Sr., 
and  his  wife,  Ann  Wharton.  Both  were  born  in 
Yorkshire,  and  so  far  as  is  known  llieir  ancestors 
were  natives  of  England.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  Pike  County,  111.,  to  which  the  mother  had 
j  accompanied  her  parents  in  girlhood.  Mr.  Simp- 
kin  emigraleil  from  his  native  land  when  a  young 


man,  making  his  first  settlement  in  Morgan  County, 
tliis  State,  west  of  Jacksonville.  After  some  years 
be  came  to  Pike  County,  settling  upon  a  slightly 
improved  tract  of  land  in  Griggsville  Township, 
where  he  remained  some  time,  making  various  im- 
provements. He  finally  sold  the  estate  and  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  28, 
the  same  that  is  now  owned  by  our  subject.  In 
1851)  the  senior  Thomas  Siinpkin  returned  to  his 
native  laud,  dying  there  a  j'ear  later,  when  fifty-two 
years  old.  He  was  an  honest,  hard-working  man, 
who  made  many  friends  in  the  section  where  he 
lived.  He  was  a  Douglas  Democrat  and  a  personal 
friend  of  the  renowned  statesman  whose  principles 
he  adhered  to.  iMr.  Douglas  had  often  slept  under 
Mr.  Simpkin's  roof. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  became  of  age  in  this 
county,  having  been  carefully   reared  by    her  par- 
ents.   After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  spent  the 
most  of  her  time  with  her  children,  finally  d3'ing  at 
the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  John  Lasberry,  in 
1886.     She  was  more  than  threescore  and  ten  years 
of  age  when  she  passefi  away.     She  belonged  to  the 
Episcopal  Church  and  endeavored  to  model  her  life 
by  the  precepts  of  Holy  Writ.     Her  husband  was 
not  a  member  of  an}-  religious  body.     The  parental 
family  Included  six  children,  one  of  whom,  Vin- 
cent, died  in  childhood;  Sarah  is  the  wife  of   John 
Lasberiy;  Ann  man  icd  Benjamin    Hopkins;  Mary 
j    is  now  the  wiilow  of  Edwin   Hitch;  and   Lovina  is 
i    the  wife  of  Monroe   Yates.     The   first   two   named 
I    live  on  farms  in  Griggsville  Township,  and  the  last 
,    two  in  the  village.     Our  subjct  is  the   fourth  of 
the  survivors. 

Thomas  Simpkin  was  born  November  24.  1846,  on 
the  farm  he  now  owns  and  occupii^s.  He  has  always 
Jived  on  this  place  and  has  operated  it  on  his  own 
account  since  he  arrived  at  man's  estate.  He  has 
added  eighty-five  acres  to  the  first  quarter-section 
he  owned  and  is  meeting  with  a  satisfactory  degree 
of  success  in  his  worldly  affairs.  His  iiolitical  .ad- 
herence has  always  been  given  to  the  Republican 
[larty  which  he  firmly  believes  is  the  best  adapted 
to  uphold  the  principles  of  government.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Simpkin  attend  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  are 
held  in  good  repute  by  their  many  acquaintances. 
Mrs.  Simpkin  is  a  leader  in  the  society  of  Griggs- 


606 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ville  and  vicinity,  liaviiig  an  intelligent  mind, 
genial  nature,  ani)  womanly'  qualities  which  draw 
around  her  many  friends.  Her  hospitable  home  is 
the  favorite  gathering  place  of  her  friends,  and  she 
graciously  entertains  all  who  enter  therein.  She 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Elvira  Kendall,  and  was 
born  in  Cincinnati.  Ohio.  Her  parents  having  re- 
moved to  Calhoun  County,  this  -State,  she  received 
her  education  in  her  native  place.  She  has  become 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  two  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  The  survivors  are  Thomas,  Wilson,  Clara, 
P^stelle,  Laura  and  Jessie,  a  bright  and  interest- 
ing band  who  are  being  educated  in  Griggsville. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Simpkin  were  Dr.  W.  and 
Clara  Kendall,  natives  of  ]Maine  and  Connecticut. 
After  having  practiced  his  profession  in  Ohio  some 
years.  Dr.  Kendall  came  to  this  State,  making  his 
home  on  a  small  farm  in  Calhoun  County,  but  con- 
tinuing his  work  as  a  physician.  He  became  quite 
prominent  in  tlie  county,  had  much  local  influence 
and  was  known  to  a  large  circle  of  friends.  He 
died  in  1 884,  a  few  months  after  his  wife  had  passed 
awaj'.  Mrs.  Kendall  was  a  fine  woman,  and  with 
her  husband  belonged  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  good  couple  are  now  represented  by 
three  living  children;  a  son  W.  A.,  of  St.  Louis; 
Mrs.  Simpkin  and  another  daughter.  Mrs.  J.  M. 
Gentry,  of  Louisiana,  Mo. 


11^  affords  a 
'^SiJf    of  persev 


ALVIN    L.   HALL.     The   life  of  Mr.   Hall 
;  a  remarkable  illustration  of  the  force 
_  perseverance.     It  is  indeed  fitting  that  a 

character  so  manly,  so  hopeful  under  difJiculties, 
should  be  represented  in  a  biographical  review  for 
the  perusal  of  present  and  future  generations.  He 
is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  seven  hundred  and 
ninety-seven  acres  on  sections  9,  10  and  27,  De- 
troit Township,  Pike  County,  of  which  five  hun- 
dred acres  are  under  the  plow.  The  larger  portion 
of  this  he  rents  out,  reserving  for  his  own  use  one 
hundred  acres.  Here  he  carries  on  general  farm- 
ing, raising  grain  and  stock,  besides  devoting  con^ 
siderablc  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  fruit. 
The  home  in  which  Mr.  Hall  and  his  family  are 


comfortably  domiciled  is  an  especiall}-  attractive 
one,  built  in  1883,  after  the  most  modern  style, 
and  at  a  cost  of  over  83,000,  besides  his  own  work 
and  boarding  the  laborers,  hauling,  etc.  Other 
buildings  necessary  to  the  successful  conducting 
of  a  farm  are  to  be  found  on  his  homestead.  To 
his  own  unaided  efiforts  the  present  prosperity  of 
our  subject  is  attributed,  for  he  commenced  life 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  He  was  in  debt 
$6,000,  but  paid  off  the  entire  indebtedness  in  three 
years,  and  subsequent  efforts  have  made  him  inde- 
|)endent  financially.  Although  giving  his  attention 
principally-  to  his  homestead,  which  he  bought  of 
the  other  heirs  for  §10,000,  he  has  found  time  for 
public  duties.  Being  interested  in  the  education 
of  the  young  people  of  this  country-,  he  is  ably 
discharging  the  duties  of  School  Director,  which 
position  he  has  held  for  six  years.  A  stanch 
Democrat,  he  occasionallj'  represents  his  party  as  a 
delegate  to  county  conventions  and  has  been  Col- 
lector of  Detroit  Township  for  three  years. 

In  noting  the  ancestry  of  Mr.  Hall  we  find  that 
his  father,  Thomas  L.  iHall,  was  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  was  born  in  1802.  His  occupation 
was  that  of  a  blacksmith,  although  he  later  turned 
Ills  attention  to  farming.  Grandfather  Joseph  Ilali, 
who  was  of  Irish  descent,  was  twelve  years  of  age 
when  the  Revolutionary  War  liroke  out.  He  spent 
his  entire  life  in  North  Carolina  where  he  owned 
a  large  mill  and  a  bridge  across  the  Yadkin  River, 
also  operating  a  cotton  gin.  He  owned  two  farms 
and  fifty  slaves.  Religiously  he  was  a  strict  Pres- 
byterian and  died  in  1849. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Angelina  C.  Clemmons  and  was  a  native 
of  North  Carolina.  Grandfather  Peter  Clemmors 
came  to  Illinois  with  his  family  in  1829,  settling 
first  on  section  16,  Detroit  Township,  and  subse- 
quenth"  locating  on  Pearl  Prairie  in  Pearl  Town- 
ship. He  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church 
and  was  of  Quaker  ance«try.  Angelina  Clemmons 
became  the  wife  of  Thomas  L.  Hall,  of  North  Car- 
olina, where  thej'  resided  a  number  of  years,  thence 
removing  to  Illinois.  This  long  journey  was  made 
overland  in  1830,  and  on  their  arrival  they  located 
on  section  16,  whence  after  a  short  residence  they 
removed   to  section  9.     There  thej-  located   upon 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


607 


one  liiindred  and  sixty  acres  of  wild  land,  upon 
which  the3'  made  the  first  improvements.  'J'he^' 
luiiit  a  log  house,  dug  a  well,  broke  the  virgin  soil 
and  gradually  converted  the  unbroken  prairie  into 
sioiliiig  lields  of  waving  grain. 

As  was  necessary  among  Ihe  pioneers  of  Pike 
County  the  parents  practiced  the  strictest  economy. 
The  mother  spun  and  wove  the  wool,  making  all 
the  clothing  for  the  family.  To  the  boys  was  given 
one  jiair  of  shoes  each  year.  In  order  to  procure 
this  luxur}'  the  father  took  green  hides  to  Fielden 
ll.ink's  tanner}'  where  they  were  tanned  for  half 
the  leather;  thence  they  were  taken  to  the  shoe- 
ni.iker's  and  made  into  shoes  at  fiftj'  cents  a  pair. 
In  this  primitive  manner  the  parents  lived  during 
the  earlier  years  of  their  residence  in  the  county. 
Thej'  remained  on  the  same  farm  from  1833  until 

'  1872.  After  a  long  and  useful  life  the  father 
[lassed  away  in  1873,  in  Nevada,  Mo.  The  body 
was  brought  home  and  buried  with  honors  in  Blue 

I  River  Cemeter}'.  The  mother  survived  him  a  num- 
ber of  years,  dying  July  29,  1887.  They  were  mem- 
bers in  good  standing  of  the  Christian  Church.    He 

,  look  considerable  interest  in  politics  and  voted  the 

j  Democratic  ticket. 

'  The  parental  family  included  twelve  children, 
of  whom  six   survive  at  this  writing,  viz:  Thomas 

I  N.,  Calvin   L.,  Joseph   W.,  William    C.  Mrs.  Mar- 

I  garet  McCrudden  and  Loesia,  Mrs.  Dr.  Thomas  W. 

1  Shasted.  Calvin  L.  was  born  I'ebruar}'  14,  1830. 
in  North  Carolina,  and  was  only  eight  months 
old  when  his  parents  came  to  Illinois.  His  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  subscription  schools 
taught  in  log  schoolhouses,  vvith  puncheon   floors, 

1  slab  benches,  and  furnished  with  primitive  sim- 
plicity. His  first  teacher  was  a  Mr.  Sharp.  Later 
he  attended  the  Commercial  College  at  St.  Louis  for 

i  a  brief  period.     His  uncle.  Dr.  J.  W.  Hall,  tried  to 

I  induce  him  to  accept  a  position   there,  but  he  be- 

I  carae  dissatisfied  and  returned  home. 

We  next  find  Mr.  Hall  clerking  in  a  store  in 
Florence  which   his    father   purchased  from   B.  F. 

;  Beasley,    and    which    they    managed    successfully. 

I  The  following    3-ear    the    father    erected    a   large 

I  stoie    in    the    same  town,    and   in   that   establish- 

I  ment  our  subject  and  his  brother-in-law,  John  L. 
Underwood,  put  in  their    time,  receiving  half  the 


I  profits.  This  business  however  was  not  a  financial 
success  ,".nd  after  a  year  the  partner  left  and  our 
i  subject  soon  closed  out  and  engaged  in  other  busi- 
i  ness.  In  1860  he  located  upon  eighty  acres  of  raw 
land  on  section  10,  and  remained  there  until  187G, 
effecting  many  improvements  and  increasing  the 
value  of  the  place.  At  the  latter  date  he  bought 
out  the  heirs  of  his  father's  homestead  and  moved 
on  to  it.  For  sixty  years  he  has  lived  within  a 
mile  of  his  present  home,  and  his  history  and  char- 
acter are  familiar  to  all  the  residents  of  Detroit 
Township.  His  perseverance  and  industry  have 
been  rewarded  by  a  comfortalile  competency  for 
his  declining  yeai's,  while  his  honorable  dealings 
with  all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations 
brought  him  in  contact  have  won  for  him  the 
highest  esteem  of  his  fellow-men. 

A  very  important  event  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Hall 
was  his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  March  IG, 
1853,  in  Pike  Count}',  HI.  The  bride  was  Miss 
j\lelissa  Thomas,  a  daughter  of  Hiram  and  Mary 
(Hamilton)  Thomas,  both  natives  of  Scott  County, 
this  State,  and  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Hall  was  born 
in  Scott  County  June  12,  1835,  and  received  a 
common-school  education  in  the  district  schools 
of  that  county.  She  remained  at  home  until  her 
marriage,  since  which  date  she  has  been  a  faithful 
wife  to  Mr.  Hall  and  the  wise  mother  of  their  chil- 
dren. Of  their  nine  sons  and  diughterssix  are  now 
living,  and  are  named  respectivel}' :  Charles  O., 
who  married  Mattie  Burns  and  lives  on  section 
10,  Detroit  Township.  They  have  two  children. 
Dr.  Frank  Hall  was  united  in  marriage  with  Emma 
Dorse}'  and  lives  in  Perry,  this  county.  Thomas, 
Minnie,  Margaret  and  Anna  are  unmarried  and  at 
home.  The  children  have  received  good  educa- 
tions, the  Doctor  being  a  graduate  of  Eureka  (,'ol- 
lege,  also  of  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago. 
Thomas  II.  was  also  a  student  at  Eureka  Col- 
lege, this  State.  Minnie  attended  Chaddock  Col- 
lege, Quincy,  and  is  making  a  specialty  of  music, 
in  -which  art  she  is  very  proficient.  Anna  attends 
the  High  School  in   Pittsfield. 

Religiously,  Mr.  Hall  and  his  estimable  wife  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Church  at  Detroit.  He 
is  an  Elder  in  the  Church  and  has  been  a  teacher 
in  the  Sunday -school.     His  daughters  are  able  and 


608 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


eflScient  tea(!bers  in  the  same.  The  family  are 
highly  respected  social)}'  and  are  welcomed  in  the 
most  select  circles  of  the  community.  Their  cul- 
ture and  refinement  are  such  as  to  not  only  bring 
credit  to  themselves  but  are  calculated  to  elevate 
and  improve  the  moral  status  of  the  county. 


RED  GUECK.  In  our  Album  will  be  found 
sketches  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Cal- 
houn County,  and  none  are  of  more  interest 
than  tliose  which  recount  noble  deeds  and  energetic 
efforts  to  achieve  success.  Every  one  is  more  or 
less  interested  in  the  life  of  a  successful  man,  who 
h;is  benefited  both  himself  and  the  community  in 
which  lie  resides.  Many  of  the  influential  business 
men  of  the  present  da}'  were  born  in  foreign  coun- 
tries and  came  hero  seeking  broader  outlets  for  their 
talents,  and  greater  freedom  in  every  way. 

Our  subject  is  of  foreign  birth,  .ind  was  born  in 
Prussia,  March  7,  1843.  His  father,  Gothardt 
Gueck,  was  also  a  native  of  Prussia,  whore  he  passed 
his  entire  life.  He  was  by  profession  a  vetoriiiarv 
surgeon  following  this  liusiness  many  years.  He 
married  Mi.«s  Catherine  Koch,  who  was  a  Prussian 
by  birth  and  education  and  died  in  that  country. 
Indeed,  our  subject  and  his  brother  .fohn  were  the 
only  members  of  the  family  who  crossed  the  ocean 
to  find  homes  in  the  New  World,  and  they  are  both 
residents  of  Richwoods  Precinct. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  attended  school  until 
he  reached  his  fourteenth  year,  and  from  that  time 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age  was  employed 
on  a  farm.  He  then  joined  the  Prussian  army  and 
participated  in  the  Hanover-Prussian  War,  serving 
a  portion  of  each  year  for  four  years.  In  1867  he 
was  honorably  discharged  and  came  to  America. 
He  landed  in  New  York  and  from  that  point  went 
directly  to  the  State  of  Indiana  where  he  passed  the 
winter  in  Indianapolis.  He  next  went  to  Peoria, 
III.,  and  after  spending  the  summer  there,  removed 
to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  After  remaining  in  the 
latter  named  place  for  a  few  months,  he  came  to 
Calhoun  County  and  commenced  his  career  here  by 
working  on  a  farm  by  the  month,  but  by  means  of 


energ}'  and  strict  economy  he  was  soon  enabled  to 
purchase  the  farm  upon  which  he  now  resides.  This 
farm  is  on  section  32,  Richwoods  Precinct,  two 
miles  north  of  Batchtown.  He  has  built  a  house 
nnd  two  frame  barns  on  his  estate,  and  has  im- 
proved the  land  from  time  to  time  until  at  the  pres- 
ent writing  his  farm  ranks  among  the  finest  in 
Calhoun  County.  Besides  this  property  he  owns 
four  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  laud  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  bottoms. 

Mr.  Gueck  was  married  in  1871  to  Jlrs.  Wilhel- 
miua  (Kulp)  Fiedler,  who  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  came  to  America  with  her  parents  when  quite 
young.  She  first  married  Christ  Fiedler,  who  like 
herself  was  a  German  by  birth  and  came  to  the 
United  States  when  young.  He  first  settled  in  Gil- 
ead  Precinct,  and  died  there  in  1869.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gueck  are  members  of  St.  Mathews  Luth- 
eran Church. 

Our  subject  belongs  pre-eminently  to  the  class  of 
men  usually  termed  self-made,  and  deserves  great 
credit  for  th(^  success  he  has  achieved.  He  is  a 
Ijleasanl.  companionable  gentleman  with  many  warm 
friends,  and  is  well  and  favorably  known  through- 
out the  county  in  which  he  makes  his  home.  In 
connection  with  his  personal  sketch  the  reader  will 
notice  on  another  page  a  view  of  his  neat  residence 
with  the  various  buildings  necessary  to  the  proper 
development  of  the  farm. 


•f^{»> 


LLEN    C.  RUSH.     The    traveler  in   Pike 
@JU\\     County  sees  manj'  attractive   homes,  not 
only  in  the  thriving  towns  but  in  the  agri- 
,^^  cultural  districts,  the  evidences   of  enter- 

prise and  prosperity  being  visible  on  every  hand. 
On  section  36,  Fairmount  Township,  stands  a 
commodious  and  well-designed  farmhouse  around 
which  cluster  many  fine  buildings  where  every- 
thing in  the  waj'  of  appliances  for  tilling  the  soil 
and  feeding  the  stock  are  of  the  best.  Around 
these  numerous  buildings  stretch  three  hundred 
acres  of  fertile  land,  whereon  with  judgment  and 
tact  the  subject  of  this  sketch  carries  on  extensive 
farming  and  stock-raising.     He  is  interested  in  the 


RESIDENCE  OF  FRED    GU  ECK  ,  5EC. 32.  RICHW00D5  PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO.  ILL. 


RESIDENCE  OF    DR.  J.   R.   DOUGLASS,  BATCHTOWN.  I LL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


611 


extension  of  tlie  hialier  breeds  of  lioises,  cattle, 
slicei)  and  swine,  as  well  as  in  the  propaiiation  of  tlie 
liomestic  cereals  which  receive  close  attention  at 
Ills  hands. 

Mr.  Rush  was  born  on  the  farm  he  now  occu|)ics 
.June  '26,  1849,  and  was  reared  under  the  roof-tree 
of  his  parents,  John  W.  and  Sarali  (Brown)  Rush. 
He  received  a  practical  education  and,  devoting 
himself  with  zeal  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  has  be- 
come one  of  the  prominent  young  agriculturists  and 
stockmen  in  this  part  of  the  Mississi[)pi  Valle>-. 
For  eight  years  he  was  interested  in  a  large  stock 
ranch  in  the  western  part  of  Texas  with  his  brother 
Elias  F.  Rush.  Our  subject  gave  it  but  a  part  of  his 
lime,  retaining  his  active  interest  in  matters  with 
which  he  was  associated  in  his  native  county.  The 
ranch  was  sold  a  few  j-ears  since  for  :5!90,000  and 
our  subject  has  purchased  another  ranch  in  Lincoln 
County,  N.  M.  known  as  Geyser  Springs  Farm,  a 
horse  ranch  where  he  has  some  very  fine  animals 
and  is  now  sending  two  imported  draft  horses. 

This  estate  is  over  five  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  is  one  of  the  most  pictuiesque  spots 
iraagii  able  and   the  beauty  of  the  scenery  is  only 
surpassed   by  its  stock-raising,  fruit   and  agricul- 
tural resources.     There  are  about  six  hundred  acres 
in  cultivation   with    crops  of  corn,  barley,  wheat, 
oats,  alfalfa,  etc.,  and  on  the  estate  are  some  sixteen 
lumdrcd   high-grade  cattle,  five   hundred   blooded 
horses,  including  several   Hanibletonian  and  Steel 
Dnst  stallions,  one  Black  Foot  stallion  and  two  im- 
ported jacks.     The  land  is  irrigated  with  an  unfail- 
ing suppl}'  of  water  from  the  noted  Geyser  Springs 
which  burst  from  the  movintain  side  in  such  quanti- 
ties as  t|0  supply  every  want  for  farm,  dair}'  and 
stock   purposes   along  the  entire  valley.     The  sur- 
I     foundings  of  this  fine  estate  would  charm  a  sports- 
!     man,  as  the   valley  abounds  with  quail  and  other 
I    small  game,  the  waters  are  plcutifull}'  supplied  with 
I     mountain  trout  and  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  moun- 
!    tain   range   not  far  away  various  wild  animals  are 
to  be  found. 

Mr.  Rush  has  traveled  quite  extensively  in  the 
I  West  and  has  a  fund  of  knowledge  that  would 
I  make  an  interesting  volume,  especially  if  associated 
with  his  personal  experiences.  He  regards  them  as 
both   pleasant  and  profitable  but  still  considers  the 


Prairie  State  superior  to  any  west  of  the  Missouri 
River  and  believes  that  the  tide  of  emigiation  which 
is  setting  so  strongly  tow.ard  the  \Vest  will  leturn 
to  the  great  Mississippi  A'alley.  He  recognizes  the 
f.ict  that  in  many  parts  of  the  P.acific  Slope  won- 
derful agrii  ultural  and  mineral  resources  are  to  be 
found.  But  he  also  acknowledges  the  disadvan- 
tages, particularly  that  of  the  need  of  irrigation 
and  the  lack  of  pure  water.  The  homo  farm  of  our 
sultject  is  adorned  by  one  trophy  of  his  life  in 
Texas — a  native  bison  which  he  secured  there. 

If  Mr.  Rush  is  prominent  in  business  and  social 
affairs,  his  charming  wife  is  no  less  so  in  matters 
which  pertain  particularly  to  woman's  life  and 
work.  She  is  cultured,  refined  and  accomplished, 
well  fitted  to  take  the  lead  in  society  as  well  as  to 
make  of  her  home  one  of  the  most  charming  spots 
on  earth.  She  was  highly  educated  at  Jacksonville, 
111.,  and  Oxford,  Ohio.  For  ten  years  she  was  en- 
gaged as  a  teacher  of  vocal  and  instrumental  music, 
five  3'ears  in  Eastern  Tennessee  and  some  time  in 
Clinton,  Iowa,  prior  to  her  marriage  which  was 
solemnized  in  I\Ladison  County,  that  State.  Iler 
hai)py  union  has  been  blessed  by  tlie  bii-th  of  one 
daughter — Helen, a  promising  child  of  ten  years. 

Mis.  Rush  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Frances 
Williams,  was  born  in  Jacksonville,  111.,  her  parents 
at  that  time  being  connected  with  the  educational 
interests  of  that  place.  Her  father  was  Principal 
and  her  mother  Assistant  Principal  in  the  Female 
Academy  there  for  many  years.  Later  Prof.  Will- 
iams became  a  minister  in  the  Presbyterian  Church 
and  died  while  discharging  his  duties  .as  pastor  at 
Hendersonville,  N.  C.  His  widow  is  still  living 
there  and  is  now  about  threescore  and  ten  years 
old.  Both  were  prominent  and  honored  educators 
and  Mr.  Williams  occupied  a  high  rank  in  the  min- 
sterial  field. 

5Ir.  Rush  is  a  stanch  Republican,  never  failing 
to  exert  his  influence  and  cast  his  vote  for  the 
principles  which  he  believed  to  be  right,  alliiough 
not  a  politician  in  the  usual  sense  of  that  term.  He 
belongs  to  Lodge  No.  45,  K.  T.,  at  Pittsfield,  and 
has  filled  several  of  the  chairs  therein.  For  six 
years  he  was  President  of  the  Pike  County  Agri- 
cultural Society  and  is  now  a  stockholder  in  the 
Illinois  State  Board  of  Agriculture.     He  ii.as  been 


612 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


associated  with  the  Hofird  for  six  jears  and  for  the 
past  fifteen  years  lias  spent  much  of  his  time  in  tiie 
interest  of  the  various  societies  with  which  he  has 
been  connected.  He  has  become  well  known 
throughout  the  State  and  in  man}'  parts  of  the 
West  .as  a  public  spirited  man  but  especially  in 
connection  with  stock-raising  and  agriculture. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject  was  born  and  reared 
in  Ohio  and  married  in  Ross  Coiinty,  of  which  his 
wife  was  a  native.  After  the  birth  of  several  chil- 
dren John  Rush  and  bis  wife  came  to  Perrys- 
ville,  Ind.,  where  they  remained  a  short  time  when 
they  came  to  the  Prairie  State,  traveling  overland 
with  a  covered  wagon.  They  settled  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  our  subject,  it  being  then  new 
and  unbroken  land.  A  large  tract  was  improved 
and  the  energetic,  hard-working  couple  found  time 
to  bear  a  part  in  various  local  affairs  whicli  would 
enliance  the  welfare  of  the  community.  Among 
these  were  divers  matters  connected  with  tlie 
promulgation  of  Christianity,  the  first  Sunday- 
school  in  their  part  of  the  township  having  been 
organized  by  ^Irs.  Rush  and  held  in  their  little 
log  cabin.  Both  were  generous  and  benevolent, 
full  of  kindly  deeds  to  their  neighbors  and  bestow- 
ing the  most  devoted  care  upon  their  children. 
Mrs.  Rush  died  in  1889  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  eight  years.  For  three-quarters  of  a  cen- 
tury she  had  been  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Fypiscopal  Church.  Mr.  Rush,  who  was  born  in 
1800,  is  still  a  bright-minded  old  man  and  enjoys 
doing  little  odd  jobs  about  the  home  as  much  as  he 
did  in  his  palmiest  days.  He  has  never  been  an 
office-seeker,  but  since  the  Whig  party  died  out 
has  been  a  sound  Republican.  He  also  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
highly  honored  by  his  acquaintances. 


■%i-;;-i-=; 


fIRGIL  A.  GRIMES,  of  Pittsfleld,  Clerk 
of  Pike  County,  is  prominent  in  its  public, 
political  and  social  life,  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  its  best  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Posey 
County,  Ind.,  .June  23,  1849,  and  is  the  eldest  son 


of  .Tames  L.  and  Pamelia  (Bonner)  Grimes,  de- 
scendants of  old  English  and  Welsh  families.  His 
parents  removed  from  Indiana  to  this  State  in 
1849  and  became  pioneers  of  Pike  County,  locating 
on  a  farm  near  Milton,  wh^'rethey  remained  a  num- 
ber of  years.  They  subsequently  went  to  Mont- 
gomery County,  111.,  and  from  there  to  Morgan 
Count}',  where  they  still  reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Grimes  have  had  four  children,  of  whom  only  two 
are  now  living — our  subject  and  his  brother,  Will- 
iam  L. 

He  of  whom  we  write   p.assed   his  early  boyhood 
in  and  about  Milton.     He  acquired   a   good  com- 
mon school  education,  which  he  has  since  extended 
by  much  study,  careful  reading  and  close  observa- 
tion.    He  remained    under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  attained  his  twent^'-first  year.     In  1870  became    ' 
to    Pittstield   to   accept    the    position    of    Deputy 
County  Clerk  under  W.  B.  Grimes.     He  was  with    ■ 
him    three   years,  and  then   filled   the   same  office 
under  his  successor,   .John   L.  Frye,   for  a  term  of    ' 
four  years.  , 

After  that  Mr.  Grimes  became  Deputy  County 
Treasurer  under  R.  M.  Murray,  and  under  that 
gentleman's  successor,  B.  W.  Flynn,  for  three  years, 
when  our  subject  returned  to  the  County'  Clerk's 
office  and  accepted  his  old  position  as  Deputy 
County  Clerk,  C.  I.  Swan  being  then  at  the  head  of 
that  office.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  four 
years  Mr.  Grimes  was  elected  to  the  position  of 
County  Clerk,  bis  name  having  been  placed  on  all 
tickets  without  regard  to  party  and  without  opposi- 
tion for  a  term  cff  four  j'ears.  This  was  a  case 
where  partisans  laid  aside  party  prejudices  and 
preferences,  as  it  was  obviously  for  the  ]niblic 
good  that  a  man  of  Mr.  Grimes  experience  in  con- 
ducting the  affairs  of  the  important  office  to  which 
he  was  elected  should  be  placed  at  the  head  of  that 
department  in  the  civic  government  of  the  county 
in  just  recognition  of  his  past  services.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  first  term  as  County  Clerk  Mr. 
Grimes  was  re-elected  and  is  now  serving  his  sec- 
ond term. 

December  8,  1881,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage 
of  our  subject  with  Miss  Ida  E.,  second  daughter 
<^f  .lames  S.  and  Meribali  P.  Irwin.  iMrs.  Grimes 
is  (luite  an  accomplished  lad}',  is  well  educated,  and 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


G13 


presides  with  grace  over  lier  home.  ,Slie  w.is  born 
in  Mt.  StL-rling.  Brown  C'oiintx.JU.  Her  Lather  is 
one  of  the  prominent  attorne3s  of  Pittsficld. 

Mr.  Grimes  is  a  prominent  Mason,  being  a 
member  of  Pittsfielrl  Lodge.  No.  790.  A.  F.  &  A.M.; 
Tnion  Chapter,  No.  10,  H.  A.  M.;  and  of  .\sealon, 
No.  49,  K.  T.  lie  is  one  of  tlie  Oirectors  of  tlie 
Bnilding  <fe  Loan  Association,  and  is  one  of 
tlie  leaders  of  the  Deinocrac}'  in  tliTs  part  of  the 
State,  he  being  Secretary  of  the  Democratic 
County  Central  Cominittee.  He  possesses  a  thought- 
ful, well-trained  mind,  is  progressive  and  liberal  in 
liis  views,  and  whether  in  |iublic  or  in  private  life 
hears  an  unstained  character. 


(j^^  YLVANU.S  HATCH  was  intimately  asso- 
^^^  ciated  with  the  farming  interests  of  Pike 
|l/_Uj  County  from  pioneer  days  until  his  un- 
timely death  in  iiis  beautiful  home  on  section 
9,  Griggsville  Township,  terminated  the  career  of 
one  who  w.as  in  all  particulars,  one  of  the  most  use- 
ful members  of  his  community.  He  was  a  native 
of  llillsboro.  N.  H.,  born  in  1815  and  came  of  fine 
old  New  England  stock.  He  was  the  third  son  of 
Dr.  Reuben  Hatch,  who  was  also  a  native  of  that 
State  and  came  of  an  old  famih'  of  prominent 
standing  in  his  communitj".  The  Doctor  was  a 
leading  pliysician  of  that  part  of  the  country, 
where  he  was  in  active  practice  for  several  jears. 
Me  married  Miss  Lucy  Andrews  who  came  of  good 
New  England  stock  and  was  born,  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  New  Hampshire.  After  the  birth  of  all 
ills  children,  the  Doctor  having  been  married  the 
second  time,  emigrated  westward  with  his  family 
journeying  b}'  land  and  water  until  they  arrived  in 
this  county.  They  located  in  Griggsville  wlien  the 
surrounding  country  was  almost  an  unbroken  wil- 
derness and  the  Doctor  became  one  of  the  pioneer 
physicians  of  this  part  of  the  State.  He  became 
widely  known  and  was  tlie  beloved  physician  in 
many  a  household  where  his  skill  brought  relief 
from  suffering.  He  was  a  man  of  liigii  character 
and  strict  integrity.  He  was  somewhat  reserved 
and  was  also  conservative  in  some  of  his  views,  es- 


pecially in  regard  to  [loliliics.  He  was  one  of  the 
founilers  and  charter  menjbers  of  the  C'ongregii- 
tioiKil  Church  in  Pike  County.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  growth  and  devel- 
opment of  this  section  and  altlio-igh  lie  was  prudent 
and  economical  in  the  management  of  his  affairs, 
lie  gave  liberally  to  public  enterprises.  He  was  a 
AVhig  ill  his  early  days  but  died  a  faithful  Republi- 
can. He  rounded  out  a  long  and  honorable  life  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years  when  there  passed 
from  this  community  one  of  its  most  revered 
pioneers. 

The  Doctor  was  three  times  married,  his  first 
wife  who  was  the  mother  of  our  subject  dyinir  in 
New  Hampshire  in  tlie  prime  of  life.  He  then 
married  Miss  Ann  S^ratton  wlio  accompanied  him 
to  Illinois  and  died  at  Griggsville  in  middle  life. 
The  Doctor  returned  to  New  Hampshire  for  liis 
third  and  last  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mar^' 
A.  CTilmore;  she  was  a  native  of  tlie  Granite  State, 
and  like  her  predecessors  came  of  well-known  stock. 
She  survived  her  husband  and  died  when  past  sev- 
enty years  of  age.  Her  only  child  is  Mrs.  Lucy  Ann 
Cree,  of  Griggsville.  Each  of  the  Doctor's  wives 
were  active  members  of  the  Congregational  Ciiurcli 
and  were  known  as  most  worthy  and  estimable 
women. 

Our  subject  was  the  third  son  and  thetliird  child 
of  a  family  of  eight  children,  six  sons  and  two 
daughters,  of  whom  three  sons  and  one  daughter 
are  yet  living.  After  he  attained  his  majority  he 
took  up  farming  in  Illinois  and  made  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land  on  section  9,  of  this  township  whin 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  married 
in  this  township  to  Miss  Sarah  M.  Fessemlen,  a  na- 
tive of  Massachusetts,  who  was  born  August  25, 
1824.  Her  jiarents  Timothy  and  Angeliae  (Robley) 
Fessenden  were  also  natives  of  the  old  Bay  State 
and  there  grew  to  maturity,  both  having  come  of 
well-known  Massachusetts  families.  Mr.  Fessen- 
den learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  when  he  was 
j-oung,  and  some  j'ears  after  his  marriage  moved  to 
Boston  and  established  a  smithy  ami  iron  foundry. 
He  operated  them  successfully  several  years  until 
all  his  cliildren  were  born,  when  the  whole  familj-, 
in  1838,  came  overland  in  their  own  conveyances 
to  Illinois  and  established    themselves    in    Ciriggs- 


614 


PORTRAIT  AND  HIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ville,  where  Mr.  Fessemlen  opened  a  stiop  for 
jicnernl  blaeksmilliing.  He  carried  on  his  trade 
Very  bi'isivly  until  1849  wiien  he  was  attacked  by 
tlie  gold  fever  that  was  so  prevalent  all  over  the 
country  and  joined  some  of  the  emigrants  to  ac- 
company them  across  the  plains  to  the  Western 
slopes.  After  his  arrival  in  California  he  began  to 
mine,  and  though  he  was  then  upward  of  sixty 
years  of  age  he  worked  with  the  agility  of  a  much 
younger  man  and  was  very  successful  in  gathering 
gold  dust.  He  remained  there  nearly  three  years 
and  in  the  spring  of  1853  returned  homeward  with 
his  wealth,  coming  back  by  the  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  I'anamri,  New  Orleans,  the  Mississippi  and  Illi- 
nois Rivers,  and  landing  at  Griggsville.  He  after- 
wards spent  his  life  in  this  village,  passing  his  last 
j'cars  in  quiet  retirement  and  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  comfortable  fortune  he  had  accumulated  in  his 
mining  days.  A  short  time  before  his  death  he 
went  to  Springfield,  and  died  in  the  home  of  his 
son,  George  Fessenden.  in  1861  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight  years.  He  was  a  strong  Universalist  in  relig- 
ion, as  was  his  wife  also,  and  he  was  a  great  friend 
of  the  prominent  pioneer  minister  of  that  church, 
the  Rev.  Hosea  Ballon,  of  Boston,  to  whose  preach- 
ing he  listened  many  years.  He  was  a  sound  Dem- 
ocrat in  politics.  His  wife  survived  him  for  some 
years  and  died  at  the  age  of  eighty- five  at  the  home 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Angeline  Marvin,  in  Sedalia, 
Mo.  She  was  a  thoroughly  good  woman  and  a 
true  Christian. 

Mrs.  Hatch,  the  wife  of  our  subject,  is  the  fifth 
child  and  fourth  daughter  of  a  family  of  five  sons 
and  five  daughters  all  of  whom  lived  to  marry  and 
rear  families.  She  was  carefully  trained  and  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  in  Boston.  She 
was  yet  in  her  girlhood  when  her  parents  came  to 
Illinois.  Since  the  death  of  her  husband  she  has 
been  very  successful  in  carrying  on  the  farm,  and 
being  a  superior  manager,  possessing  excellent 
judgment  she  has  kept  her  homestead  up  to 
the  same  high  standard  it  had  attained  under  her 
husband's  care  and  has  added  to  it  further  improve- 
ments. She  is  assisted  in  the  care  of  the  farm  by 
her  son  Mason,  her  only  child,  who  was  born  and 
reared  on  this  homestead  and  is  now  forty-four 
years  of  age.     He  is    a  bright,    energetic  man,   is 


well  educated,  having  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Pike  Count}'  anil  in  the  University  at 
Bloomington.  He  is  a  skillful,  practical  farmer  and 
is  very  prosperous.  He  is  devoted  to  his  mother  and 
is  so  surrounded  by  her  care  and  affection  that  lie 
has  not  yet  felt  the  need  of  a  wife. 

Mr.  Hatch   chose  farming  as  his    life    work  am! 
settled  on  the  farm  now  owned    and    occupied    by 
his  wulow  in  1840.     He  had  obtained  the  land  from 
an  original   ••squatter,"  a  Mr.  Elledge,  and   in  the  j 
years  of  bard  pioneer  labor  that  followed,   he   had' 
made  of  it  a  beautiful  home  with  commodious,  sub-  i 
stantial  buildings,  and  its    two    hundred    acres   of 
land  were  well-tilled  and  were    watered   with   cool ' 
springs,  making  it  one  of  the  choicest  farms  in  this  I 
localit}-.     Mr.  Hatch  gave  his  attention  to  general  I 
farming  and  stock-raising  and  made  money  by  his  i 
operations.     At  his  death   March    17.    1868,    there  I 
passed  from  the  scenes    of  his    usefulness   one   of  i 
Pike  County's  most  useful  and   honored  pioneers,  i 
He  had  come  here  in  his  youth   when    the    county 
was  in  a  wild  state,  and  not  only  had  lived    to  see 
it  well-developed,  but  he  had  done  what    he   conlri 
to  promote  its  growth. 


'^SS^^'t^ 


«S?itf^-»»^<^^ 


WILLIAM  II.  LAIRD.     The  name  of  Laird  ' 
has  been  closely  connected  with  the  rise  ] 
„  „      and  growth  of  Pike  County  for  nearly  half 
a  century,  as  the   father  of  our  subject  was  a  pio- 
neer here  and  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  and 
well-known  citizen  of  these   parts,   who  was  very  i 
active  in  extending  the   business  and  agricultural 
interests  of  this  section,  and  in  its  public  life.  And 
the  son  of  whom  we  write  is  ably  filling  the  place 
of  the  father,  and  is  now  a  leading  citizen,  one  of  ' 
our  best  civic  ofHcials  and  one   of  our  most  saga- 
cious and  practical  men  of  business.     He  is  a  resi- 
dent of  New  Salem  Township,  where  he  is  exten- 
sively engaged  as  a  farmer  and  grain  dealer. 

Samuel  Laird,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1810.  His  fallier, 
hearing  the  same  name  as  himself,  was  a  native  of 
Scotland,  and  lived  in  the  north  of  Ireland  until  lie 
had  grown  to  manhood,  when  he  came  to  America 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


615 


and  settled  in  Penns3lvania  in  Colonial  times.  He 
nianied  llicie  and  was  a  resident  of  the  State  until 
death  called  hiiu  hence.  Tlic  mother  of  otii' snliject 
was  in  her  maiden  days  .lane  Magee,  and  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  Deceniher  1,  1807.  Her  father, 
,\dani  JIagee,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
State,  and  he  spent  liis  entire  life  on  the  farm 
which  liad  come  into  his  possession  before  the  Rev- 
olution, and  has  never  passed  out  of  the  family. 
Tiie  Magees  originated  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  and 
are  from  an  old  faniilj'. 

The    father  of  our   subject   was   in   early   life  a 
lailor,  and  later  became  a  farmer.     He  married    in 
I'ennsylvania  and  resided  there  until  184C,  when  he 
started  westward    with    his    family.     Our  subject 
lliongh  only  a  young  boj-  at  the  time,  remembers 
well  the  incidents   of  the  journey,  of   pulling  up 
the  Alleghany  Jlountains  by  a  rope  and  of  travel- 
ing |)art  of  the  way  by  the  old  canal,  and  by  steam- 
(boaton  the  rivers  to  St.  Louis,  thence  to  Griggsville 
Landing.  The  famil}- settled  on  section  19,  Griggs- 
ville  Township.     The  father  became  a  conspicuous 
iHgure  in   the  upbuilding  of  the  count}'.      He   had 
the  honor  of  naniinu-  the  town  of  ^Maj'sville,  opened 
lllie  first  store  there  and  was  the  first  Postmaster  of 
the  place.     He  gave  his  attention  to  his  store   and 
post-office  for  many  j'ears.  and  he  also  kept  a  tavern 
und  stage  stock,  the  town  being  located  on  the  old 
btage  route  between  (^nincj'  and  Naples. 
I    Shortly  before  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Laird  disposed 
j)f  liis  store  and  hotel,  and   gave  his   whole    alten- 
lion  to  his  farm  on  section  24,  New  Salem    Town- 
■liip,  whither  lie  removed  in  1860,  and  there  spent 
|he  remainder  of  his  life,   dying  in  1883.     He  ac- 
cumulated between  three  and  four  hundred  acres  of 
and,  and  made  money  by  dealing  quite  extensively 
1    real    estate,    becoming  one  of    the  substantial 
■itizens  of  the  county.     He  was  prominent  in    so- 
|ial,  religious  and  political  circles,  and  at  his  death 
MW  Salem  Township  and  Pike  County  lost  a  val- 
ji'd  citizen,  one  who  had   done  much   to   forward 
llieir  interests.    He  was  an  active  Democrat  in  pol- 
ics,  and  was  frequently  a  delegate  to  conventions. 
|le  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Presby- 
brian  Church,  of  wliicli  he  was  a  Deacon.    During 
le  war  he  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  held 
i:\t  office  eight  j'ears,  and  was  also  School  Director. 


He  was  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  His  widow  survives  him  at  the  venerable 
age  of  eighty-three  years,  and  makes  her  home  on 
the  old  homestead  with  our  subject.  She  is  tlie 
mother  of  tliree  children:  ISIartlia  E.,  wife  of  J.  A. 
MeKiniiey,  of  Kansas,  whu  has  four  sons  and  two 
daughters;  Joseph  M.  of  New  Salem  Township, 
who  married  Jane  McKinuey,  'and  has  four  chil- 
dren; and  William  H.  of  wliom  we  write. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  of  the  family  and 
was  born  March  12,  1839,  in  Pennsylvania.  He 
was  seven  years  of  age  when  the  family  left  their 
old  home  for  the  new  one  in  the  Prairie  State,  and 
he  was  educated  in  this  county  attending  this  dis- 
trict a:id  subscription  schools  and  also  a  select 
school  at  Griggsville.  He  had  control  of  the  farm 
from  an  early  age,  but  acted  under  tLegui<lanee  of 
of  his  father  who  was  very  indulgent  to  him.  He 
has  alwavs  lived  on  the  old  homestead,  his  present 
residence  having  been  built  before  tlie  death  of  his 
father.  He  has  a  farm  of  two  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  very  fertile  land,  nearly  all  of  which  is  till- 
able, and  he  is  actively  engaged  in  mixed  farming, 
in  raising  grain  and  stock  of  good  standard  grades. 
He  also  conducts  an  extensive  business  in  buying 
grain  at  M.aysville  Staticui,  he  having  the  exclusive 
monoply  of  the  trade  there,  and  also  deals   in   coal. 

Mr.  Laird  was  married  in  1869  to  Annie  Os- 
borne, a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  JIargarct  (Evans) 
Osborne,  of  Perry  Township.  Mrs.  Osborne  died 
in  1886.  She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  five  are  now  living.  Mrs.  Laird  was  horn 
July  4,  1849,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  Her  marriage  witli  our  subject  has  been 
one  of  mutual  joy  and  happiness,  and  has  been 
blessed  to  them  b}'  the  birth  of  ten  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living  and  are  named  as  follows:  Samuel 
M.,  Marshall  W„  Margaret  J.,  Nettie  E.,  Melvin  R., 
Clement  T.,  Harry  C  May  W.,  Ilettie  "S'.,  and  an 
infant  unnamed.  Tiiey  are  being  carefully  trained 
in  their  pleasant  home,  and  arc  receiving  good  edu- 
cations. Samuel,  iMarshall  and  Margaret  are  stu- 
dents at  the  High  School  at  Griggsville. 

Mr.  Laird  is  a  man  of  strong,  sturdy  char.acter, 
and  of  fine  mental  capacity.  He  is  dignilied  in  his 
bearing,  is  rather  conservative  in  his  views,  but  is 
liberal    in    regard   to  inoiie}'  matters,  and  a  true, 


616 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


public-spiiited  citizen  who  desires  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  bis  to\vnsliii>  and  county.  He  possesses 
good  financial  talents,  and  is  one  of  the  wealthy 
men  of  tiiis  section  of  tlie  county.  A  man  of  such 
calibre  and  standing,  wields  great  influence  in 
his  community,  and  possesses  eminent  qualiOcations 
for  public  life.  These  considerations  have  brought 
our  subject  to  the  front,  and  in  him  Pike  County' 
and  New  Salem  Township  have  a  valued  civic  officer. 
He  has  been  School  Director  for  years,  and  also 
Township  Trustee  of  Sciiools.  For  fifteen  years  he 
has  been  Notar}'  Public,  and  has  also  been  a  Com- 
missioner of  Highways.  He  has  represented  his 
township  on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  for 
a  period  of  four  years.  He  lakes  an  active  part  in 
politics,  and  is  prominent  among  the  Democrats  of 
this  section.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  Masonic  order;  has  been  M.aster  of  Blue  Lodge 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chapter  at  Pittsfield. 
He  and  iiis  wife  are  among  tlie  most  active  members 
of  llie  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  ruling- 
Elder  and  a  Trustee.  He  is  also  interested  in  the 
Sunday-sciiool  of  which  he  has  been  Superinten- 
dent for  years  and  a  teacher  therein.  His  children 
all  attend  the  Sunday-school,  and  the  four  oldest 
are  members  of  the  church.  Mr.  Laird  is  a  kind, 
pleasant  man,  is  well  liked  by  all  who  know  him, 
and  is  straightforward  and  upright  in  all  his  rela- 
tions. 


ELDER  ALEXANDER  DORSET.  Among 
the  old  residents  of  Pike  County  who  have 
been  succossfuUj'  prosecuting  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  may  be  mentioned 
Mr.  Dorsey,  who  is  now  living  in  the  town  of  Perry. 
The  township  of  that  name  has  Ijcen  his  home  for 
more  than  half  a  century  and  he  is  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  one  of  the  fine  farms  for  which  it  is 
well  known  to  agriculturists.  The  land  is  located 
partly  within  the  limits  of  the  tow^n  and  is  supplied 
with  all  the  conveniences  with  which  the  progressive 
modern  farmer  surrounds  himself. 

Mr.  Dorsey  is  of  Scotch  ancestr}',  being  a  lineal 
descendant  of  one  of  three  brothers  who  emigrated 
from   the  land  of  Bruce  in  Colonial  times,  settling 


in  Maryland  not  far  from  Baltimore.  In  that  city 
William  iJorsey,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born,  but  losing  his  mother  when  quite  young,  he 
was  taken  to  North  Carolina  by  an  aunt.  After 
reaching  j'ears  of  maturity  he  fought  during  tbe 
Revolution,  afterward  marrying  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  settling  in  that  State.  His  companion 
died  and  after  contracting  a  second  niarri.ige  lie 
and  his  family  removed  to  Tennessee,  making  their 
home  near  Murfreesboro.  There  William  Dorsey 
spent  his  last  days.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence 
having  many  friends  and  much  influence. 

In  the  family  of  William  Dorsey  was  a  son 
Charles,  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina  and  was 
yet  a  boy  when  the  family  removed  to  Tennessee. 
There  he  grew  up  and  after  he  became  of  age  was  j  f I* 
engaged  for  seven  years  as  a  teamster,  crossing  the 
mountains  from  Murfreesboro  to  the  Alabama 
River.  He  won  for  his  wife  Miss  Elinor  Broilcs, 
who  was  born  and  reared  near  Murfreesboro.  They 
made  their  home  in  that  section  until  after  the 
birth  of  two  children,  our  subject  and  a  brother 
William,  then  bade  adieu  to  their  old  home  with 
the  intention  of  locating  in  Missouri.  The}'  trav- 
eled with  teams  and  wagon,  crossing  the  Ohio  and 
later  the  Mississippi  River,  but  after  reaching  Mis- 
souri they  learned  that  the  Indians  were  trouble- 
some, particularly  in  respect  to  horse  stealing. 
JMr.  Dorsey  therefore  determined  to  locate  in  Illi- 
nois and  without  having  made  any  settlement  in 
Missouri  came  hither. 

A  homo  was  founded  in  Detroit  Township.  Pike 
County,  which  was  reached  by  the  little  family  in 
December,  1828.  A  rude  dwelling  was  made  of 
clapboards  which  ran  from  the  ground  to  a  juck 
rafter  a  few  feet  above  and  here  the  little  fnmily 
spent  one  of  the  severest  winters  ever  experienced 
in  the  State.  The  next  spring  Jlr,  Dorsey  i)ut  up 
a  log  house  on  a  claim  that  he  had  secured  when  lie 
first  came  to  the  county.  Three  years  later,  in  or- 
der to  belter  his  surroundings,  he  sold  that  prop- 
erty and  removed  to  Perr}-  Township,  buying  an 
unbroken  farm  on  section  24,  near  the  present  sito 
of  the  Periy  Springs.  The  land  on  whicli  tin" 
springs  are  located  was  also  owned  by  him  for 
some  time. 

After  occupying   the  farm  for  some  ye.iis  Mr 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


617 


Dorse}'  removed  to  a  farm  one-lmlf  mile  iioi'tli  of 
tlie  village  of  Peii'3'  where  he  died  altoiit  185C.  He 
was  then  sixty  years  old.  He  had  not  only  suc- 
ceeded in  his  personal  affairs,  bnt  hnd  upheld  tiie 
interests  of  the  township  apd  taken  an  aetive  part 
in  religious  work,  being  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  He  held  the  office  of  Trustee  in  the  or- 
ganization. In  politics  he  was  a  Wiiig.  Mrs. 
Dorsey  survived  her  husband  a  year  and  a  half, 
dying  when  fifty-three  3'ears  old.  She  also  was  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  She  was  a  friendly 
neighbor,  a  kind,  affectionate  mother,  and  a  woman 
of  genuine  goodness. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest  in  a  large 
family,  six  of  wliom  are  yet  living  and  all  in  Perry 
Township.  He  was  born  near  Murfreesboro,  Tenn., 
November  29,  1824,  but  lias  lived  in  this  county 
since  he  was  four  years  old.  He  was  reared  as 
farmer's  sons  usually  are  in  a  sparsely  settled  coun- 
try where  the  opportunities  to  obtain  an  education 
are  limited,  but  those  for  hard  work  are  abundant. 
He  grew  up  a  thoughtful  and  practical  youth,  armed 
fur  the  battle  of  life  with   general   intelligence,  in- 

,  dustrious  habits  and;  physical  vigor.  With  these 
weapons  he  has  conquered  fortune,  advanced  the 
interests  of  his  fellow-citizens  in  official  positions, 
an<l  been  instrumental  in  extending  the  cause  of 

'  morality    and   Christianity  in   this  section   of  the 

1  State. 

At  the  bride's  home  near  ilurfreesboro,  Tenn., 
the  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  between  our  sub- 
ject and  Miss  Jane  Fox.  This  amiable  lady  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  section  where  she  was  mar- 

I  ried  and  is  one  of  a  large  family  born  to  Matiiias 
and  Jemima  (Broiles)  Fox.  Her  mother  died  when 
past  sixty-five  years  of  age,  but  Mr.  Fox  is  still 

I  living  in  the  Turpentine  State,  being  now  about 
eiglity-four  years  of  age.  Both  parents  became 
liilenlified  with  the  Baptist  Church  many  years  ago. 
Mr.  Fox  has  always  been  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
and  his  property  lies  at  Hoover's  Gap,  where  once 
ilhe  soldiery  of  the  North  and  South  contested  with 
'all  the  strength  of  their  arms. 

I  'I'he  family  of  our  subject  consists  of  six  sons 
land  daughters  of  whom  we  note  the  following: 
IKliiior  is  the  wife  of  David  Chenoweth  and  occu- 
jpies  a   farm   in  Perry  Township;  William  A.  inar- 


iii'd  Susan  Iluddleston  and  is  farming  in  the  same 
township;  JdIiu  W.,  also  a  farmer  in  Perry  Town- 
ship, married  Sarah  J.  Ham  and  after  hev  decease 
Ella  Blake;  Charlie  married  Aila  Chenoweth  and 
their  home  is  on  a  farm  in  Monroe  County,  Mo.; 
Anna  is  with  her  parents;  Isaac  married  Mary  E. 
Burns  and  lives  on  the  obi  Dorsej'  homestead.   ' 

Mr.  Dorse}-  gave  his  first  political  adherence  to 
the  Whig  party  and  since  its  disintegration  has 
been  a  Republican.  He  was  a  School  Director 
for  nine  years,  and  has  held  nearly  all  the 
local  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people.  He  has 
been  an  active  member  of  the  Christian  Church 
since  1843  and  his  wife  for  nearly  as  long  a  period. 
For  many  3ears  Mr.  Dorsey  was  a  Deacon  and  for 
fifteen  he  has  held  the  office  of  Elder.  He  has 
given  liberally  of  his  means  to  the  support  of  the 
church  in  all  the  departments  of  its  work  and  h.as 
been  a  pillar  therein  since  he  has  lived  in  Perry. 


c«l  felLLIAM  GILLIS.  There  is  nothing  more 
\/\/l/  gci^rall}'  respecteil  than  gencrositj'  and 
^y^J  nobility  of  purpose  and  the  man  possessed 
of  these  traits  is  sure  to  be  highly  esteemed 
throughout  any  community  where  he  may  choose  to 
make  his  home.  People  of  every  nation  love  a 
jjood  and  honest  man  and  are  at  all  times  interested 
in  learning  the  particulars  of  his  life.  Our  subject 
belongs  distinctly  to  this  class  and  has  a  high  place 
in  the  regard  of  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaintance,  and  it  is  with  much  satisfaction  that 
we  give  a  sketch  of  his  career  in  this  AMUJ.ir.  After 
years  of  agricultural  work  he  has  retired  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Chambersburg,  Pike  County,  to  enjoy  mer- 
ited repose  and  freedom  of  care. 

Mr.  Gillis  is  of  Irish  descent,  his  grandfather, 
William  Gillis,  having  been  born  and  reared  in 
Belfast,  Ireland,  ami  while  a  prosperous  merchant 
of  that  cit}'  was  married  to  a  lad}',  who,  like  himself 
was  of  Irish  parentage.  Three  children  were  born 
to  their  union  previous  to  their  emigration  for 
America.  They  landed  in  this  country  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century,  locating  in  Baltimore, 
and  after  doing  a  prosperous  mercantile  business 


618 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


there  for  a  timo,  suffered  reverses  and  removed  to 
a  farm  in  Harrison  County-,  Va.  There  Mr.  Gillis 
operated  his  land  and  engaged  in  coal  mining,  and 
in  that  tounty  he  and  his  beloved  wife  passed  to 
their  final  rest,  being  of  advanced  age.  The}'  be- 
longed to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Tiie  good  couple  had  quite  a  large  family,  of 
wliicli  Richard,  father  of  our  subject,  was  among  the 
first-born  in  the  United  States.  He  grew  to  man's 
estate  in  the  Old  Dominion  and  in  Clarksburg  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Melz,  a  native  of  Maryland  and  of 
German  and  Welsh  parentage.  About  1827  the 
young  couple  removed  to  .Sciota  County,  Ohio, 
and  in  the  early  '40s  came  to  Illinois  settling  on 
a  farm  in  Perry  Township,  Pike  Count}',  and  at  a 
later  date  changing  their  residence  to  Chambers- 
burg  Township.  The  husband  died  here  in  1865 
when  about  fifty-five  years  old ;  tlie  wife  lived  to 
be  eighty-six  years  of  age  and  died  in  Clayton, 
Adams  County.  Both  were  faithful  Christians,  be- 
longing to  the  Methodist  Church  and  were  looked 
upon  as  unusually  active  in  promoting  every  good 
cause. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Virginia,  October  10, 
1822,  and  received  his  educational  training  in 
Sciota  County,  Ohio.  He  first  married  in  that  State 
Miss  Bridgett  Perry,  native  of  Sciota  County.  To 
them  was  born  one  child — John.  Sixteen  months 
after  their  marriage  the  wife  died,  while  still  in  the 
bloom  of  youth.  Mr.  Gillis  moved  to  Illinois  in 
1853.  and  was  married  in  Chambersburg  Township 
to  Miss  Mary  Todd,  a  native  of  Pike  Count}-,  but 
she  also  died  while  quite  young,  leaving  one  child, 
Treniont,  wiio  married  Miss  Kansas  Loer,  and  now 
lives  in  Bcardstown,  111. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  for  the 
third  time  in  tliis  township  to  Mrs.  Sarali  Morrison 
whose  birth  occurred  in  Sciota  County,  Ohio,  and 
who  was  a  daughter  of  James  and  Maria  Wood, 
natives  of  Xew  York  and  Virginia  res])ectivcly. 
Mrs.  Gillis  was  quite  young  wlien  she  came  with  her 
parents  to  Illinois.  She  first  married  Andrew  Mor- 
rison, and  to  that  marriage  were  bo:  n  two  children, 
viz:  Elizabeth  J.,  wife  of  William  A.  Metz,  of  this 
Township;  and  Alvira  (t.,  wife  of  Henry  Metz, 
a  resident  of  this  county  and  township. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.   Gillis   liave   been   born    eight 


children,  two  of  whom  are  dead — Fannie  and  Ben- 
nie.  Those  living  are:  Dora  A.,  wife  of  William 
Hildreth,  a  butcher  in  Chambersburg;  Emma,  who 
married  James  A.  Metz  and  resides  in  Versailles, 
Brown  County;  Lula  K.,  wife  of  Charles  Smith,  a 
teacher  in  Chambersburg;  Nora,  wife  of  E.  S. 
Klinefelter,  Principal  of  the  Chambersburg  school; 
William  Henr}-,  who  lives  at  home  and  is  engaged 
in  teaching;  and  Sallie  M.,  who  is  witii  her  parents. 
The  family  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Gillis  and  his  sons  are  members  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  Mason,  identified 
with  Blue  Lodge,  No.  373.  He  owns  two  hundred 
acres  of  valuable  land  and  is  re^^arded  as  an  ener- 
getic and  successful  farmer  and  business  man. 


^ ^^^' 


(X[  ft?  ^-  DENNIS  is  numbered  among  the  pros- 
\rsj//  perous  and  popular  merchants  of  Chara- 
V^^  bersburg.  Pike  Count}',  at  which  place  he 
has  carried  on  a  general  merchandising  business 
since  1880,  at  first  under  the  firm  name  of  Dennis 
Bros.,  but  afterward  as  an  individual  enterprise.  At 
a  later  period  the  firm  was  Dennis  &  Talbot,  and 
then  once  more  the  trade  was  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Dennis  alone  from  1884  to  1890.  At  the  present 
lime  he  is  in  partnership  with  George  Ham.  They 
are  doing  a  thriving  business  and  are  very  popular 
in  the  conimcrcial  world,  and  in  connection  with 
their  merchandise  arc  interested  in  buying  and  sell- 
ing grain. 

Mr.  Dennis  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  the  township 
in  which  he  still  lives,  being  born  December  7, 
1859.  His  father.  W.  S.  Dennis.  Sr.,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky  and  after  coming  to  Illinois  settled  in 
Pike  County  where  he  commenced  life  as  a  teacher 
and  farmer,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  politics, 
Ijeing  in  sympathy  with  the  Democratic  iiarty.  He 
was  elected  Sheriff  in  1856  and  served  most  credit- 
ably until  1858.  His  death  occurred  at  his  home 
in  November.  1859,  just  one  month  before  our  sub- 
ject was  born.  He  was  at  the  time  only  thirty-nine 
years  old  ami  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens 
in  this  community.  He  married  in  Chambersburg 
Township  Miss  Elizabeth  Hume,  who  was  born  in 


m?M  (^t 


^^i4/<^^ 


'^y^ypy^^u) 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


621 


tliis  State  and  reared  in  Pike  Count}'.  After  his 
death  she  married  .Toab  Brooks,  wlio  is  the  oldest 
man  horn  in  this  township  now  living  licre.  Botii 
are  growing  old  and  are  highly  respected.  Mrs. 
Brooks  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cliiirch. 

Our  subject  is  tiie  3'oungest  of  the  four  children 
born  to  his  parents,  all  of  whom  are  now  living, 
viz:  Calista,  who  lives  with  her  mother;  Law- 
rence who  married  Miss  Amanda  Robinson  and 
lives  on  a  farm  near  Versailles,  Brown  County; 
Norman,  a  farmer  in  the  township  in  which  our 
subject  lives,  and  W.  8.  who  lived  at  home  until  he 
became  of  age  and  was  educated  in  the  count}'  and 
at  Jacksonville  Business  College. 

Mr.  Dennis  married  in  his  home  townshii)  Miss 
Cora  Marden,  who  was  born  in  Perry  Township, 
Pike  County,  December  27,  1860,  being  a  daughter 
of  Frank  and  Hattio  f  Brower)  Marden.  Iler  father 
w.ns  born  in  Canada  and  came  of  English  parentage, 
but  while  quite  a  young  man  came  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Pike  County  and  in  that  county  was  mar- 
ried. At  the  present  writing  (1890)  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hardin  live  in  Naples,  this  State,  Mr.  Marden  be- 
ing a  blacksmith.  Mrs.  Dennis  is  the  mother  of 
four  children — Merle,  Gwendoline,  Roswell,  G  and 
Ruth  v..  the  two  latter  being  twins. 

Mr.  Dennis  is  in  complete  sympathy  with  the 
Democratic  party  and  has  held  several  important 
local  offices,  being  at  one  time  Tax  Collector.  lie 
is  a  member  of  Blue  Lodge.  No.  373. 


--H-H-- 


ON.  JAMES  H.  DENNIS  is  a  man  of  great 
prominence  in  Pike  County,  and  one  of  the 
most  extensive  farmers  and  stock-raisers 
found  here.  He  makes  his  home  on  section 
'•.  ill  Charabersburg  Township,  and  owns  eleven 
liundied  and  forty-five  acres,  most  of  which  is  in  a 
'■plendid  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  both  lines  of  business  since  the  year 
184G,  and  has  made  a  fortune  by  constant  applica- 
tion and  close  attention  to  his  work.  He  posses- 
ses fine  business  tact  and  excellent  judgment,  and 
is  a  man  of  remarkable  energy.     ]\Ianj-  years  ago  he 


commenced  to  make  a  competency  for  himself,  be- 
ing at  that  time  in  reduced  financial  circumstances 
and  teaching  in  order  to  make  a  living.  His  farm 
is  among  the  finest  in  Charabersburg  Township,  be- 
ing generally  known  as  "Grand  Prairie  Farm,"  and 
his  residence  is  only  a  half  mile  from    the   village. 

Our  subject  was  ushered  into  this  world  in  Cen- 
terville,  Bourbon  County,  Ky..  November  23, 1823, 
and  was  the  son  of  Clark  Dennis,  a  native  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Eliza- 
beth Stout.  The  father  followed  his  trade  as  a 
tailor  until  the  year  1835,  at  which  time  he  and  his 
family  removed  by  way  of  the  rivers  to  Mt.  Ster- 
ling, Brown  County,  111.,  where  he  opened  a  tailor 
shop,  and  worked  at  his  tr.ade  most  successfully  fur 
three  years.  At  a  later  date  he  purchased  a  small 
piece  of  land  where  both  husband  and  wife  died, 
he  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven,  and  she  when  only 
forty-seven  years  old.  They  were  both  consistent 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  he  was  a 
strong  supporter  of  the  Democratic  part}'. 

Mr.  Dennis  was  the  second  in  number  of  the  fam- 
ily of  four  sons  and  five  daughters,  and  was  about 
twelve  years  of  age  when  the  family  removed  to 
Brown  County,  and  there  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  and  in  after  years 
made  a  most  successful  teacher.  He  was  married 
in  Chambersburg  Township,  to  Miss  Aribel  Hume, 
who  was  born  here,  and  is  the  daughter  of  William 
A.  and  Margaret  (Meyers)  Hume,  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. Mr.  Hume  died  in  1874,  and  his  wife 
breathed  her  last  when  in  her  fortieth  year.  Of 
their  union  were  born  three  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Mrs.  Dennis  is  one  of  the  eldest.  She 
has  been  of  great  assistance  to  her  husband  in  their 
journey  together,  and  is  a  charming  lady,  and  uni- 
versally esteemed. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  ten 
children,  five  of  whom — Olive,  Orval,  Charles, 
George,  and  an  infant  are  dead.  Those  living  are 
as  follows:  Oscar  married  Miss  Sarah  Pool,  and  af- 
ter her  death  married  Miss  Lou  Cottingham ;  his  last 
wife  (he  having  been  married  the  third  tiuie)  was 
Miss  Octava  Chenoweth.  They  live  in  Chambers- 
burg Township;  James  II.,  Jr.,  married  Miss  Min- 
nie Parke,  and  resides  in  Chambersburg;  Harry, 
married  Miss  Ella  Irving,  and   lives  in   this   town- 


622 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ship;  Oplielia  is  at  home;  Ida  is  the  wife  of   Orval 
Van  Wey. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dennis  are  faithful  memhersof  the 
Christian  Church,  in  which  he  has  been  an  Elder 
for  the  past  eighteen  years.  He  is  a  firm  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  represented  his  dis- 
trict in  tlie  Legislature  of  18G8;  he  has  been  called 
upon  to  fill  man}-  important  local  offices,  serving 
for  several  years  as  Supervisor,  and  in  other  public 
positions,  and  lias  won  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  all  who  know  him.  A  portrait  of  the  Hon.  .1. 
II.  Dennis  is  presented  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


-■•i-f-is?— *- 


HARLES  GARD.  The  dwellers  in  the  large 
,.,  commercial  and  manufacturing  centers  are 

^S^^  prone  to  look  with  a  certain  degree  of  con- 
tempt upon  the  life  of  a  farmer  as  one  devoid  of 
interest,  not  recognizing  the  fact  that  to  be  a  suc- 
cessful tiller  of  the  soil  one  needs  extended  inform- 
ation, keen  powers  of  observation  and  indomitable 
energy.  Nowhere  can  a  better  opportunity  be 
found  for  the  cxhil)ition  of  the  sterling  qualities 
of  manhood  than  amid  the  quiet  scenes  and  kindlj' 
associations  of  our  rural  districts.  Nor  is  it  the 
case  that  our  farmers  always  lead  uneventful  lives. 
Many  of  them  have  passed  through  scenes  of  pio- 
neer labor,  have  journeyed  through  a  country 
where  their  w.ay  was  beset  with  danger  and  have 
borne  an  important  part  in  the  public  life  of  their 
respective  sections  of  country. 

Charles  Gard  is  one  of  the  native-born  citizens 
of  Pike  County,  born  in  Barry  Township  April  15, 
1840.  His  first  schooling  was  obtained  in  the  prim- 
itive log  schoolliouse  which  has  been  so  often  pic- 
tured to  our  minds,  and  his  eail}-  years  were  spent 
in  a  region  so  wild  that  it  was  no  uncommon  sight 
to  see  a  hunter  pass  with  a  deer  on  his  shoulders. 
The  Lid  assisted  his  father  in  developing  a  farm,  re- 
maining under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  when  he  embarked  in  farming  on 
his  own  account,  renting  land  for  about  three  years. 
At  the  ex[>iration  of  that  time  he  made  a  trip  across 
llie    plains  with    an   ox-team,   being   about    eight 


months  en  route.  Having  returned  to  the  East  in 
18G6  he  rented  one  hundred  acres  of  land  on  section 
27,  Pleasant  Vale  Township,  remaining  thereon  a 
year,  then  located  on  section  10,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. 

Mr.  Gard  owns  two  hundred  and  eight}'  acres  of 
land  which  has  been  well  improved  in  every  par- 
ticular, the  buildings  upon  it  including  a  fine  frame 
house,  a  commodious  barn,  and  ever}-  necessary  and 
convenient  arrangement  including  granaries, sheds, 
etc.  The  acreage  is  intelligently  handled  and  is 
proving  the  source  of  a  satisfactory  income.  While 
by  no  means  neglecting  the  cultivation  of  the  ce- 
reals for  which  this  portion  of  the  State  is  noted, 
Mr.  Gard  pa3-s  considerable  attention  to  stock-rais- 
ing, turning  off  about  fifty  head  of  cattle  per  year. 

A  glance  at  the  parental  histoiy  will  indicate  the 
influences  which  molded  the  character  of  our  sub- 
ject. His  father,  Cyrenius  Gard,  was  born  in  Ohio, 
whence  he  came  to  this  region  in  1833  to  look  at 
the  country.  Returning  to  his  home  he  brought 
his  famil^r  to  Pike  County  in  1839,  performing  the 
journe>'  with  a  team  and  locating  on  section  27. 
Barry  Township.  He  cleared,  fenced  and  otherwise 
improved  forty  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  resided 
until  18.J7.  He  then  located  on  section  5,  Pleasant 
V:.!e  Township,  on  a  fnrm  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  one  hundred  of  which  was  improved 
land.  He  |)laced  one  hundred  and  sixty  more  un- 
der improvement  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
days  there,  passing  away  June  24,  1875.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  the  Buckeye 
State;  her  maiden  name  having  been  Nancy  Kid- 
well.  She  breathed  her  hist  in  1861.  .She  w.is  the 
mother  of  the  following  children:  Daniel,  Charles 
Lucinda,  Martha  and  Maiy  (twins),  Paulina.  Joe! 
Paulina  2nd,  James,  Henry.  Nancy  and  Jasper 
The  last  two  named  and  the  first  mentioned  Paulin? 
are  deceased. 

At  the  bride's  home,  January  17,  1861,  he  o: 
whom  we  write  was  married  to  Mary  Johnson,  ; 
daughter  of  Michael  and  Mary  (Gates)  Johnson 
Mrs.  Gard  was  born  in  Deny  Township,  Piki 
Count}-,  in  1842,  and  is  one  in  a  family  of  nine  cbil 
dren,  named  respectively,  John  JI.,  Augustus  B. 
Eliza,  Rebecca,  Thomas,  Oliver.  Emily,  iMary  an( 
William    H.     All    were  reared  in  this  county,  t< 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


628 


wliic-li  'Sir.  and  Mrs.  Jolinson  liad  come  from  Oliio 
in  an  early  day.  Mrs.  Gard  is  an  exemplary  Christian, 
a  capable  housekeeper  and  a  devoled  com[)aiiion 
and  mother.  Ilcr  famil3'  consists  of  two  daughters 
and  two  sons,  of  whom  we  note  the  following:  Lulu 
married  James  Collins  and  lives  in  Dixon,  Lee 
County;  Olive  married  Abraliam  Likes,  their  home 
being  in  New  Canton,  Pike  County;  Cyrenius  is 
now  att'Miding  the  Business  College  at  Dixon;  Wil- 
liam IL,  the  baby  of  the  family,  is  still  at  home. 

Mr.  Gard  has  borne  his  share  in  the  official  life  of 
the  township,  having  been  Road  Commissioner, 
Constable  and  School  Trustee,  and  being  now 
School  Director.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  socially  one  of  the  Jlodern  Woodmen  of 
America.  He  is  not  identified  with  any  religious 
organization  but  contributes  liberally  to  the  sup- 
port of  the  Baptist  Church  to  which  his  cherished 
wife  belongs. 


-^^ 


OLONEL  A.  C.  MATTHEWS.    The  history 

,.,  of  the  life  of  this  gentleman   is  an  inlerest- 

^Si/    ing  one  in  man}'  respects.     He  was  born  in 

Illinois  and  was  reared  to  mature  years    upon    his 

I  father's  farm,  locate<l  near  the  town  of  Perry,  Pike 

1  County.     He  worked   on    the  farm  in  all   branches 

'thereof  in  the  summer,  and  attended  the    village 

^iliool  during  the  winter  season.    His  jwrents  were 

I  Capt.  B.L.Matthews  and    JNIinerva   (Carrington) 

!  Matthews,  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Kentucky 

respectivel}'. 

Shortly  after  reaching  his  eighteenth    year,  Mr. 

Matthews  attended  school  at  McKendrec  College,  lo- 

jcated  at  Lebanon,  Illinois.     While  there  he  boarded 

lin  the  family  of  the  late  Dr.  Peter  Akers,  who  was 

ithen  President  of  that  institution.     In  1855  he  en- 

ii  red  Illinois  College  and  graduated  therefrom   the 

^■inieyear  in  a  class  with  Judge  Lacy  and  Rev.  Dr. 

Noyes,  late   of  Evanston,  Illinois,    now   deceared. 

^oon  after   leaving    college    he  entered   upon    the 

[*tudy  of  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1850. 

IBefore  he  got  fairly  into  the  practice,  however,  the 

ate  Civil  War  broke  out,  when  he    enlisted   in  the 

Ninety-ninth     Illinois    Infantry.       He    w.is   unani- 


mously elected  Captain  of  his  company  and  soon 
after  went  to  the  front  with  his  command.  He  was 
in  all  the  battles,  and  the  siege  immediately  pre- 
ceding the  surrender  of  Vieksburg,  and  witnessed 
the  surrender  of  that  stronghold  on  the  4th  of 
July,  1863.  He  was  in  the  campaign  of  the  Tasche 
in  the  fall  of  1863.  He  was  in  the  campaign 
against  Mobile  and  all  the  battles  incident  thereto, 
which  resulted  in  the  capture  thereof,  in  the 
spring  of  1865.  From  Mobile  he  w.as  sent  up 
Red  River  to  Shreveport,  Louisiana,  where  the 
surrender  of  the  Confederate  Armj',  commanded 
by  Kirby  Smith,  look  place.  From  that  point  Col. 
Matthews  was  sent  under  an  escort  of  the  Sixth 
Missouri  Cavaliy,  to  the  Indian  Territory  to  recei\  e 
the  surrender  of  the  Indians,  under  the  command 
of  Gen.  .Stand-Watie.  a  half-breed  Indian.  When 
this  was  accomplished,  which  was  in  the  latter  part 
of  June,  1865,  he  held  a  council  with  the  civilized 
Indians,  under  the  direction  of  Peter  P.  Pitchlyn, 
Chief  of  the  Choctaw  Indians,  and  formed  a  tem- 
porary treaty  with  them,  by  which  they  agreed  to 
Lay  down  their  arms  and  return  to  their  allegiance 
to  the  L  nion.  Thereupon  he  immediately  returned 
to  his  command  at  Shreveport;  was  shortly  mus- 
tered out  of  service  and  reached  Springfield  with 
his  regiment  and  was  finally  paid  off  August  17, 
1865.  During  all  this  time  he  saw  his  family  but 
once,  which  was  in  the  spring  of  1863.  He  was 
Private,  Captain,  Major,  Lieutenant-Colonel  and 
was  commissioned  Colonel,  but  tlie  regiment  had  be- 
come so  reduced  by  the  casualties  of  war,  that  he 
eould  not  be  mustered  as  Colonel.  He  was  brevet- 
ted  for  meritorious  service  during  the  Vieksburg 
Campaign,  after  the  war. 

On  his  muster  out  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law 
at  PittsHeld,  which  has  been  his  princii)al  business 
ever  since.  He  has  frequentlj-  been  called  upon  to 
fill  places  of  honor  and  trust,  lie  w.as  CollecUu-  of 
Internal  Keveiiuc  for  six  years.  Supervisor  of  In- 
ternal Revemie  for  the  States  of  Illinois,  Wisconsin 
and  Michigan,  from  1875  until  the  office  was  abol- 
ished. He  has  been  three  times  elected  menilier  of 
the  Illinois  Legislature,  and  was  Speaker  of  the 
House  of  the  Thirty-sixth  General  Assembly.  He 
was  appointCvl  Circuit  Judge  in  1885.  to  fill  out  the 
unex[iiied  term  caused  by  the  death    of  Judge   C. 


624 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


L.  Higbee.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Re- 
publican Convention,  wiiicii  mot  in  Chicago  and 
nominated  .lames  G.  Blaine,  for  President.  He 
was  appointed  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury  of  the 
United  States,  by  President  Harrison,  May  11, 
1889,  which  place  he  now  liolds. 

It  is  chiimed  by  the  friends  of  Col.  Matthews 
lliat  in  all  the  positions  he  has  been  called  upon  to 
act.  he  has  discharged  the  several  duties  thereof 
with  ability,  fairness  and  credit  to  the  service.  He 
was  the  author  of  the  (irst  .imendment  to  the  Con- 
stitution of  1870.  This  is  known  as  the  '-Drainage 
Amendment".  Upon  it  has  been  erected  a  code  of 
laws  by  which  hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of 
land  have  been  reclaimed.  He  has  always  taken  an 
active  interest  in  all  enterprises  tending  to  promote 
agriculture  and  stock-raising  in  his  county.  Ho 
was  married  to  Anna  E.  Ross,  daughter  of  Col. 
William  Ross,  and  has  a  family  of  three  children, 
Mrs.  Florence  Lewis,  Ross  Matthews  and  Mrs.  Helen 
M.  Hull. 


\t7  0EL  W.  HAM.  Chief  among  the  pros, 
perous  and  well  known  farmers  of  Cham- 
bersburg  Township,  Pike  County,  we  find 
him  wliose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  lives 
on  section  20,  where  he  owns  a  farm  that  embraces 
two  hundred  and  eighty-six  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  he  has  resided  since  1874.  He  was  born  in 
Rutherford  County,  Tenn.,  April  17,  1829,  but 
was  less  than  a  year  old  when  brought  by  his  par- 
ents to  this  State.  He  received  his  educational 
training  in  the  township  in  which  he  is  now  living 
and  has  witnessed  and  participated  in  its  develop- 
ment and   progress. 

Mr.  Ham  was  first  married  to  Miss  .Sarah  Wells, 
whose  birth  occurred  here  April  29,  1833,  and  who 
received  her  early  training  and  education  in  the 
section  that  was  her  home  during  her  married  life. 
Her  parents  were  among  the  early  settlers,  having 
come  here  from  New  York,  and  remaining  until 
death  called  them  to  their  final  resting-place.  Mrs. 
Ham  died  after  being  married  nine  years,  during 
which  she   labored  faithfully  and   industriously  to 


aid  her  companion  in  building  up  a  home.  Her 
death,  whicli  occurred  January  10,  1859,  was  a  sad 
blow  to  her  devoted  husband  and  to  the  children 
whom  she  left  behind  her.  She  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Christian  Church.  Her  children 
were:  James  A.,  who  died  after  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Martha  Long  and  left  three  children;  Orson, 
who  married  Miss  Mary  Hale^-  and  died,  leaving 
one  child;  Sarah,  wife  of  Oscar  Smith,  a  farmer  of 
Brown  County,  this  .State;  Bennett  D.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Martha  Fuller  and  lives  in  the  same  town- 
shij)  as  his  father;  and  Charles,  who  died  when 
quite  young. 

A  second  matrimonial  alliance  was  made  by  Mr. 
Ham,  his  bride  being  Miss  Melvina  Lee,  who  was 
born  in  Marion  County,  Ind.,  in  1836,  being  the 
daughter  of  Ivan  and  Evaline  (Lee)  Lee.  Mrs. 
Lee  died  in  Indiana  while  her  daughterwas  an  in- 
fant, being  at  the  time  of  her  demise  but  twenty 
years  of  age.  Mr.  Lee  passed  away  from  earthly 
scenes  in  1844  while  in  the  prime  of  life.  To  their 
union  Mrs.  ilam  was  tlie  one  child  born,  and  after 
sustaining  the  sad  loss  of  her  mother  she  was  taken 
by  her  grandparents,  John  and  Nancy  Lee,  who 
came  to  this  State  in  1848,  settling  in  Fairmount 
Township,  Pike  County.  To  fir.  and  Mrs.  Ilam 
liavc  been  born  ten  children,  of  whom  Franklin, 
Lueretia  and  Dolly  are  dead.  The  living  are: 
Angenetta,  wife  of  Andy  Dugan;  David,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Lavina  Howe;  and  Enoch,  Walter,  Ilar- 
\'ey,  Anna  and  Fred,  who  are  still  with  their 
parents.  The  married  son  and  daughter  reside 
not  far  distant,  occupj  ing  farms  within  the  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Ham's  father,  James  Ham,  was  a  native  of 
South  Carolina,  born  October  26,  1796,  and  was  a 
j'oung  man  when  he  moved  to  Tennessee.  In  the 
latter  State  he  married  Miss  Mary  Briles,  who  <! 
was  born  in  Virginia  and  taken  by  her  parents  to 
Tennessee  at  an  early  age.  Some  few  years  after 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ham  removed  to  Illi- 
nois, first  locating  in  Pike  Count}'  near  Detroit, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1830  taking  up  their  abode  in 
Chambersburg  Township.  The  husband  at  one 
time  owned  two  thousand  acres  of  land,  having 
made  a  comfortable  fortune  by  hard  and  continued 
labor  coupled  with  prudent  management.     He  died 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


625 


nt  his  home  September  19,  1868.  His  widow  sur- 
vived liio)  until  1874,  rcicliiiig-  a  good  old  age. 
she  h.aving  been  born  in  1800.  She  w:is  a  noble 
woman  and  one  very  much  beloved;  she  w.is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church. 

The  gentleman  wliose  life  is  the  subject  of  these 
paragraphs  takes  much  interest  in  political  afifairs 
and  wields  a  considerable  influence  in  his  commu- 
nit}-.  He  never  fails  to  cast  a  Democratic  ballot. 
His  worthy  wife  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  Mr.  Ham  enjo)'s  the  esteem 
.ind  goodwill  of  his  neighbors,  as  did  his  worth\' 
father  before  him. 

RKDERIC  DIERKIXG,  a  representative 
farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Belleview  Pre- 
/li  cinct,  Calhoun  County,  was  born  in  Han- 
over, German}',  May  26,  1844,  lie  being  the  son  of 
Frederick  and  Louisa  Dierking,  natives  of  Ger- 
man}-.  His  mother  died  in  1868  and  his  father 
now  resides  in  Platte  County,  Mo.,  being  quite 
advanced  in  3'ears.  They  were  the  iiarents  of  three 
cliildren,of  whom  our  subject  is  the  on!}'  survivor. 
He  came  with  his  parents  to  America  wlien  two 
years  of  age  and  the  family  went  direct  to  Platte 
Count}-,  Mo.  In  that  county  our  subject  passed 
his  youth  and  there  received  his  education,  but 
after  reaching  his  seventeenth  5'ear  he  traveled 
through  dififerent  States,  among  which  were  Kan- 
sas, Colorado  and  Illinois,  following  teaming  and 
farming  as  circumstances  allowed.  In  1869  he  re- 
moved to  Calhoun  County,  but  in  the  course  of  a 
few  ye.irs  went  to  Cherokee  County,  Kan.,  wliere 
he  remained  about  four  years,  and  at  the  expira- 
tio.i  of  that  period  returned  to  Calhoun  County 
and  has  continued  to  reside  here  up  to  the  present 
date. 

Mr.  Dierking  was  married  April  11,  1870,  to 
Miss  Esther  Tliarp.  daughter  of  Charles  Tiiarp 
(deceiised).  Their  union  has  been  blessed  with 
twelve  children,  eleven  of  whom  are  living,  viz: 
Lula,  John,  Nellie,  Oliver,  Frederick,  Myrtle, 
Arthur,  Olga,  R03',  Goldie  and  Harrison. 

Our  subject  owns  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres 


of  land  which  he  lias  secured  by  means  of  his  in- 
•lustry  and  perseverance.  He  is  a  self-made  man 
and  has  labored  well  and  faithfully  tiirough  the 
entire  course  of  his  life,  and  his  efforts  have  been 
for  the  most  part  crowned  with  success.  He  com- 
menced a  business  career  with  practically  no  finan- 
cial standing  and  liis  farm  was,  when  he  look 
possession  of  it,  scarcely  more  tlian  a  wilderness; 
although  encountering  all  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions incident  to  a  pioneer  life  he  h.as  cultivated 
his  estate  very  highly  and  is  looked  upon  as  a  first 
class,  wide-awake  business  man. 

Mr.  Dierking  has  numerous  warm  friends  in 
Calhoun  County  and  is  especially  poi)ular  in  Belle- 
view  Precinct,  where  .he  has  at  different  times 
been  elected  to  hold  offices  of  responsibility  and 
public  trust.  He  has  served  as  a  School  Dircc- 
most  successfully  and  is  a  strong  advocate  of  all 
measures  that  tend  to  elevate  society  and  advance 
the  educational  and  religious  standing  of  this  pre- 
cinct. As  0  politician  he  enjoys  the  confidence  of 
the  entire  communit}-,  for  though  he  received  none 
of  the  educational  advantages  offered  young  men 
of  the  present  day  he  has  managed  to  keep  himself 
thoroughly  informed  regarding  matters  of  national 
or  local  importance,  being  the  fortunate  possessor 
of  an  excellenl  memory  and  good  judgment. 


^^ 


z^ 


m 


JOHN  SCOTT  has  been  a  resident  of  Pike 
I  County  thirty -eight  years  and  for  many  yeais 
I  was  associated  with  its  farming  and  stoeU- 
'  raising  interests.  But  though  he  still  retains 
possession  of  his  farm  in  Hardin  Township,  he  is 
now  living  in  honorable  retirement,  an  industrious 
well-spent  life  having  brought  him  a  competence 
sufficient  to  supply  all  his  worldly  wants. 

Mr.  .Scott  is  a  son  of  William  Scott,  a  native  of 
Maryland,  where  he  was  bred  to  the  life  of  a  far- 
mer. The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
a  native  of  Scotland,  who  finally  settled  in  Tennes- 
see and  lived  there  before  the  Revolutionar}'  War, 
being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  State.  Two  of  his  sons 
.Tames  and  .John,  served  witli  the  Colonists  in  their 
struggle   for    freedom   from    the   mother  country. 


626 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


The  father  of  our  subject  married  Susan  Ackerman, 
a  native  of  South  Carolina  and  a  daughter  of  Don- 
ald Ackerman.  Her  father  was  also  a  native  of  that 
State  and  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Scott  were  married  in  South  Carolina  and  re- 
sided tliere  some  years  till  their  removal  to  Ken- 
tucky from  whence  the}'  went  to  Ohio  in  1814,  and 
were  among  the  pioneers  of  that  State.  They  died 
in  Highland  County,  his  death  occurring  in  1821) 
while  he  w.as  yet,  in  the  prime  of  life  and  hers  in 
1877  at  a  venerable  age.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  of  whom  two  are  now  living. 

John  Scott  of  this  biographj-  was  born  Septem- 
ber 11,  1806,  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky..  and  was 
taken  to  Ohio  when  eight  years  old.  He  attended 
the  subscription  schools  in  both  States  that  were 
conducted  in  log  cabins  with  rude  furnishings.  He 
received  a  sound  |)ractical  training  in  agriculture 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  j  ears  began  life  for 
himself.  He  still  remained  with  his  mother,  how- 
ever, she  being  a  widow,  while  working  out  on  a 
farm  for  others  at  30  cents  a  day.  When  he  mar- 
ried he  settled  on  a  farm  of  timber  land,  compris- 
ing seventy-five  acres  in  Highland  County,  Ohio. 
He  built  a  log  cabin  in  which  he  and  his  bride  hap- 
pily began  their  weilded  life  and  he  then  entered 
with  a  good  will  upon  tlie  pioneer  task  of  clearing 
his  land  and  |)lacing  it  under  cultivation.  He 
started  out  in  life  with  no  other  eajjital  but  a  stur- 
dy, honest  heart  and  a  good  capacity  for  work,  so 
that  vvhnt  he  has  accomi)lished  has  been  through 
|)ersistent  effort  and  by  excellent  management  of 
his  affairs.  He  sold  his  first  farm  and  bought  an- 
other containing  eioht}'-four  acres  on  which  he  lived 
till  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1854.  He  settled  on  his 
present  f:irm  on  section  11,  Hardin  Township,  at 
that  lime  and  has  made  his  home  here  ever  since. 
He  improved  a  fine  farm  of  which  he  still  retains 
forty  acres,  having  sold  sonic  of  his  land  recently. 
He  now  rents  his  farm  at  a  good  advantage  and 
lives  retired  from  the  hard  labors  that  beset  bis 
early  life,  though  he  still  enjoys  good  health  and 
is  very  active  for  a  man  who  has  jcuirneyed  past 
the  eighty-fourth  milestone  cf  life.  He  possessed 
an  unusually  vigorous  constitution  when  he  started 
out  in  life,  coming  as  he  did  of  a  long-liyed  race, 
his  mother  having  Jived    to  the   venerable  age  of 


ninety-three  years.  She  was  a  good  Christian 
woman  and  from  her  he  received  those  principles 
that  have  guided  him  in  all  his  transactions  and 
mark  liini  as  a  man  of  honest  and  sterling  charac- 
ter. As  a  good  citizen  should,  he  has  taken  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  polities.  He  was  at  one  time  a 
Democrat  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Andrew  Jack- 
son. Later  he  became  independent.  He  is  a 
temperate  man  in  his  habits  and  always  has  been, 
which  has  doubtless  contributed  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  his  health.  He  has  been  a  Road  Commis- 
sioner and  has  never  failed  to  do  all  that  he  can 
for  his  adopted  township. 

Mr.  Scott  was  married  in  the  month  of  July, 
1830,  to  Margaret  King,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
where  slie  was  born  in  1802.  Their  wedded  life 
was  saddened  to  some  extent  by  the  death  of  their 
little  daugiiter  Elma,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  months. 
For  more  than  half  a  century  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject walked  by  his  side,  assisted  him  by  her  cheerful 
co-operation  in  the  upbuilding  of  their  home  and 
aided  and  encouiaged  him  b}'  her  wise  counsel.  He 
was  called  to  part  from  his  beloved  companion  in 
the  month  of  JMay,  1886,  when  that  good  and  true 
woman  passed  to  eternal  rest,  and  all  that  is  mortal 
of  her  now  lies  buried  in  the  cemeter}'  at  Time. 
She  was  a  woman  of  a  jiure  heart  and  religious  na- 
ture and  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Our  subject  is  a  member  of  that  church  and  has 
worke<l  earnestly  in  its  upbuilding.  He  is  greatly 
esteemed  by  the  entire  community  where  he  has  al- 
ways borne  a  good  name  during  his  many  years" 
residence  here. 


^;ILLIAM  H.  THURMAN,  who  resides  on 
section  22,  Montezuma  Township,  I'ike 
County,  is  a  respected  citizen  of  the 
county.  His  paternal  grandfather,  David  Tluir- 
man,  was  a  native  of  ^'irgiuia  and  owned  a  lar^e 
tobacco  plantation  which  was  worked  bj'  his  slaves. 
Uj)on  that  plantation  Thomas  L.  Thurman,  father 
of  William,  was  born  and  reared.  Going  to  Ken- 
tucky he  married  Miss  Millie  Black,  a  native  of 
Cliin))erland  County,  that  State,  and  shortly  after- 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


627 


ward  removed  to  Montgomery  County,  Tenn., 
where  tliey  resided  for  a  number  of  j'ears,  coming 
Id  Pike  County,  III.,  in  1841.  Mr.  Thurman  rented 
a  farm  for  two  years  and  then  located  on  section 
22,  Montezuma  Township,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land,  the  improvements  on  which 
were  a  little  log  cabin  and  a  few  cherry  trees.  He 
cleared  and  developed  the  land  and  afterward  pur- 
ch.nsed  another  forty-acre  tract  adjoining  on  the 
north.  In  1865  the  log  cabin  was  replaced  by  a 
neat  frame  residence  and  other  improvements  were 
added  as  his  Gnancial  resources  increased.  His 
brother  Austin,  coming  from  Virginia  to  Illinois  in 
1S38.  Mr.  Thurman  traded  to  him  his  interest  in 
the  Virginia  property  for  the  farm  on  section  22. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  it  comprised  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
The  children  o!'  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurman  yet  living 
are:  Sarah  Ann,  Adeline,  William  H.,  James  L. 
and  John  T.  The  deceased  are:  Susan,  Bethina, 
Louisa  and  Mary. 

William  tl.  Thurman,  who  ranks  among  the 
leading  farmers  of  Pike  County,  was  born  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  Tenn..  February  28,  1829.  He 
received  comparatively  no  educational  ad  vant.ages, 
and  until  the  time  of  attaining  bis  majority  his 
labors  were  all  for  the  benefit  of  his  parents.  II is 
first  pair  of  hoots  he  bought  and  paid  for  when 
twenty  years  of  age,  the  money  being  obtained  as 
the  result  of  five  days  work  at  fifty  cents  per  day. 
lie  had  to  cross  the  Illinois  River  to  make  his  pur- 
chase, but  we  can  imagine  how  his  heart  swelled 
with  pride,  when  in  exchange  for  his  hard  earned 
$2.50  he  received  his  first  pair  of  boots.  He  began 
life  literally  empty-handed,  but  being  blessed  with 
'good  health  and  a  young  man's  bright  hope  of  the 
[future  he  overcame  the  disadvantages  of  his  earlier 
iyears  and  has  secured  for  himself  and  family  a 
comfortable  home.  He  first  worked  as  a  farm 
'hand  tit  xi2  per  month,  continuing  that  employ- 
Iment  for  two  years,  after  which  he  purchased  a 
|team  and  engaged  in  operating  rented  land.  By 
industry  and  economy  he  was  at  length  enabled  to 
jpurchase   forty   acres    on    section    22,  Montezuma 

E township,  but  hordly  a  furrow  bad  been  turned 
hereon.  He  broke  it  with  seven  yoke  of  cattle, 
)lanted  crops  and  built  a  duelling  into  w^hich  he 


moved.  For  some  time  he  there  made  his  home, 
but  later  spent  a  season  in  McDonough  County, 
111.,  after  which  he  returned,  locating  on  a  forty- 
acre  farm  now  owned  by  William  Hess,  where  ho 
resided  eight  years.  The  succeeding  nine  years  of 
his  life  he  spent  on  an  eighty-acre  farm  in  tlie 
western  part  of  the  township,  when  he  sold  and  for 
seven  years  rented  the  farm  of  B.  F.  Stewart.  He 
then  purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  22,  Montezuma  Township,  and  now  de- 
votes himself  to  its  cultiv.ation  and  to  the  raising 
of  stock  in  a  limited  degree. 

In  August,  1852,  Mr.  Thurman  wedded  Lucy  L. 
Smith,  only  daughter  of  William  and  Del.ino 
(Parks)  Smith,  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  mother  dieil 
during  her  infancy,  and  in  1851  her  father  came  to 
Pike  County,  whence  he  removed  to  McDonough 
County,  111.,  where  his  death  occurred  in  18«!). 
Mrs.  Thurman  was  born  in  Ohio  May  M,  18.31, 
and  is  a  most  estimable  lady  who  does  everything 
in  her  power  for  her  family  to  make  them  a  happy 
home.  They  have  nine  children — Dr.  Charles  E., 
who  married  Virginia  Haj'den  and  resides  in  Mil- 
ton; William  T..  of  Palmerville.  III.,  who  wedded 
MoUie  James  and  has  one  child;  Iva,  who  married 
Joy  Lacy,  by  whom  she  has  one  child,  is  a  resident 
of  Montezuma  Townsliip;  Rosa  May,  Arthur  P. 
and  Sylvester  are  at  home;  Sarah  EtBe  is  the  wife 
of  Aaron  Snyder,  of  Montezuma  Township,  and 
unto  them  has  been  born  one  child;  Josiah  and 
Frank  are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  The  chil- 
dren have  all  been  provided  with  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages,  the  parents  si)aring  neither 
labor  nor  expense  in  thus  fitting  them  for  the  bat- 
tle of  life  and  four  of  the  number  are  successful 
teachers. 

Mr.  Thurman  is  rather  conservative  in  his  politi- 
cal views,  was  first  a  Whig,  then  a  Republican  and 
now  advocates  the  i)rinci|)les  of  the  Union  Labor 
party.  He  and  his  wife  are  active  workers  in  the 
Christian  Church  and  faithful  laborers  in  the 
M.aster's  vineyard.  Mr.  Thurman  has  taken  as  his 
motto  in  life  the  golden  rule,  "Do  unto  others  as 
3'ou  would  have  them  do  unto  you,"  and  has  lived 
an  upright,  honest  life.  The  Christian  teachings  of 
his  mother,  whose  characteristics  were  so  well  wor- 
thy of  emula'ion,  have  never  been  forgotten.  Tliey 


628 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


formed  an  impression  upon  his  mind  that  doubtless 
has  had  no  little  effect  in  shaping  his  career,  and 
the  memory  of  that  motiier  and  all  she  has  done 
for  him  is  enshrined  in  his  heart  where  it  will  re- 
main— a  i)icture  in  glowing  colors — while  life 
lasts. 


-mr 


f4^  ENRY  K.  ADERTON,  whose  biography  is 
here  presented,  was  born  in  Troy,  Lincoln 
County,  Mo.,  March   22,   1835,  and   in    his 

(^)  joiirne}'  through  life  has  won  high  esteem 
from  all  who  know  him.  He  has  always  evinced 
great  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  country,  giving 
his  services  gladl3'  in  the  time  of  danger.  He  is 
generally  recognized  as  a  wide-awake,  enterprising 
man,  ready  to  embrace  every  passing  opportunity 
to  improve  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 

Mr.  Aderton's  fatiier  Marcus  L.  Aderton,  was 
born  in  Charles  County.  Md.,  and  there  received 
his  education  and  grew  to  manhood.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  after  going  to  Lincoln 
County,  Mo.,  worked  at  this  business  most  success- 
fully, building  the  first  house  at  Capidegris.  that 
county,  and  undoubtedly  possessing  great  skill.  At 
a  later  date  he  engaged  in  the  grocer3'  business  at 
Tro3',  afterwards  moving  to  Tuxton,  where  he 
entered  the  dry -goods  business.  In  1844,  he 
moved  to  Calhoun  County,  locating  in  Point  Pre- 
cinct, where  he  let  land  and  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming.  His  property  was  covered  with 
heavy  timber  that  he  soon  converted  into  staves, 
logs  etc.,  the  lumber  business  being  the  chief 
enterprise  in  those  days.  His  farm  was  situated 
one  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  Brussels,  and 
lie  resided  there  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in 
18G.5.  He  married  Miss  Matilda  A.  Ruland,  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  tiie  daugiiter  of  Isaac 
and  Matilda  (Nicholas)  Ruland.  Her  death  occur- 
red at  the  home  of  our  subject,  January  1,  1888. 
She  was  tiie  mother  of  ten  children,  nine  of  whom 
grew  to  maturit3'. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  nine  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  |)arents  to  Calhoun  County. 
He  passed  his  youth  on  his  father's  farm,  continuing 
to  live  with  his  parents  up  to  the  time  of  his   mar- 


riage, when  he  settled  on  a  part  of  the  home  farm. 
He  was  married  October  7,  1858,  to  Miss  Amelia 
J.  Gilbert,  whose  birth  occurred  in  the  State  of 
Indiana.  Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with 
eight  children,  three  of  whom  are  living:  viz., 
Henry  M.,  married  Miss  Lizzie  E.  Douglas,  and 
has  two  children,  viz.,  Joseph  L.  and  Gilbert  K; 
Mary  A.,  who  married  T.  J.  .Sperry  and  resides  at 
Helena.  Mont.,  is  the  mother  of  one  child — Lyman; 
Eniuia  J.,  who  resides  with  her  parents. 

Mr.  Aderton  enlisted  August  12,  1862.  in  Com- 
pany C,  Ninety-seventh  Illinois  Infantr\'.and  served 
faithfully  until  May  30,  1865.  He  figured  in  a 
number  of  important  engagements,  among  which 
were  the  battle  of  Champion  Hills;  siege  and  capt- 
ure of  Vieksburg.  and  Ft.  Blakely.  He  was 
severel3'  injured  in  a  railroad  collision  during  the 
war,  that  has  since  resulted  in  paralysis  of  the  lower 
limbs  and  he  now  draws  a  pension  of  §72  per 
month.  He  was  honorablv'  discharged  on  May  30, 
1865.  for  ph3'sical  disability,  and  immediately  re- 
turned home  to  devote  his  attention  to  farming 
once  more.  He  resided  on  his  first  farm  up  to 
1887  and  then  bought  property  and  now  lives  re- 
tired from  active  work  in  Batchtown.  He  is  a 
member  of  Calhoun  Post,  No.  448,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  A  view  of  his  pleasant  home  will  be 
found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


UTHER   ALLEN  DELONG,  a  veteran  of 
the  late  war,  is  associated  with  the  agricol- 
1— '^  tnral  interests  of  Calhoun  County,  owning  i 
and  occup3'ing  a  good  farm    on  section  16,   in  th(|  I 
northwestern  part  of  Gilead  Precinct.  He  was  born  i 
on  Coon  Creek,  five  miles  south  of  Fielden,  Jersey 
County,  111.,  on  the  26th  of  February,   1846.     His  j 
father,   Luther   B.  Delong,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  i 
and  his  birthplace   w.as  near  Portsmouth.     He  was 
a  son  of   John   Delonsj.  who  was  either    born  in 
France  or  in  this  countr3",  of  French  parentage.  He  i 
was  a   pioneer  farmer  of  Ohio  but  finall3'  carae  to  . 
Illinois  and  located  near  Peoria  where  he  died. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  and  mar- 


1 


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RESIDENCE    OF    L.  A  .  D  ELONG  ,  S  EC.  IG.  Gl  LEAD    PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO,  1  LL. 


j'^Ba  rf.-i-,..^ 


Sfv. 


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jfe*    '         ar^'^    ^<'       rfJ^-'     -^^ '     «f  ---t^,^.i 

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R  ESIDEMCE  OF  H.K.  ADERTON     BATCHTOWN,  ILL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


631 


lied  in  tJliio  :iii(1  there  lennioil  the  trade  of  a  house 
carpenter.  He  c-ame  to  Illinois  about  1840  with 
teams,  and  settled  in  Jersey  County,  where  he  es- 
talilished  hiinself  at  his  trade.  He  bought  a  tract 
of  (Jovernnient  land,  and  on  it  erected  a  log  house 
in  which  our  subject  was  born.  He  continued  to 
work  at  carpentering  in  the  winter  an<l  engaged  in 
farming  the  rest  of  the  year,  making  his  home  there 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Jlary  Ann  Smith,  and  she  was  also  born 
near  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  is  still  living  on  the 
home  farm  in  Jersey  County. 

Luther  Delong  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  county,  and  lived  with  his  i)arents  until  he 
was  sixteen  years  of  age.  He  then  started  out  in 
life  for  himself,  and  coming  to  Calhoun  County 
w.is  employed  on  a  farm  until  October  10,  1864. 
That  was  the  date  of  his  enlistment  in  the  army, 
when  he  became  a  member  of  Compan}-  G,  Forty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry.  He  fought  in  several  bat- 
tles and  displayed  excellent  soldierl}'  qualities,  be- 
ing always  brave,  cool  and  collected  in  time  of 
danger.  In  the  month  of  December  following  his 
entrance  into  the  army,  he  was  unfortunately  taken 
prisoner  and  during  the  remainder  of  the  war  suf- 
fered all  the  horrors  of  life  at  Anderson  ville.  Af- 
ter the  close  of  hostilities  he  was  released  from  that 
prison,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  June 
.30.  1865. 

After  his  experience  of  life  on  Southern  battle- 
fields and  in  a  rebel  prison,  our  subject  returned  to 
this  county,  and  gladij-  took  up  his  old  pursuit. 
He  was  engaged  as  a  farmer  on  rented  land  some 
seventeen  years,  until  he  bought  his  present  farm 
in  1880.  It  is  under  admirable  tillage  and  he  has 
greatly  increased  its  value  since  it  came  in  his  pos- 
session b}'  the  many  improvements  he  has  placed 
upon  it,  making  it  one  of  the  most  desirable  farms 
in  the  neighborhood.  A  view  of  the  fine  home- 
stead is  presented  on  another  page. 

Jlr.  Delong  and  JMiss  Mary  Earl}-,  were  married 
January  23,  1866.  Mrs.  Delong  was  a  native  of 
Lincoln  County.  Mo.,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Early, 
who  w.as  born  and  reared  in  the  State  of  Virginia. 
He  went  to  Missouri  in  the  early  d.ays  of  the  settle- 
ment of  Lincoln  County,  and  there  bought  a  tract 
of  land  near  Troy,  on  which    he   resided   until   his 


death.  His  wife  survives  him  and  makes  her  home 
with  her  children  in  this  county.  In  her  maiden 
days  she  was  Mary  Holcomb.  and  she  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Deloug 
ITns  been  blessed  to  them  by  the  following  children: 
James  II.,  William  A.,  Winnie  E.  and  Cail  Logan. 
Mrs.  Delong  is  a  sincere  Christian  and  an  active 
member  of  the  Jlelliodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Delong  is  a  true  Republican  in  his  political 
views.  His  war  record  is  commemorate<I  by  his 
connection  with  Calhoun  Post.  No.  448.  G.  A.  R., 
of  which  he  was  a  charter  member,  and  he  is  Com- 
mander of  the  |)ost.  lie  is  also  identified  with  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  belonging  to  Calhoun  Lodge,  No. 
792.  He  is  an  intelligent,  upright  man.  and  is 
highl}'  regarded  by  the  entire  community. 


»-*H^ 


OBERT  C.  SCANLAND,  Justice  of  the 
Peace  of  Pittsfield.  is  a  well  known  citizen 
/4^  \\\  of  Pike  County,  of  which  he  has  been  a 
^0  resident  many  years.  He  is  a  native  of 
Carroll  Count}',  Ky.,  and  was  born  January  23, 
1825.  His  father,  William  Scanlanrl  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1797,  and  was  of  English  descent.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Priscilla  Johnson,  a 
native  of  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  and  went 
from  there  to  Kentuck}-  with  her  guanlian.  She 
was  there  married  to  the  father  of  our  subject  and 
in  1848  they  came  to  Pittsfield  and  were  among 
its  pioneer  settlers.  The  father  died  here  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  j^ears;  the  mother  died  at  the 
same  age  in  1873. 

Robert  Scanlaud  was  the  seventh  in  a  family  of 
eleven  children,  seven  sons  and  four  daughters,  of 
whom  he  is  the  only  survivor.  His  education  w.as 
I  gained  in  a  subscription  school,  taught  in  a  rude 
log  schoolhouse  with  benches  m.ade  of  siilit  logs 
and  hewed  smooth  on  one  side.  When  not  attend, 
ing  school  he  worked  on  a  farm  until  his  twentieth 
vear  when  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  cabinet  maker 
and  afterward  that  of  a  carpenter,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  twelve  years. 

In  1847  Mr.  Scanland  c.irae  to  Pittsfield,  thinking 
that  in  a  more  newly  settled  country  the  services  of 


632 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


a  skilful  j-oung  carpenter  would  be  in  greater  de- 
Tnand  than  in  the  older  settled  region,  where  he 
had  his  early  home.  He  was  aetiyely  engaged  at 
his  trade  until  1H50,  when  he  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  business  which  he  continued  until  1861. 
That  was  the  j-ear  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  war 
and  be  patriotically  threw  up  bis  business  and  of- 
fered his  services  to  his  country.  He  entered  the 
employ  of  the  Government  at  Cairo,  as  Master  of 
Transportation  with  his  headquarters  at  Cairo.  He 
acted  ver}-  efficiently  in  that  capacity  and  was  re- 
garded as  h  valuable  official.  He  retained  the 
office  until  1864  when  he  returned  to  Pittsfield. 

In  1885  our  subject  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  a  term  of  four  years,  and  so  well  did  he 
administer  the  duties  of  his  office,  dealing  out  jus- 
tice with  fairness  and  impartiality,  that  he  was  re- 
elected to  the  position  in  1889,  and  retains  it  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  In  earl3'  life  he  was 
a  Whig  in  politics  bat  for  many  3'ears  lie  has  given 
unswerving. allegi.ance  to  the  Republican  part\'.  He 
is  a  man  of  an  earnest  religious  character  and  has 
long  been  identified  with  the  Christian  Church. 

Mr.  Scanland  has  been  three  times  married,  lie 
was  first  united  to  Miss  Sarah  Mudd.  His  second 
marriage,  which  took  place  in  1854  was  to  Miss  S. 
J.Watson,  of  Pittsfield, and  a  daughter  of  William 
Watson.  Of  that  marriage  four  children  were  born  : 
Robert  M.,  a  dentist  in  Peoria;  Fannie  W.,  Ed- 
ward E.,  and  Lottie  W.  Our  subject's  third  mai-- 
riage  was  with  Miss  C.  S.  Wicks,  of  Syracuse,  N.Y., 
and  a  native  of  Buffalo,  that  State.  Mr.  Scanland 
has  a  pleasant  residence  on  AVashington  Street, 
where  he  has  lived  thirty-six  years. 

^^^EORGE  W.  SEYBOLD.  Among  the  men 
(||  ^— ,  who  derive  pleasure  and  profit  from  tilling 
^\i^(  the  soil  in  Fairmount  Township,  Pike  Coun- 
ty, is  the  gentleman  above  named.  He  occupies  a 
fine  farm  on  section  !9,  which  was  formerly  owned 
by  his  father  and  where  he  was  born  May  8,  1848. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  here  and  after  the 
deatli  of  his  father  succeeded  to  the  farm  where  he 
is   practically   carrying  on  the  work  and   winning 


success.  The  land  consists  of  two  hundred  and 
ninet}'  acres  of  almost  inexhaustible  soil,  well 
watered  and  well  supplied  with  adequate  farm 
buildings. 

Our  subject  is  the  younger  son  of  James  Seybold. 
who  was  born  in  Southern  Illinois  and  came  of 
highly  respectable  German  ancestors  who  had  set- 
tled in  this  country  many  3ears  ago.  James  Sey- 
bold was  born  in  1810,  grew  to  manhood  in  Madison 
County  and  there  began  an  agricultural  career.  He 
married  jNIary  Olive  Gaskill  who  was  born  in  New 
York  in  1810,  and  came  to  this  State  when  young, 
her  home  until  her  marriage  being  not  far  from 
East  St.  Louis.  Early  in  the  '30s  James  Seybold 
and  his  wife  settled  on  a  new  and  unbroken  jjiece 
of  land  in  Pike  County,  of  which,  after  years  of 
hard  labor,  they  succeeded  in  making  a  beautiful 
home.  When  they  first  located  on  this  portion  of 
Uncle  Sam's  domain,  Indians  and  wild  animals  still 
roamed  over  the  plains  and  through  the  forests. 

James  Seybold  was  prominent  among  the  old 
settlers  bore  the  reputation  of  an  excellent  citizen 
and  had  many,  friends  wherever  he  was  known. 
When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  past  the  j-ears  of 
arm3r  service  but  he  finally  succeeded  in  joining 
the  Twenty-seventh  Illinois  Infantry.  Owing  to 
his  age  he  was  assigned  to  hospital  duty  during  a 
period  of  more  than  a  year.  Four  of  his  sons  en- 
tered the  service  with  him  and  one  gave  up  his  life 
for  his  country.  Mr.  Seybold  died  about  1867,  in 
the  month  of  April,  being  then  nearly-  threescore 
years  of  age.  His  widow  is  still  livina^,  residing 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Julia  Askew,  in  Adams 
County  and  although  eighty-two  years  of  age  is 
still  bright  and  active. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
won  for  his  wife  Mrs.  Mary  Elder,  nee  Gardner, 
who  v.'KS  born  in  this  township  in  1855.  She  was 
reared  and  educated  here  and  was  first  married  to 
William  Elder  who  died  about  a  week  after  their 
marriage.  Her  parents,  who  are  now  quite  old,  live 
at  Fishhook  where  Mr.  Gardner  is  Postmaster.  Our 
subject  and  his  good  wife  have  six  children,  all  at 
home,  and  named  respectiveU":  Levi.  Nellie,  .lo- 
hanna,  G.  Clarence,  Charles  E.  and  Ilettie. 

The  parents  are  valued  members  of  the  United 
Brethren    Church.      Mr.   Seybold    has    been    Taj 


«» 


h, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


033 


Collector  and  lield  other  offices  in  the  township. 
He  is  a  sound  I\L'[*iiblican  in  politics.  Ho  and  his 
wife  are  held  in  good  repute  for  their  excellent 
characters,  useful  habits,  and  the  genial,  kind!}' 
natures  they  possess.  The  pleasant  voice  and  kind 
manner  of  Mr.  Seybold  prepossesses  strangers  in  his 
favor    and    a    better    acquaintance    secures    their 


esteem. 


^s^^^m^^ 


I'OHN  T.  TEMPLE.  There  is  much  of  in- 
terest in  the  life  of  a  popular  and  successful 
man,  and  people  are  pleased  to  learn  as 
definitely  as  possible  the  circumstances  that 
trained  him  for  the  conquests  made  during  his  ma- 
ture years.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Lincoln  County',  Mo.,  June  2,  1842,  and  wiiile  in 
his  youtli  he  had  the  usual  number  of  drawbacks 
and  misfortunes  that  attend  the  majority  of  human 
lives,  he  has  manaa^ed  to  overcome  every  obstacle 
and  make  for  himself  an  enviable  position  in  Har- 
din Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  where  he  resides. 
He  is  a  thoroughly  progressive  agriculturist  and 
has  improved  his  land  after  the  newest  models,  and 
takes  great  pride  in  his  occupation. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject,  also  John  T.  Temple, 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  in  that  .State  re- 
ceived his  education  and  was  married.  He  subse- 
quently' removed  to  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  and 
continued  to  reside  there  until  1851,  at  which  date 
he  made  a  trip  to  California  across  the  plains.  His 
death  occurred  about  1851  while  he  was  engaged 
in  mining  in  the  mines  of  California,  and  since  his 
wife  had  died  in  1848  in  Lincoln  County,  the  four 
children  born  of  their  union  vvere  left  orphans.  The 
children  were  as  follows:  James  S.,  John  T.,  Will- 
iam H.  and  Jane,  and  all  were  quite  j'oung  when 
death  robbed  them  of  their  natural  protectors. 

Our  subject  found  a  home  with  the  family  of 
John  Hise,  being  well  cared  for  and  kindly  treated 
by  Mr.  Hise,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
John  assisted  in  the  farm  work  and  continued  with 
the  same  familj'  until  1863,  at  which  time  he  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  settling  in  Calhoun  County.  He 
first  rented  land,  and  at  a  later  date  entered  the 
drug  and  grocery-  business,  but  after  devoting  his 


attention  to  this  line  of  work  from  1868  to  1882 
he  took  possession  of  the  farm  upon  wliicli  he  now 
resides.  This  i)roperty  embraces  the  northwest 
part  of  section  28,  in  Hardin  Precinct,  and  under 
the  able  management  of  our  suliject  has  become 
one  of  the  finest  farms  in  this  precinct. 

Mr.  Temple  was  united  in  matrimonial  bonds 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Burns  March  1,  1864.  The 
bride  was  a  native  of  Lincoln  County.  Mo.,  and  has 
competently  filled  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  home 
affairs,  looking  well  to  the  comfort  of  those  she 
loves.  To  her  have  been  born  three  children — 
Mollie,  Charles  and  Rosa.  Mollie  married  Dr. 
George  B.  .Smith  and  their  home  is   in  Batchtown. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  has  at  various  times  been  elected  to  offices  of 
public  trust,  being  in  1890  elected  Assessor  and 
Treasurer  of  Calhoun  County.  In  1864  he  enlisted 
in  Company  G,  Twentieth  Illinois  Infantry,  serv- 
ing through  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in  Ten- 
nessee, Georgia  and  North  Carolina.  He  was 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Johnson,  and  discharged 
his  duty  at  all  places  faithfully  and  well — with  the 
fortitude  and  bravery  that  characterize  the  true 
soldier.  He  at  present  belongs  to  Calhoun  Post, 
No.  448,  G.  A.  R.  He  is  held  in  the  highest  es- 
teemed by  all,  being  generally  poi>ular  and  con- 
ceded b}-  all  to  be  a  most  influential  and  public- 
spirited  gentleman. 


■^OHN  M.  DILLON.  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  interest  felt  in  those  families  which 
ranked  among  the  pioneers  of  a  place,  and 
/  whose  members,  by  means  of  their  energy 
and  thrift,  assisted  in  turning  a  barren  waste  into 
a  blooming  landscape.  The  Dillon  family  is  one 
of  the  oldest  in  Calhoun  County,  the  fourth  genera- 
tion now  living  within  its  bounds  and  three  having 
Ijeen  born  here.  The  farm  in  (iilead  Township 
owned  and  occupied  by  .John  M.  Dillon  w.as  in- 
herited from  his  father,  who  in  turn  had  received 
it  from  his  progenitor. 

Grandfather  Dillon  came   hither  when    this  segi 


634 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tion  was  known  as  IMaclison  County,  and  the 
grounrl  was  largel3'  covered  with  heavy  timber, 
f^iving  lise  to  the  common  occupations  cf  the  few 
inhabitants — those  of  lumbering,  hunting  and  fish- 
ing. Mr.  Dillon  turned  his  attention  to  the  first- 
nanied,  but  also  purchased  and  somewhat  improved 
the  tract  of  land  l)eforc  mentioned.  On  tliis  place 
he  died  after  a  long  life  well  and  profitably  spent. 
His  son,  James  Monroe  Dillon,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  for  a 
number  of  years,  making  staves,  hoop-poles,  saw- 
logs,  etc.,  which  he  sold  on  the  bank  of  the  river 
or  rafted  down  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  During  the  later 
years  of  his  life  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming 
and  made  a  great  success  of  all  agricultural  pur- 
suits.    He  passed  away  October  6,  1852. 

The  mother  of  him  of  whom  we  write  was  pre- 
vious to  her  marriage  Miss  Ellen  Ferguson,  and 
after  the  death  of  her  first  companion  she  became 
the  wife  of  Henry  Hefner.  She  died  in  Gilead 
Precinct  in  January,  1869.  At  her  death  .lohn 
came  into  possession  of  the  homestead,  he  being 
the  only  son  born  to  his  parents.  His  natal  day 
was  March  14,  1849,  and  his  Inrthplace  being  the 
farm  that  had  been  the  scene  of  his  father's  en- 
trance upon  the  st.age  of  life.  He  was  but  three 
years  old  when  his  father  died,  and  he  leceived 
every  possible  attention  from  his  mother  and  step- 
father until  fitted  to  pursue  his  own  course  in  life. 
His  farm  embraces  three  hundred  and  twent}' acres 
of  land,  a  portion  of  which  is  well  improved,  and 
has  excellent  buildings.  The  residence  is  pleas- 
antly situated,  overlooking  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi. 

Mr.  Dillon  was  married  October  9,  1871,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Branham,  who  was  born  in  Lincoln  County, 
Mo.,  June  5,  1835.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
Branham,  was  well  educated  and  is  a  highly  cul- 
tivated lady.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dillon  have  been 
born  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  living,  viz.: 
Roy,  Ellen,  Cora,  Martin  and  Henry.  Those  de- 
ceased are  James  Monroe,  Thomas  Howard  and 
Mary.  Mr.  Dillon,  belonging  as  he  does  to  an  old 
and  honored  family,  is  naturally  very  popular  in 
his  neighborhood.  He  is  a  genial,  intellectual 
gentleman,  to  whom  power  and  success  come  us  a 
just  reward  for  his  active  and  useful  life.     His  ex- 


tensive farming  operations  give  him  wide  ac- 
quaintance among  those  raising  or  dealing  in 
.agricultural  products,  and  he  is  well  spoken  of  by 
all  with  whom  he  has  dealings. 


^^ 


Vf/SAAC  ERVIN.  Nothing  can  afford  the  bio- 
graphical writer  greater  pleasure  than  to  record 
the  deeds  of  the  heroes  who  have  struggled 
against  adverse  circumstances,  and  under  discour- 
agements which  would  have  thoroughly  disheart- 
ened many  men,  have  determinedly  pursued  their 
way  displaying  sterling  qualities  of  character  and 
high  principle.  Particularl}-  is  this  true  when  success 
has  at  length  rewarded  the  efforts  of  the  subject 
and  he  has  been  able  at  last  to  surround  himself 
with  comfort  and  do  for  his  family  and  the  deserv- 
ing public  that  which  stamps  him  as  a  man  of 
benevoleiit  spirit  and  friendly  nature. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  has  re- 
sided in  Pike  County  for  nearly  half  a  century  and 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  improvement 
of  the  surface  of  the  countr3',  having  worked  lo  :g 
and  arduously  in  developing  the  land  and  fitting 
various  tracts  for  high  cultivation.  He  was  born 
in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  July  24,  1818,  and 
worked  with  his  father  until  he  was  about  sixteen 
years  of  age,  having  little  or  no  schooling,  although 
his  parents  did  the  best  the)-  could  to  give  their 
children  an  education.  When  he  left  the  shelter  of 
the  parental  roof  he  worked  by  the  day  in  the 
neighborhood,  receiving  thirty-seven  cents  per  day 
for  his  labor.  He  says  that  he  has  spent  many  a 
day  in  grubbing  for  that  price. 

In  1845  Mr.  Ervin  left  his  native  State,  and 
coming  to  Illinois  rented  a  tract  of  land  in  Pike 
County.  It  belonged  to  Moses  Cadwell  and  formed 
a  part  of  Griggsville  Township.  After  oi)erating 
it  about  a  year  our  subject  moved,  and  during  a 
few  years  following  worked  for  different  parties. 
He  then  bought  fort\'  acres  one  mile  north  of  JMays- 
ville  and  building  a  log  house,  moved  into  it,  broke 
the  sod  and  began  to  improve  the  raw  land.  After 
getting  it  in  a  tolerable  condition,  he  bought  an- 
other fort}'  in  Salem  Township,  this  tract  being  al- 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


685 


ready  partly  improved.  After  residing  iiiioii  it 
two  years  lie  sold  it  and  moved  west  five  miles, 
buying  one  hundred  and  six  acres  whieli  lie  culti- 
vated four  j'ears. 

Again  selling,  Mr.  Ervin  spent  two  years  as  the 
operator  of  a  rented  place,  then  bought  forty  acres, 
one  mile  north  of  his  present  home,  and  removing 
thereto  remained  twelve  years.  His  next  removal 
was  in  1869,  to  his  present  location  on  section  "24, 
Salem  Townsliiii,  where  he  purchased  fifty-five 
acres.  This  farm  was  one  of  the  first  placed  under 
improvement  in  this  region.  The  residence  now 
occupied  by  our  subject  and  his  good  wife  was 
built  by  liiin  in  1873,  its  predecessor  having  been 
a  double  log  cabin.  Mr.  Erviu  now  has  eighty 
acres  of  improved  land  which  ho  personally  super- 
intends, although  ho  is  quite  advanced  in  years  and 
in  but  modeiMte  health. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  James  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Barnes)  Ervin,  who  were  born  eitlier  in 
Maryland  or  Pennsylvania.  Sometime  after  their 
marriage  they  settled  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  helped  to  open  up  the  countr}',  and  en- 
dured all  the  hardships  incidental  to  pioneer  life. 
Their  neighborhood  was  infested  by  wild  animals 
and  our  subject,  although  one  of  the  youngest 
members  of  the  family,  ilistinctly  remembers  hear- 
ing the  howling  of  the  wolves  about  their  little 
home.  The  father  secured  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  and  worked  very  hard  to  place  it  in 
good  condition  and  supply  the  wants  of  his  family. 
It  was  a  matter  of  great  regret  to  liira  that  the 
school  privileges  of  the  neighborhood  were  very 
limited  and  that  his  means  would  not  allow  him  to 
send  his  children  elsewhere  to  be  educated.  Mr. 
Ervin  died  in  1846  and  his  widow  survived  until 
1859.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  William,  .John  and  Phebe  are  deceased, 
.lames  is  now  living  in  this  State,  Henry  in  Ohio, 
and  Mary,  widow  of  Ralph  Bliss,  in  Missouri. 

In  1841  ;\Ir.  Ervin  secured  a  faithful  companion 
and  efficient  helpmate  in  the  person  of  Catherine 
McCart}',  a  daughter  of  Josepii  and  Juliann  (Wise) 
McCarty,  both  from  Pennsylvania.  Mrs,  Ervin 
was  born  !May  4,  1817,  in/ruscarawas  County, 
Ohio,  whither  her  parents  had  removed  and  where 
llicy  subsequently  died.     Our  subject  and  his  wife 


are  the  parents  of  two  living  childi'en  and  four  lit>ve- 
been  removed  from  them  by  death.  Their  son  S. 
W.  married  Mattie  Fife,  occupies  a  farm  adjoining 
that  of  his  parents,  and  has  one  child.  Walker  C. 
married  Abigail  Foreman  and  his  home  also  is  in 
.Salem  Township;  he  has  one  child  bj'  a  former 
marriage  to  Sadie  Gear,  now  deceased. 

Wlien  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ervin  came  to  Pike  County 
there  was  so  much  sickness  here  that  there  were  not 
enough  well  people  to  properl}'  care  for  those  who 
wers  ill  and  the  settlers  had  a  terrible  time.  Mr. 
Ervin  has  always  been  a  strong  supi)orter  of  Dem- 
ocratic principles  and  cast  his  lirst  vote  for  James 
K.  Polk.  He  served  as  School  Director  for  six 
years  an<1  has  also  acceptably  filled  the  office  of 
Road  Overseer.  When  he  came  here  he  was  in 
debt  over  ^2,500,  but  he  freed  himself  from  in- 
cumbrance, secured  a  comfortable  home  by  hard 
toil  and  honest  dealings,  and  has  been  able  to  help 
iioth  of  his  sons  in  making  a  start  in  life.  Mr. 
and  JMrs.  Ervin  have  always  endeavored  to  follow 
the  Golden  Rule  and  they  have  therefore  secured 
the  goodwill  and  esteem  of  all  who  enjoy  the 
pleasure  of  their  acquaintance. 


i^RANCLS  I.  BIZAILLION.     The  man   who 
has  by  self  efforts  secured   a  good    ediu-a- 
J^  tion,  raised  himself  from    a   condition    of 

poverty  to  one  of  competence,  and  while  doing  so 
has  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow- 
men  by  his  upright  conduct  and  good  habits,  is 
certainly  deserving  of  commendation.  Such  is  the 
case  with  "Sir.  Bizaillion  of  Hardin,  Calhoun  County, 
who  began  his  career  in  early  boyhood  and  is  self- 
educated  and  self-made.  He  is  now  filling  the  office 
of  Circuit  Clerk  and  in  the  discharge  of  its  duties 
manifests  the  faithfulness  and  efficiency  which  he 
has  previously  .^liown  in  other  positions  of  trust 
and  responsibility.  He  owns  and  occupies  a  small 
farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  the  residence  being 
within  the  corporate  limits  of  the  county  seat,  and 
he  m.ay  well  be  pleased  with  and  i)roud  of  his  prop- 
erly, as  the  place  is  pleasantly  located,  highly  im- 
proved and  well  managed  in  every  respect. 


036 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


The  Bizaillions  are  of  French  exti-aetion  but  at 
least  three  generations  have  befin  born  in  the  parish 
of  St.  Constant,  County  Huntington,  Province  of 
Quebec.  Laurent  Bizaillion,  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  a  weaver  and  spent  bis  entire  life 
in  that  count)';  so  likewise  ilid  Francois  Bizaillion, 
the  fallier  of  our  subject.  Tlie  latter  died  in  1852, 
leaving  a  widow  and  seven  children.  The  widow  is 
now  living  in  Montreal.  Slie  is  of  pure  French 
blood,  a  native  of  tlie  same  county  as  her  husband, 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Esmarante  Mantour. 

Tlie  gentleman  whose  life  it  is  our  purpose  to 
outline  was  born  February  12,  1840,  in  the  parish 
which  was  the  birtiiplace  of  his  progenitors.  He 
was  twelve  3'ears  old  when  he  lost  his  father  and 
duiing  the  succeeding  two  3'ears  lived  near  Mon- 
treal. He  then  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  started 
out  for  himself,  coming  to  the  States  and  making  his 
way  to  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  for  a  short  time  he 
was  employed  as  a  bartender.  He  then  engaged  as 
cook  in  the  pineries  and  in  the  spring  found  work 
on  the  rafts  going  down  the  rivers.  He  continued 
these  employments  until  the  fall  of  1857,  when  be 
came  to  Calhoun  Count}',  111.  Here  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  day  and  month  for  a  time,  and  then 
going  to  Missouri  found  work  in  a  lumber  j'ard  and 
in  chopping  cordwood.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he 
went  South,  but  returned  to  Missouri  after  spend- 
ing llie  winter. 

In  May,  18G1,  Mr.  Bizaillion  enlisted  in  Company 
E,  Sixtii  Missouri  Infantry,  accompanied  the  regi- 
ment South  and  led  a  soldier's  life  until  December, 
1862.  After  receiving  his  discharge  he  continued 
his  industrious  course,  finding  emploj'ment  on  the 
Misi^issippi  River  for  a  time,  and  elsewhere  as  oc- 
casion served.  In  tlie  year  1864  he  came  to  Hardin, 
settled  down  to  farm  life,  and  finally  bought  a  tract 
of  land  on  sections  27  and  28,  Hardin  Precinct.  He 
built  a  good  dwelling,  made  various  improvements, 
such  as  would  be  expected  of  a  young  man  of  pro- 
gressive ideas,  and  ere  long  was  bearing  quite  a 
prominent  part  in  local  and  municipal  affairs. 

Mr.  Bizaillion  was  the  prime  mover  in  securing 
the  incorporation  of  Hardin  and  was  a  member  of 
the  first  Village  Board  of  Trustees.  He  is  now 
Justice  of  the  Peace.  In  1877  he  was  elected 
County  Assessor  and  Treasurer,  served  nine  years. 


and  in  1888  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk.  He  is  an 
excellent  official,  painstaking  in  acquainting  himself 
with  the  duties  of  office  and  faithful  in  his  dis- 
charge of  them.  He  exercises  the  right  of  suffrage 
in  behalf  of  the  Democratic  candidates. 

Mr.  Bizaillion  was  fortunate  in  his  choice  of  a 
life  companion  and  in  Alton  in  1864  v¥as  united  to 
Charlotte  Currins.  Tliis  lady  was  born  in  Wiscon- 
sin, is  a  daughter  of  John  aiul  Sarah  (Pollock) 
Currins  and  is  descended  from  good  old  Scotch 
families.  Both  her  parents  were  born  in  Scotland 
and  her  maternal  grandmother  was  a  direct  de- 
scendant of  the  noted  John  Knox,  whose  life  and 
works  had  so  great  an  effect  upon  the  religious 
thought  of  his  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bizaillion  have 
three  children — Gideon  D.,  Olivette  and  Adaline. 


\Ti'  AMES  VENABLE.  The  late  James  Venal)le 
was  one  of  the  industrious  and  successful 
agriculturists  of  Pike  County  who  during  a 
period  of  more  than  forty  years  was  ac- 
tively identified  with  the  farming  interests  of  Pleas- 
ant Hill  Township.  He  was  born  in  Pike  County, 
Mo.,  October  8,  1822,  but  accompanied  his  parents 
to  the  locality  in  which  he  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life,  about  1836.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
had  only  the  educational  privileges  of  the  district 
school,  which  afforded  but  meagre  opportunities  at 
that  time  to  gain  knowledge.  He  made  use  of 
ever}'  opportunit}'  to  advance  his  knowledge  hy 
personal  study  and  was  virtually  self-educated. 

When  he  became  of  age  Mr.  Venable  was  given 
a  horse  by  his  father  and  with  it  he  went  to  Ten- 
nessee. He  soon  returned  to  this  State  and  settled 
on  eighty  acres  of  land  that  was  given  him  by  his 
father.  It  formed  a  part  of  section  27,  Ple.asant 
Hill  Township,  and  became  the  nucleus  of  a  large 
estate  which  was  secured  b>'  means  of  arduous  and 
industrious  labors,  coupled  with  prudence  in  ■  ex- 
penditure and  investment.  Mr.  Venable  owned 
about  five  hundred  acres,  but  prior  to  his  death  had 
reduced  his  estate  to  three  hundred  and  seventy 
acres  upon  which  his  widow  is  now  living.  He 
passed  away  August  1 1,  1887,  and  was  followed  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


rt.S7 


the  grave  by  inany  friends  whose  sympathy  went 
out  to  his  afflicted  farail}'.  In  politics  he  was  a 
Democrat  and  during  his  residence  in  the  South 
had  been  a  slave-owner.  He  belonged  to  the  Odd- 
Fellows  fraternity. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Venable  was  Sarah  A., 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Patterson) 
Voshel.  She  was  a  woman  of  upright  character  and 
housevvifeh'  skill  and  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Christian  Church.  She  breathed  her  last  October, 
1859  and  February  20,  1860,  our  subject  was  uni- 
ted to  Mrs.  Mary  ,1.  Barton,  nee  Dodge.  The  first 
husband  of  this  lady  was  Uriah  H.  Barton,  a  na- 
tive of  this  State  and  son  of  Thomas  and  Rebecca 
(Holland)  Barton  who  removed  from  Kentucky  to 
Missouri  and  thence  came  to  this  State  on  a  raft. 
Mr.  Barton  died  March  29,  1858,  leaving  three 
children — Harriet  A.,  wife  of  "W.  S.  Freeman; 
William  B.  and  one  unnamed.  By  her  second  mar 
riage  Mrs.  Venable  has  become  the  mother  of  six 
children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz: 
Arthur  O.,  Alice  L.  and  Albert.  The  first  wife  of 
Mr.  Venable  bore  him  two  children,  one  of  whom 
is  now  living — Margery,  widow  of  AVilliam  J.  Sid- 
wcll  of  Calhoun  County. 

Mrs.  Mary  Venable  Is  the  daughter  of  Ilezekiah 
and  Granville  (llaynes)  Dodge.  Her  mother  was 
born  in  Botetourt  County,  Va.,  to  Joseph  Haynes, 
a  native  of  England  and  liis  wife  Jane  who  was  born 
in  Ireland.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Venable  was  born 
near  Pompe}'.  N.  Y.,  received  a  good  education, 
studied  medicine  and  was  graduated  from  an  insti- 
tution in  New  York  City.  He  located  in  Sweet 
Springs.  Va..  but  afterward  removed  to  Augusta, 
Ga.,  where  he  made  his  home  six  years.  October, 
1826  lie  came  to  this  State,  traveling  in  a  wagon  and 
bringing  with  him  four  slaves  whom  he  afterward 
disposed  of.  He  located  in  Ed  wards  ville,  but  a 
year  later  became  a  resident  of  Pleasant  Hill 
Township.  He  practiced  his  professioii  until  too 
old  to  do  so.  He  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  and 
erected  two  mills — a  gristmill  and  sawmill,  which 
were  among  the  first  built  in  the  township. 

In  politics  Dr.  Dodge  was  first  a  Whig  and  then 
a  Democrat.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Bai)tist 
Church  and  his  wife  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  Dr. 
Dodge  died  January  29,  1873,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 


six  years  and  his  wife,  October  8,  of  the  same  year 
and  at  the  same  age.  They  reared  eight  children, 
named  respectively,  Kmorine  S.  (1.,  DeLeon  L.. 
Ann  Eliza.  Sebred  F.,  Josephine,  Clinton,  Mary  J. 
and  Seba  A.  The  parents  of  Dr.  Hezekiah  Dodge 
were  Ezra  and  Mary  (Foote)  Dodge,  natives  of  Ire- 
land and  AVales  respective!^',  who  died  in  the  Em- 
pire State. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  John  and 
Rachel  (Persley)  Venable,  natives  of  South  Caro- 
lina. In  1819  the  father  moved  to  Pike  County. 
Mo.,  with  a  team  and  wagon,  being  seven  weeks  on 
the  road.  Some  years  later  he  came  to  this  State, 
locating  in  Pleasant  Hill  Township,  Pike  County, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  in 
April,  1865;  he  was  a  wheelwright  b^'  trade.  His 
first  wife  died  in  South  Carolina  leaving  one  son, 
William.  His  second  wife  passed  .'iway  in  1861 ;  she 
was  the  mothei'  of  fourteen  children — Sally  A., 
James,  Nancy,  Francis,  Edward  B.,  Robert  and 
Julia,  twins,  ilary,  Newton,  Eliza,  Andrew,  Martha, 
Riley  and  Emma.  Riley  died  in  infanc}'.  The  others 
lived  to  mature  jears  and  all  married  except  New- 
ton. 


^. 


ATHIAS  STEAD  has  been  a  resident  of 
Griggsville,  Pike  County,  for  thirty- five 
years.  He  was  born  in  Leeds,  Yorkshire, 
England,  November  21,  1819,  his  parents 
being  John  and  Mary  (Woods)  Stead.  His  father 
died  in  1832  at  the  age  of  aliout  forty-eight  3ears. 
Our  subject  remained  in  his  native  land  until  1848, 
when  he  emigrated  to  America,  located  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  engaged  in  the  sale  of  merchandise.  In 
1855  he  removed  to  his  present  home,  being  con- 
nected with  the  firm  of  Hatch  &  Co.  until  1860. 
He  then  began  buying  apples  throughout  the  sur- 
rounding country,  shi|>ping  them  to  St.  Louis  and 
also  dealing  somewhat  in  other  produce. 

Mr.  Steail  continued  to  occupy  himself  thus 
until  1863,  when  he  became  a  storekeeper  in  the 
army.  He  was  located  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  for  a 
year  and  at  other  posts  for  short  periods,  but  spent 
the  greater  part  of  his  time  at  Helena.  He  re- 
tained his  position  until  late  in  1866,  when  he  re- 


638 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


turned  to  Griggsville  and  resumed  bis  fornier 
occupation  of  sliipping  apples  and  other  produce. 
From  1875  to  1880  he  was  express  agent,  and 
since  the  last  date  has  lived  a  retired  life  on  account 
of  ill-health. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  six  ciiildren  and  the  only 
one  living  in  this  eountr3'.  His  oldest  brother, 
William,  lives  near  Leeds,  England;  John  is  de- 
ceased ;  Samuel  lives  in  Leeds,  James  in  Chester 
and  the  only  sister,  Elizabeth,  occupies  the  old 
English  home.  The  mother  came  to  America  iu 
18-54,  and  died  at  Kirkwood,  Mo.,  a  short  time 
afterward  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  j'ears.  Mr.  .Stead 
was  married  in  his  native  place  in  1845,  to  Ann 
Maud,  a  native  of  the  same  city  and  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Maud.  The  congenial  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  nine  children, 
three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  John  W.,  Georgi; 
F.  and  Charles  E.  are  butchers  in  Griggsville  and 
the  last  two  named  are  also  engaged  in  farming. 
Mariott  M.  is  a  farmer  in  Pratt  County',  Kan.; 
Maude  is  the  wife  of  William  H.  Ludlow,  of  Griggs- 
ville, Samuel  is  in  the  grocery  business  in  the  same 
town. 

Mr.  Stead  is  identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows 
lodge  in  the  thriving  town  in  which  he  resides,  and 
with  the  Episcopal  Church,  lie  has  held  several 
local  offices,  discharging  the  divers  duties  of  the 
positions  with  faithfulness  and  efficiency. 


^p^EORGE  F.  HAPER  is  a  native-born  citizen 
'j[  ^— ,  of  Calhoun  County  and  is  classed  among  its 
"^^jjl  skillful,  prosi'erous  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers.  His  farm  is  a  fine  tract  of  very  fertile 
land  imdcr  admirable  cultivation  and  well  im- 
])rovcd,  lying  [jleasantl^-  on  section  8,  Gilead  Pre- 
cinct. 

Mr.  Haper  was  born  in  Hardin  Precinct,  May 
•20,  18.38,  and  is  a  son  of  Abel  Haper,  who  was  one 
of  the  earl3'  pioneers  of  this  State,  coming  here  in 
territorial  days.  He  was  of  New  England  stock 
and  was  l)orn  and  reared  in  Vermont.  He  removed 
from  llicre  to  Ihe  State  of  New  York  and  thence  to 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio;  he  married   Rebecca    In- 


gersoll  in  Calhoun  County  who  is  supposed  to 
have  been  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State.  In  the 
year  1816  Mr.  Haper  came  to  Illinois  making  the 
journey  by  water,  and  as  there  were  no  steamers 
plying  on  the  rivers,  he  floated  down  the  Ohio  in 
his  boat  and  then  had  to  propel  it  up  the  Missis- 
sippi, sometimes  pushing  with  poles  and  at  other 
times  walking  on  the  bank  and  drawing  his  boat 
forward  with  a  rope.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  what  is  now  Calhoun  County,  and  after  living  a 
few  j^ears  in  Point  Precinct,  moved  to  what  is 
now  Gilead  Precinct.  The  land  was  not  yet  in  the 
market  but  Mr.  Haper  made  a  claim  to  a  tract 
which  has  since  been  known  as  the  Church  farm, 
situated  on  section  17.  He  erected  a  log  house  and 
after  clearing  a  few  acres  of  the  land,  sold  his  claim 
for  $700  and  moved  to  what  is  now  Hardin  Pre- 
cinct. He  made  a  claim  there  of  a  tract  of  land  on 
section  27,  erected  a  dwelling  and  when  the  land 
came  into  market,  entered  it  from  the  Government, 
the  patent  being  signed  by  Gen.  Jackson  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  This  is  the  farm  tliat 
is  now  an:l  has  for  some  years  been  owned  by  Judge 
Mortland. 

Mr.  Haper  resided  on  that  place  until  1854  and 
then  started  westward  once  more  and  journeyed 
overland  to  Adams  County,  Iowa,  of  which  he  be- 
came a  pioneer.  He  bought  and  entered  Govern- 
ment land,  built  upon  it,  and  lived  there  until  1857. 
In  that  year  he  sold  his  propertj'  in  Iowa,  ami  made 
his  home  with  our  subject.  He  died  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  in  18G1  at  a  r.'pe  old  age.  His 
wife  had  [ireceded  him  to  the  better  land  many 
years  before,  her  death  occurring  in  this  county  in 
1844. 

The  suliject  of  this  notice  gleaned  his  education 
in  the  pioneer  schools  of  this  county,  his  school 
days  being  passed  in  a  rude  log  schoolhouse  fur- 
nished with  slab  benches,  and  lighted  by  an  open- 
ing made,  where  a  log  was  cut  out  and  glass 
inserted  in  its  place.  He  was  sixteen  years  old  when 
he  accompanied  his  father  to  Iowa,  and  he  re- 
mained there  until  IHGll,  when  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Morgan  County,  Mo.  He  bought  a  farm 
and  lived  there  until  1861  when  the  place  became 
too  warm  to  hold  a  man  of  his  well-known  senti- 
ments concerning  the  war  and  the  slavery  question, 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


641 


and  he  returned  to  Iowa.  He  resided  in  Mont- 
oromery  County  two  j-etirs,  in  Bates  County  one 
year,  and  tlien  lived  in  Bourbon  Count}-,  Kan.,  two 
years.  He  has  since  made  his  home  in  his  native 
county,  and  in  1874  bought  the  place  where  he  now 
lives  in  Gilead  Precinct. 

Mr.  Haper  was  first  wedded  in  1859  to  Emily  A. 
Rundell,  a  native  of  St.  Louis  County,  Mo.  She 
died  in  1863,  leaving  one  child — Olive  M.  Mr. 
Ilaper's  second  marriage  was  celebrated  in  1863 
and  was  with  Mary  Red,  a  native  of  this  county, 
who  died  in  1872.  Our  subject  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  formerly  Marj'  E.  Church,  a  native  of 
this  county  and  a  daughter  of  William  B.  Church, 
of  whom  see  sketch,  on  March  16,  1873.  To  them 
have  come  three  children — George  A.,  Maud  and 
Nona.  Two  of  the  daughters  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  ?]piscopal  Church  and  the  family  is  held 
in  high  estimation.  Mr.  Haper  is  a  true  follower 
of  the  Re[)ublican  party,  and  as  a  good  citizen  he 
is  always  deeply  interested  in  whatever  concerns  his 
native  county  and  uses  his  influence  to  promote  its 
welfare  wherever  possible. 


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,W]  AMES  R.  DOUGLASS,  M.  D.  After  having 
practiced  his  profession  for  some  years.  Dr. 
Douglass  has  taken  up  his  residence  on  a 
farm  in  Richwoods  Precinct,Calhoun  County^ 
and  is  enjoying  all  the  comforts  with  which  the  well- 
to-do  farmer  of  modern  times  surrounds  himself.  He 
owns  a  fine  estate  of  four  hundred  acres,  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  which  is  given  to 
fruit  culture.  His  residence,  a  commodious  brick 
structure,  is  pleasing  in  architectural  design,  con- 
veniently' arranged  and  well  furnished.  The  im- 
mense amount  of  fruit  gathered  from  tlie  orchards 
of  Dr.  Douglass  led  him  to  erect  a  cider  mill  in 
1882,  which  is  operated  by  steam  power  and  has  a 
capacity  of  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
barrels  per  day  and  this  year  he  erected  another 
Steam  cider  mill  at  Martin's  Landing,  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  witli  a  capacity  of  two  hundred 
barrels  per  day.  Every  appliance  which  the  in- 
vention of  man  h.as  furnished  for  the  thorough  and 


rapid  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  disposal  of  the 
fruits  tliereof  may  be  found  upon  the  estate  of  Dr. 
Douglass,  and  neatness  and  order  everywhere 
prevail. 

Dr.  Douglass,  as  his  name  denotes,  is  of  Scotch 
descent  and  comes  of  a  family,  many  members  of 
which  have  won  renown  in  the  world's  history. 
During  the  Colonial  times  two  brotliers  emigrated 
from  Scotland  to  liie  New  World,  one  of  them  set- 
tling in  Vermont  and  founding  the  branch  of  the 
family  of  which  the  famous  Stephen  A.  Douglas 
was  a  member.  The  other  brother  made  his  home 
in  Maryland,  which  State  was  the  korae  of  that 
branch  of  tlie  farailj-  for  several  generations.  The 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Joseph  Douglass,  was 
born  in  St.  Mary's  County,  December  25,  1747,  and 
died  in  Dorchester  Count}',  December  28,  1816. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Margaret  Nich- 
ols, and  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  having 
been  born  in  Caroline  County,  and  like  her  husband 
spent  her  entire  life  in  Maryland.  This  couple  had 
six  sons,  two  of  whom,  Isaac  N.  and  Joseph,  died 
in  their  youth.  Thomas  II.  married  Janet  Smoot; 
Joseph  2d,  married  Celia  Wright  and  for  his  second 
wife  Charlotte  Wilson;  John  married  Nancy  Tur- 
pin;  Jeremiah  married  Susan  Thomjison. 

Jeremiah  Douglass  was  born  in  Caroline  County, 
Md.,  April  23,  1791.  He  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  State  and  began  dealing  in  horses 
when  a  young  man,  buying  the  animals  in  the 
West  and  taking  them  East  to  sell.  While  in 
Kentucky  on  that  business  he  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  lady  who  became  his  wife  in  Scott 
County,  in  June,  1817.  The  coui)le  made  their 
home  in  that  county  until  1821,  when  they  removed 
to  Pike  County,  Mo.,  the  journey  being  made  over- 
land with  a  team.  Mr.  Douglass  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  county  in  which  Indians  still  lin- 
gered and  where  wild  game  was  plentiful.  He  took 
up  Government  land  seven  miles  southwest  of  the 
present  site  of  Bowling  (Trecn.  There  were  no 
railroads  spanning  the  country  and  no  steamers 
plying  the  streams,  and  St.  Charles,  eighty  miles 
distant,  was  the  nearest  market  and  depot  of  sup- 
plies, and  there  the  nearest  physician  was  located. 

The  people  in  that  section  lived  upon  the  prod- 
ucts  of  their  farms,  even  the  clothing  being  sup- 


hA 


642 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


plied  from  tlie  wool  and  flax  raised  at  home.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  used  to  card,  spin  and  weave, 
making  all  the  cloth  used  in  the  family  and  form- 
ing it  into  garments  by  her  own  hands.  Mr. 
Douglass  had  learned  the  trade  of  a  l)oot  and  shoe- 
maker and  for  years  made  all  the  footwear  used 
by  his  household.  The  worthy  couple  lived  to  see 
the  country  develop  into  a  well-settled  and  wealthy 
region  and  their  own  farm  finely  improved  and 
tlioroughly  cultivated.  Mr.  Douglass  died  in  1863 
and  his  wife  survived  until  December  13,  1876. 
The  latter  was  born  in  Scott  County,  Ky.,  May  12, 
1796.  - 

In  tlie  maternal  line  Dr.  Douglass  traces  his  de- 
scent from  John  Thompson,  an  Englishman  who 
came  to  America  in  early  manhood.  In  Maryland 
he  married  Margaret  Gilbert  and  removing  to  Scott 
County,  Ky-' '^^"''"a  ''*  early  settlement,  made  that 
his  home  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  his 
family  was  a  son  Gilbert  who  was  born  in  Mar3'- 
land,  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  Blue  Grass 
State  and  in  1821  emigrated  with  his  family  to 
Missouri,  taking  his  place  among  the  pioneers  of 
Pike  County.  He  took  up  a  tract  of  land  adjoining 
that  of  Mr.  Douglass,  improved  the  property  and 
also  built  many  mills  in  Pike  and  the  surrounding 
counties,  being  a  millwright  by  trade.  The  wife 
of  Gilbert  Thomiison  was  Jane  Shannon,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  daughter  of  John  and  Susan 
(Alexander)  Shannon,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Ireland,  but  whose  marriage  took  place  in  Penn- 
sylvania. GiU)ert  and  Jane  (Shannon)  Thompson 
were  the  grandparents  of  our  subject. 

The  family  of  Jeremiah  and  Susan  (Thompson) 
Douglass  consisted  of  seven  children,  our  subject 
being  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  John  T.  now 
lives  near  Bowling  Green,  Mo.;  Joseph  M.  in  Vir- 
ginia City,  Nev.;  Marion  C.  in  Pike  County,  Mo.; 
William  G.  died  December  15,  1888;  Thomas  J- 
lives  in  Batchtown,  111.;  Susan  J.  married  Green  G. 
Thompson  and  died  in  1882. 

Dr.  Douglass  was  born  on  the  farm  near  Bowling 
Green,  Pike  County,  Mo.,  December  29,  1830.  He 
spent  his  youth  in  the  manner  customary  to  farm- 
ers' sons  in  a  si)arsely  settled  locality,  receiving  his 
early  education  in  the  schools  taught  on  the  sub- 
scription   plan.     In    1852   he   began   the   study  of 


medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Benjamin  F.  Todd  at 
Bowling 'Green,  Mo.  In  1854  be  was  found  at 
Pittsfield,  Pike  County,  111.,  with  Dr.  John  T. 
Ilodgen.  During  the  winter  of  185.3-54  he  attended 
lectures  in  the  medical  department  of  the  University 
of  Missouri,  at  St.  Louis,  and  the  following  winter 
was  again  pursuing  his  investigations  there,  being 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1855. 

Immediately  after  leceiving  his  diploma  Dr. 
Douglass  located  in  Richwoods  Precinct,  Calhoun 
County,  III.,  but  a  year  later  removed  to  Rockport, 
Pike  County.  III.;  he  ^sojourned  there  but  three 
months, then  took  up  his  residence  in  New  Harmony, 
Pike  County,  Mo.,  where  he  resided  until  January, 
1857.  Returning  to  Richwoods  Precinct,  Calhoun 
County,  he  bought  three  acres  of  timber  land,  which 
is  included  in  his  present  homestead,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  make  this  his  home.  He  built  a  log  cabin 
which  he  occupied  ten  3-ears,  then  took  jjossession 
of  his  present  residence,  a  view  of  which  will  he 
found  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  He  sdded  to  his 
estate  from  time  to  time  as  his  affairs  prospered 
and  is  now  well  situated  financiall3'.  He  has  had  a 
large  practice  as  a  ph^'sician  and  in  many  families 
the  name  of  Dr.  Douglass  is  never  uttered  but  with 
grateful  hearts. 

The  lady  who  for  man}'  years  has  shared  the 
fortunes  of  Dr.  Douglass  became  his  wife  March 
12,  1856,  prior  to  which  time  she  was  known  as 
Miss  Maria  E.  Carr.  She  was  born  in  Albemarle 
Count}',  Va.,  is  of  good  blood,  and  in  her  own 
person  exhibits  the  virtues  of  mind  and  heart  and 
graces  of  manner  characteristic  of  the  family.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Douglass  have  two  children  living;  their 
first-born,  John  Hodgen,  died  at  the  earl}'  age  of 
twenty -three  j'cars.  The  survivors  are  Benjamin 
Todd,  now  a  student  in  the  Lebanon  Law  Univer- 
sitj'  at  Lebanon,  Tenn.,  and  Maria  Lee,  at  home. 
Dr.  Douglass  gives  his  political  adherence  to  the 
Democratic  party. 

Mrs.  Douglass  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Sir 
Thomas  Carr,  of  England,  who.  on  coming  to 
America,  obtained  a  grant  to  large  tracts  of  land 
in  Virginia.  His  home  was  in  Louisa  Count}'  and 
his  residence  was  known  as  Bear  Castle.  His  son 
John  was  an  extensive  planter  and  so  far  as  known 
spent  his   entire  life  in  the  Old   Dominion.     The 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


643 


next  in  the  direct  line  was  Overton  Carr,  who  set- 
tled in  Maryland,  buying  land  and  engaging  in 
farming.  He  owned  the  present  site  of  our  Na- 
tional Capital.  Following  him  was  Jonathan  B. 
Carr,  who  was  born  in  Biadfnsburg,  Md.,  reared  in 
liis  native  .State,  but  removed  to  the  Old  Dominion 
where  he  practiced  law  a  number  of  j'ears.  He 
finally  removed  to  Lincoln  County,  ]Mo.,  in  1836, 
liought  land  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 
There  his  death  occurred  in  September,  1860. 
.lonalhan  Carr  married  Anna  Barbara  Carr,  who 
w.as  born  in  Albemarle  County,  Va.,  and  whose 
father.  Garland  Carr,  was  a  son  of  the  owner  of 
Bear  Castle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  -Jonathan  B.  Carr  were 
Ibc  parents  of  Mrs.  Douglass. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  invited  to  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  the  Doctor,  which  is  presented 
in  connection  with  this  biographical  review. 

'"^**^'^^  •"^^'^ 

EV"I  .1.  SMITH,  whose   sketch    now    claims 

attention  w.as   born  in  Richwoods  Precinct, 

^  Calhoun   County,  October  16,  1855.     His 


father  who  was  also  named  Levi  Smith  was  born  in 
New  York  State.  He  was  3'oung  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Ohio  and  there  received  his  education 
.and  early  training.  He  learned  the  carpenter  trade 
and  continued  to  follow  it  in  that  State  up  to  the 
time  when  he  removed  to  Illinois,  when  he  made  his 
first  appearance  at  Alton  before  that  was  even  a 
village  and  while  the  country  around  was  in  a  very 
primitive  state,  but  he  resided  there  one  year,  cn- 
if.-iged  in  the  lumber  business.  From  that  point  he 
icmoved  to  .Jersey  County  where  he  was  one  of  the 
pioneers.  Deer  were  plentiful  and  the  county  gave 
few  pros|)ects  of  the  prosperity  that  has  since  been 
ileveloped,  being  at  that  time  covered  on  every 
side  with  heav}-  timber.  He  bought  a  tract  of  land 
near  Delhi  where  he  lived  until  1851!  and  then  re- 
moved to  Calhoun  County.  Here  he  bought  a  tract 
of  land,  the  same  that  is  now  occupied  by  our  sub- 
ject, but  in  186.3  he  removed  to  Jersey ville  and 
(lied  there  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

Our  subject's  mother,  who  previous  to  her  mar- 
riage was   Miss  Mary  E.  Delong,  was  born  in  New 


York  and  there  reared.  She  was  a  Christian 
woman  and  passed  aw.ay  to  her  final  resting  place, 
living  at  the  time  on  the  homestead,  in  August, 
1885.  She  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  ten 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  viz:  Sarah,  William, 
George,  .Sarah,  Harriett,  David,  Samuel,  Nancy, 
Jersey,  Catherine,  Amanda  and  Levi.  Sarah  ( 1 ) 
and  David  died  young. 

Mr.  Smith  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  which 
he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and  has  fol- 
lowed that  trade  most  of  the  time.  His  farm  eon- 
tains  two  hundred  and  five  acres  of  valuable  land 
and  is  situated  on  section  34,  Richwoods  Precinct. 
He  is  an  energetic  and  highl3-  successful  farmer 
and  has  built  a  nice  dwelling  and  good  frame  barns 
on  his  place  and  has  also  planted  twenty-two  acres 
in  an  orchard. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1877  to  Miss  Matilda 
AViegund  wiiose  birth  occurred  in  Richwoods  Pre- 
cinct. She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Martha 
Wiegand.  This  marriage  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children— Delia  and  Mary.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  the  former  is  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  He  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by 
the  citizens  of  Richwoods  Precinct  and  ranks  among 
the  best  business  men  in  Calhoun  County. 


)OSS  MATTHEWS,  Cashier  of  Pittsfield 
Bank,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Pittslield,  Pike 
County,  March  28,  1862,  and  is  the  only  son 
of  the  well  known  Col.  A.  C.  Matthews,  one 
of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the  State  and  at  present 
First  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury  of  the  United 
States.  His  mother  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Col. 
William  Ross,  whose  name  is  indissolubly  connected 
with  the  rise  and  progress  of  Pike  County  as  one 
of  its  foremost  pioneers  and  most  distinguished 
citizens  during  a  long  and  honorable  life  in  which 
he  was  ever  active  in  promoting  its  highest  inter- 
ests. 

Mr.  Ross  Matthews  gained  his  early  education  in 
the  Pittsfield  public  schools  and    subsequently   en- 


644 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


terert  the  Northwestern  University  at  Evanston,  111. 
where  he  prosecuted  his  studies  for  three  years,  re- 
turning to  Pitlsfiuld  to  accept  the  position  of  teller 
in  the  First  National  Bank  and  acted  in  that  capac- 
ity for  the  ensuing  six  years.  Upon  the  passage  of 
tiie  State  banking  law  tlieJPittsfieldLBank  was  or- 
ganized and  he  was  called  to  take  the  office  of 
cashler,which  position  he  has  since  filled  with  ability 
and  with  acceptation  to  all  concerned.  The  bank 
does  a  general  banking  business  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  financial  institutions  of  Southern  Illinois. 

Mr.  Mattiiews  was  married  April  8,  1884,  to  Miss 
Anna  Hull,  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Hull. 
To  them  iiave  been  born  one  son  who  has  been 
named  Benjamin  Hull  Matthews,  after  his  great- 
grandfather, Capt.  Benjamin  L.  Matthews,  now  liv- 
ing at  Perry,  Pike  County,  111. 


,  APT.  LEO  T.  .JOHNS  was  for  a  quarter  of 
a  century  one  of  the  most  noted  pilots  who 
ever  steered  a  boat  on  the  waters]  of  the 
Mississippi.  He  finally  retired  to  the  less  exciting 
pursuit  of  farming  and  for  several  years  has  been 
connected  with  the  agricultural  interests  of  Calhoun 
Count}',  owning  and  successfull)'  managing  a  farm 
in  Point  Precinct,  at  Martin's  Landing,  where  he 
is  steamboat  agent.  He  now  carries  on  his  farming 
interests  through  renters.  Capt.  Johns  was  born  in 
St.  Charles,  the  county  seat  of  St.  Charles  Countj-, 
Mo.,  April  14,  1833.  His  father,  James  Johns,  was 
one  of  the  foremost  pioneers  of  that  part  of  Mis- 
souri. He  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Pa.,  while 
his  father  is  thought  to  iiave  been  a  native  of 
Wales,  who  emigrated  to  this  countr}-  and  si)ent  his 
last  years  in  the  Keystone  State. 

James  Johns  grew  to  man's  estate  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  in  1811  emigrated  to  the  Territory  of 
Missouri  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  white  settlers 
who  boldly  ventured  to  locate  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi River.  lie  took  up  his  abode  in  wiiat  is  now 
St.  Charles  County,  entered  a  tract  of  Government 
land  and  some  years  later  laid  out  the  town  of  .St. 
Charles,  which  was  selecled  as  the  county  seat  when 
tlie  county  was  organized.     He  was  a  brick  maker 


and  layer  by  trade,  having  served  an  apprentice- 
ship in  Pennsylvania;  he  and  his^brother  William 
became  contractors  and  builders  in  the  newly  set- 
tled country-  where  they  were  stationed.  Thev  car- 
ried  on  their  occupation  in  Missouri  in  the  summer 
and  in  the  winter  went  Soutli.  They  used  to  con- 
tract to  erect  brick  buildings  and  would  burn  the 
brick  on  the  spot.  In  later  days  Mr.  Johns  was 
one  of  the  Grand  Jury  which  in  those  times  was  a 
continuous  office.  He  died  in  St.  Charles  in  Octo- 
ber, 1844,  leaving  behind  him  the  memory  of  a 
life  well  spent  and  a  fine  record  as  a  pioneer  who 
had  been  ver}-  active  in  founding  the  city  and 
building  up  the  county. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Julia  Martin  and  she  was  born  in  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y.  Her  father,  Macey  Martin,  is  thought 
to  have  been  born  in  New  York  and  to  have  been 
of  English  descent.  He  married  a  Miss  Cole,  who 
was  born  in  Ohio  and  died  in  St.  Charles.  Mr. 
Martin  emigrated  to  Missouri  about  1812  and  set- 
tled near  the  present  site  of  St.  Charles.  He  was  a 
trader  in  horses  and  cattle  and  spent  his  last  j-ears 
on  his  place  near  the  city  mentioned.  The  mother 
of  our  subject  passed  the  latter  part  of  her  life  in 
Calhoun  County,  and  died  in  1852.  She  reared 
but  two  of  her  eight  children.  Her  son  Myron, 
who  was  born  in  1821,  was  for  some  years  a  first- 
class  pilot  on  the  Missouri  River  and  its  tributaries, 
and  later  was  proprietor  of  Martin's  Landing  and 
agent  there.  He  died  in  1879  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight  years. 

Our  subject  w.as  eleven  years  old  when  his  fa- 
ther died,  and  in  1845  he  came  to  Calhoun  County 
with  his  mother  to  reside  with  his  uncle  Melantlion 
Martin,  proprietor  of  the  landing  that  bears  his 
name.  He  continued  with  his  mother  and  brother 
two  years  and  then  went  to  Council  Bluffs,  wliere 
he  was  employed  at  various  kinds  of  work  the  en- 
suing two  years.  Returning  to  Calhoun  County, 
he  engaged  in  chopping,  teaming  and  other  work 
until  he  was  nineteen  years  old,  when  he  joined  his 
brother  Myron  who  was  then  pilot  on  the  steamer 
"Niagara"  to  learn  that  vocation  of  him,  and  at 
that  time  he  became  a  citizen  of  St.  Louis.  lie  re- 
mained on  the  "Niagara"  eight  months  and  then 
having  become  an  expert  pilot,  he  was  engaged    in 


r 


RESlDEr^CE    OF    PEITER   5NYD  ERS  ,  SEIC  .-^i .    RICHW00D5  PRECT.  CALHOUN  CO.ILL. 


RESlDEnCEOr   L.T.  J0HN5=  1/ ART;  flS   LANDIIIG,  CALHOUN  CO.ILL. 


H 


I 


Ei.  Hi 


& 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


G47 


that  capacity  on  the  "Highland  Mary"  for  one 
season.  He  returned  to  the  "Ni.ngara"  afler  thai  and 
continued  to  act  as  pilot  twent^'-five years  and  dur- 
ing that  time  was  connected  with  the  following 
boats:  "The  Fulton,"  ••Porter,"  "Adelia,"  "Little 
Giant,"  '•]\Ionongahela,"'  ••Robb,"  and  also  ran  liie 
first  packet  from  Grafton  to  St.  Louis,  tlie  "Q. 
Lloyd." 

While  lie  was  still  acting  as  pilot  our  subject 
bouglit  a  farm  in  Point  Precinct  and  from  18G0 
made  his  liorae  there  until  187().  In  that  year  he 
moved  to  IMartin's  Landing  to  take  possession  of 
the  properly  wliicli  he  had  inherited  from  his 
l)rothi'r  wlu.)  had  purchased  it  the  year  liefore.  He 
lias  licre  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  clioice  farming  land  whicli  he  has  placed 
under  excellent  improvement  and  now  rents  it  nnd 
g;iins  liierpfrom  a  goodly  income.  In  187C  he  was 
appointed  steamboat  agent  at  Martin's  Landing  to 
succeed  ins  brotlier.  He  makes  a  fine  agent  as  he 
understands  the  duties  of  the  position  and  is  alwaj's 
obliging  to  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

In  the  month  of  October,  186"2,  Capt.  Johns  and 
Mrs.  Mary  ,T.  (Mackrell)  Burnett,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
were  united  in  marriage.  The3-  have  a  pleasant 
home  where  coziness,  comfort  and  iiospitalit}' 
abide,  ard  they  have  six  children,  Myron  Joiin, 
Belle  Ida,  Annie  Laura,  William,  Minnie  G.ay.  and 
Fannie.  The  Captain  and  his  family  are  very 
higlily  tliought  of  in  tliis  communit3^  He  is  well 
known  and  bears  an  honorable  reputation  as  man 
and  as  citizen.  A  view  of  the  pleasant  residence  of 
the  Captain  will  be  seen  elsewhere  in   this   volume. 


^,ETER  SNYDERS.  Almost  every  known 
country  has  contributed  energetic  and  en- 
^  terprising  citizens  to  the  United  States,  the 
natural  advantages  and  freedom  of  the 
Slates  attracting  attention  far  anil  wide.  Since  the 
landing  of  the  "Mayflower"  many  years  ago,  this 
has  been  the  case,  and  each  succeeding  year  adds 
to  the  number  who  come  from  their  native  land  to 
join  the  band  of  free  American  citizens. 


Mr.  Snyders  numbers  among  this  class,  and  is  a 
native  of  Gelderrcnd,  Holland,  where  he  was  born 
November  28,  182(1.  He  commenced  working  on 
his  father's  farm  at  theleai'ly  age  of  eleven  years, 
and  was  hired  out  by  his  father  to  assist  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  family.  He  continued  to  make  his 
home  in  Holland  until  18.")8,  at  which  time  he  came 
with  his  wife  and  four  cliildren  to  America.  Set- 
ting sail  from  Havre  de  Grace,  he  landed  in  New  Or- 
leans after  a  voyage  of  forty-five  days,  and  after 
landing  came  direct  to  Calhoun  County,  being  at 
the  time  of  his  arrival  ^180  in  ilebt  for  money  bor- 
rowed to  pa3'  his  passage. 

Our  subject  began  life  in  Calhoun  County  by 
working  out  by  the  day  for  a  time,  but  finally  leased 
a  tract  of  land  which  was  very  wild,  and  this  he 
proceeded  to  improve.  In  18G0  in  company'  with 
another  man,  he  purchased  the  eighty-acre  tract 
which  he  now  occupies.  At  the  time  of  tiie  pur- 
chase only  twent3'-Hve  acres  of  the  land  was  cleared, 
the  other  being  covered  with  timber  and  brush. 
Mr.  Snyders  built  a  house  and  at  once  entered  upon 
a  successful  career  as  if  farmer.  He  had  alw.ays 
been  very  industrious  and  has  the  good  judgment 
essential  to  successful  business  transactions.  In  a 
short  time  he  bought  out  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs,  and  lias  continued  from  time  to  time  to  add 
to  his  estate  until  at  the  present  time  he  owns  three 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine  land  all  in  one 
body.  On  another  page  of  this  volume  the  reader 
will  find  a  view  of  the  pleasant  homestead  of  our 
subject. 

Mr.  Snyders  was  married  in  1850  to  Miss  Henri- 
etta Vanarker,  who  was  also  born  in  Gelderrend, 
Holland.  They  have  six  children  living,  namely: 
Gerhart,  Anton,  Gilbert,  John,  Henrietta  and  Mary. 
The  family  are  one  and  all  members  of  St.  Jo- 
seph's Catholic  Church.  Our  subject's  father,  An- 
ton Snyders,  was  born  in  Holland  as  was  also  his 
father,  Peter  Snyders,  the  grandfalher  of  our  sub- 
ject. They  both  lived  and  died  in  tlicir  native 
land,  and  the  former  was  alw.ays  actively-  engageil 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  And  thus  we  see  on  every 
side  children  inheriting  the  industry  of  their  par- 
ents, and  taking  up  the  occupations  to  which  the_y 
were  trained  in  childhood,  a  fact  that  should  im- 
press upon  every  one  the  great  necessity    for  such 


648 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


lives  as  will  serve  as  a  shining  light  to  the  younger 
members  of  society,  who  will  soon  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  busy  mercantile  worhl.  Every 
(Lay  arlds  to  or  detracts  from  a  man's  worth,  and 
happy  is  he  who  can  look  back  upon  a  life  well 
and  profitably  spent,  and  remember  how  at  various 
times  he  helped  not  only  liimself,  but  others  as 
well. 


^^EGRGE  I 

'^yi   County, 


^^EGRGE  FRIEDEL.  n  prosperous  and  well- 
farmer  of  Gilead  Precinct,  Calhoun 
was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Janu- 
ary 12,  1857.  His  father,  John  Friedel,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Bavaria  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  a 
millwright.  I'pon  emigrating  from  Bavaria  to  the 
L'nited  Slates  he  settled  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  about 
the  year  1847,  and  continued  to  follow  his  trade  in 
tiiat  city  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  married 
Miss  Margaret  Wunder,  who  was  also  a  native  of 
Bavaria.  Her  father.  John  Wunder,  was  born  in 
Bavaria  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  besides 
devoting^  much  attention  to  farming.  He  lived 
and  died  in  his  native  country.  Our  subject's 
mother  moved  to  Callioun  County,  wiiere  she 
breatiicd  her  last  in  1860  leaving  two  children: 
Paul,  who  resides  in  Richwoods  Precinct  and 
George. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  left  an  orphan 
while  an  infant  and  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Mary  Wich,  of 
Calhoun  County,  tuok  charge  of  him.  He  com- 
menced working  on  the  farm  at  an  early  age,  and 
at  the  deatli  of  his  uncle  took  charge  of  his  aunt's 
ei<tate.  He  made  that  his  home  until  1885,  at  which 
time  he  moved  to  Gilead  Precinct  where  he  pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  seven  acres  of  land  on 
section  29. 

Mr.  Friedel  was  marrieil  on  the  25th  of  August, 
1885,  to  Miss  Alice  Church,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  Callu)un  County  and  who  had  been  and  is  still  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools.  Her  father,  William 
Church,  was  born  in  Point  Precinct,  September  1, 
1828.  His  father,  Thomas  Church,  was  born  near 
Tioga  Point,  Pennsylvania,  and  his  father,  Arthur 
Daniel  Church,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Thus 
the  family    history  is  traced  back  through  several 


generations.  Arthur  Church  was  left  an  orphan  and 
was  bound  out,  but  not  liking  his  master  he  ran 
awa}-  to  Pennsylvania  where  he  joined  the  army  and 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  From  Penn- 
sylvania he  moved  to  Ohio  and  from  that  State  to 
the  Territory  of  Missouri,  probably  as  early  as 
1810.     He  next  moved  to  Calhoun  County. 

Mrs.  Friedel's  grandfather  came  from  Ohio  to 
Missouri,  thence  to  Calhoun  County,  being  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Point  Precinct.  He  had  a 
tract  of  land  covered  with  heavy  timber,  with  only 
a  small  clearing.  He  resided  there  until  1831,  at 
which  time  he  laid  claim  to  a  tract  of  Government 
land  in  Gilead  Precinct,  section  17,  where  he  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  up  to  the  closing  scenes 
of  his  life.  Her  grandmother  was  Miss  Elizabeth 
Massey,  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  daughter  of 
Joshua  Masse^'.  Mrs.  Friedel's  father  was  educated 
in  the  pioneer  schools  where  the  furniture  and  gen- 
eral apiiearance  of  the  schoolhouse  was  as  rude  as 
rude  could  be.  He  resided  with  his  parents  until 
his  marriage,  after  which  he  took  possession  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  timber  land  in  Gilead 
Precinct  and  built  a  log  house,  but  at  the  end  of 
three  years  he  sold  that  property  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  fifty-two  acres  in  the  sams  precuiet 
where  he  resided  six  3'ears.  Owing  to  ill  health 
he  moved  to  Kansas  for  a  time,  but  soon  returned 
and  has  since  resided  with  his  children  and  his  sis- 
ter. In  1854  he  married  Miss  Susan  Adams,  who 
was  born  in  Howard  County,  Mo.  Their  union  w.is 
blessed  with  seven  children,  viz:  Elizabeth,  George, 
Julia,  Alice,  Elias,  Albrow  and  Carrie.  Mrs. 
Church  died  in  February,   1870. 


,|j^.ICHARD  SWEETING,  a  practical  and  cn- 
\Uiy  terprising  agriculturist  of  Perry  Township, 
Pike  Count}',  makes  his  home  on  section  30^ 
v^Oj  where  he  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  highly-improved  land  and  where  he  has  met  with 
marked  success  in  the  agricultural  line.  Beside.'! 
farming  he  is  also  much  interested  in  stock-raising 
and  has  his  farm  well  stocked.  He  has  lived  here 
since  the  year  1853,  and  in  the  meantime  has  en- 


J 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


r>49 


(leared  liimself  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  through- 
out this  section  of  the  countiy  bj-  liis  nobility  of 
character  and  his  excellent  judgment  on  all  busi- 
ness matters. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Knaresborough,  Yorl\- 
shire,  England,  near  tiie  castle  of  the  same  name. 
His  father,  Jonathan  Sweeting,  vvas  a  native 
of  West  Riding.  Yorkshire,  England,  and  there 
grew  to  manhood,  learning  the  shoemaker's  trade, 
an  occupation  which  he  followed  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  sad  event  occurred  one  day  after 
the  death  of  "the  soldier  President,"  U.  S.  Grant. 
being  at  the  time  in  his  ninetieth  year.  Our  sub- 
ject's grandfather,  Richard  Sweeting,  was  also  of 
English  descent  and  Yorkshire  was  his  home.  He 
too  was  a  shoemaker,  and  like  his  son  nearly  ninety 
years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  wns  twice 
married.  Jonathan  Sweeting  was  the  only  child 
born  to  his  mother.  He  was  threetimes  married, 
our  subject  being  born  to  his  first  marriage  witli 
Miss  Mary  Greenough.  She  was  born  and  reared 
in  Yorkshire,  but  some  of  her  ancestors  were  Scotch- 
men. She  died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
in  his  seventh  year. 

Mr.  Sweeting  after  the  sad  loss  of  his  mother  was 
raised  by  his  stepmother,  and  learned  the  trade  that 
his  father  and  grandfather  before  him  had  followed, 
soon  becoming  a  first-class  shoemaker.  At  a  later 
date  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  baker,  following  this 
latter  in  England  until  September,  1846,  at  which 
time  he  reached  his  nineteenth  year  and  concluded 
to  try  a  new  country.  He  took  passage  on  a  mer- 
chant ship  called  '-General  Park  Hale,"  and  landed 
in  the  city  of  New  Orleans  after  a  voyage  of  seven 
weeks.  From  that  point  he  came  up  the  Mississippi 
River  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  from  that  place  to 
Griggsvdle  Landing  on  the  Illinois  River.  He  re- 
mained with  an  uncle — William  Thackciy  in  Flint 
Townshii)  for  three  years  and  then  took  possession 
of  his  present  estate.  After  seven  years  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  country  and  there  married 
Miss  Dorathy  Marshall,  who  was  born  in  Knares- 
borough in  1834,  being  the  daughter  of  James  and 
Ann  (Sly)  Marshall,  natives  of  Yorkshire.  The  Sly 
family  were  originally  of  Scotch  descent.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Marshall  lived  to  quite  an  old  age 
and  died  in  their  native  place.     The  former  was  a 


prominent  teacher  in  oneof  the  largest  schools  there 
for  a  period  of  forty-five  years,  and  had  also  served 
as  Parish  Clerk  for  more  than  fifty  years. 

Mrs.  Sweeting  was  the  third  in  number  of  the 
three  daughters  and  four  sons.  She  was  carefully 
educated  at  her  father's  school,  being  a  lady  of  su- 
perior mental  endowments  and  one  who  rivals  her 
husband  in  popularity.  To  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Sweet- 
ing have  been  l)orn  eleven  children,  four  of  whom 
are  dead.  Those  living  at  the  present  time  are: 
Harvey  W.,  Arthur  R.,  Fred,  George  H.,  Precilla 
Jane  who  married  Frank  Mc^'ey  and  lives  in  Flint 
Township;  Anna  M.  and  ^'ina  E.  Both  husband  and 
wife  were  reared  in  the  Church  of  England,  but 
since  coming  to  this  country  attend  the  Methodist 
Church.  Both  Mr.  Sweeting  and  his  sons  are 
strong  Republicans  and  have  great  influence  in  po- 
litical matters.  Thus  as  time  rolls  on  and  day  af- 
ter day  adds  itself  to  the  long  list  of  the  past  we 
see  more  and  more  clearly  that  industry  and  strict 
integritj'  cannot  fail  to  achieve  success. 


ENRY  PERRY.  He  whose  name  heads  our 
]  sketch  is  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  en- 
terprising agriculturists  of  Detroit  Town- 

('<D1  ship.  He  possesses  superior  literary  attain- 
ments and  has  accumulated  a  comfortable  fortune. 
Mr.  Perry's  fatlur,  John  Peiry,  and  his  mother, 
Helen  (Salthouse)  Perry,  were  both  natives  of 
Yorkshire,  England,  and  were  married  there.  His 
father  died  in  his  native  place  in  1842,  and  his 
mother  came  with  her  sou  to  America,  he  having 
gone  after  her  in  1880.  She  died  in  Milton,  Pike 
County,  August  1,  1882,  leaving  fonr  children,  two 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Lanc.astcr- 
shire,  England,  in  December,  1840.  and  received 
his  education  in  English  schools  until  he  reached 
his  twelfth  year.  He  then  commenced  to  support 
himself,  working  at  several  different  tr.ades,  none 
of  which  he  completed.  In  the  year  185C  he  emi- 
gr.ated  to  America  and  after  landing  in  New  York 
Citj'  came  direct  to  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming   in    connection   with    his    uncle,    Richard 


650 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Perry,  on  section  28,  for  a  period  of  two  years.  He 
next  worked  at  different  places,  taking  advantage 
of  wliat  presented  itself  until  1859.  at  which  date 
he  rented  part  of  a  farm  and  devoted  his  attention 
to  agricultural  pursuits  up  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  War. 

Mr.  Perry  enlisted  August  12.  18G2,  in  Com- 
pany I,  Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  His  regi- 
ment was  organized  at  Pittsfield.  going  immediately 
to  Benton  Barracks  at  .St.  Louis,  IMo.  They  made 
trips  to  several  small  towns  in  Missouri  and  met  the 
enemy  in  an  engagement  at  Hartsville,  January  11, 
18G3.  At  that  point  our  suljject  was  wounded  in 
his  left  shoulder  by  a  rifle  ball  and  received  treat- 
ment in  the  camp  hospital.  He  again  joined  his 
regiment  in  April,  1863,  going  wilii  tlieni  to  Vicks- 
burg  and  taking  part  in  that  memorable  siege. 
They  went  to  Texas  wliere  they  remained  all  win- 
ter after  taking  possession  of  Ft.  Esperanza.  They 
were  at  New  Orleans  for  a  short  time  and  at  vari- 
ous points  along  the  Mississippi  River.  Our  sub- 
ject being  sick  w.as  taken  to  the  barracks  hospital 
at  New  Orleans  and  then  returned  home  on  a  fur- 
lough and  remained  until  1865.  Returning  to  the 
hospital  he  was  honorably  discharged  in  May,  1865. 

Our  subject  was  frequently  detailed  as  clerk,  be- 
ing a  good  penman.  Peace  being  once  more  restored 
throughout  the  country  he  returned  home  and  de- 
voted his  attention  to  farming  and  after  one  season 
bought  his  present  farm.  lie  has  continued  to  re- 
side here  up  to  the  present  date  but  has  bought 
two  other  farms  and  after  building  houses  on  them 
sold  them.  His  estate  embraces  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  of  laud  all  in  one  bod)-  and  highlj' 
improved.  His  house  was  built  in  1876  but  has 
since  been  enlarged.  He  carries  on  a  prosperous 
farming  and  stock-raising  business  and  is  also  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business  in  a  small  waj'. 

Mr.  Perry  was  married,  in  1859,  to  Miss  Sarah 
II.  Taylor,  daughter  of  Amos  and  Anna  E.  (Caker) 
Taylor  who  came  originally  from  Ohio  and  located 
in  Detroit  Township  as  early  as  1836.  Thev 
both  passed  to  their  final  resting  place  many  years 
ago.  Mrs.  Perry's  birth  occurred  March  10,  1836, 
and  she  died  February  20,  1886.  She  was  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  now 
living,  viz;  Laura  A.,  John   H.;  Rosa,  wife  of  Jos. 


Sehnepf,  has  one  child  and  lives  in  Detroit  Town- 
ship; Robert  H.  (deceased),  Lizzie  H.,  William  M., 
Mattic  M.  and  Lillie  M.  They  all  received  good 
educations  and  have  prospered  well  in  life.  Mr. 
Perry  is  noted  for  strict  integrity  and  strength  of 
character  and  is  well  known  to  be  an  active  busi- 
ness man. 


'^^^ 


<if]AMES  W.  CHENOWETH,  of  the  firm  of 
Chenoweth  ct  Dennis,  merchants,  is  tlic  sub- 
ject of  our  present  sketch  and  a  most  worthy 
gentleman,  and  one  who  ranks  high  in  com- 
mercial circles  throughout  this  section  of  the  coun- 
try. He  has  been  in  the  mercantile  business  here 
for  nearly  nine  j'cars  and  carries  a  large  stock  of 
general  merchandise;  and  in  1888  Mr.  J.  H.  Dennis 
(son  of  J.  H.  Dennis,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  Album)  entered  into  a  partnership 
with  him,  and  since  that  date  they  have  had  the 
firm  name  above  given.  Our  subject  has  been 
wonderfully  successful  since  became  to  this  place 
and  has  established  a  good  paying  business.  Pre- 
vious to  his  opening  this  business  he  had  been  an 
extensive  live-stock  dealer  and  in  that  way  had 
become  popular  with  the  people  in  this  community. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  was  born  in  Perry  Township, 
this  State,  in  1847,  on  the  2 1st  of  April,  being  tlie 
son  of  William  and  Sarah  (Shoemaker)  Chenoweth, 
natives  of  Kentucky  and  Indiana  respectively.  His 
grandfather,  Abraham  Chenoweth,  his  father  and 
his  young  bride,  moved  to  Pike  County  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  '30s,  settling  in  Perry  Township 
on  a  farm.  The  grandfather  died  when  about 
seventy  years  of  age. 

Our  subject's  father  in  1849  started  for  Califtjr- 
nia  by  wagon,  but  after  crossing  the  Missouri  River 
he  died  and  was  buried  in  the  wild  unbroken  plains, 
being  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  the  very  prime  of 
life.  His  widow  married  Harvey  Dickenson,  and 
moved  to  Missouri,  where  her  husband  died.  She 
still  resides  in  L^'nn  County,  that  State,  and  is  at 
this  writing  in  her  seventy-third  year. 

Mr.  Chenoweth  is  the  3'oungest  of  the  three  snns 
and  three  daughters  born  to  his  parents,  all  of  whom 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


653 


lived  to  have  families  of  their  own.  He  wjis  edii- 
cated  in  this  county  and  in  tlie  State  of  Missouri, 
but  since  coming  of  age  lie  has  made  iiis  home  in 
l*ii\e  Countj-.  He  was  married  in  this  townsliip  to 
Miss  Mary  Irving,  who  was  born  in  Chambersburg 
Townsliip  and  who  was  educated  liere.  She  is  the 
daugiiter  of  Ciiristopher  Irving,  and  to  lier  mar- 
riage was  born  one  child.  M.audc,  liefore  death 
claimed  her  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Our  subject 
was  .again  married  in  this  township,  this  time  to 
Miss  Margaret  Irving,  sister  of  his  first  wife.  To 
their  union  have  been  born  three  children,  viz: 
Irving  S.,  Harry  C,  and  Mary  E. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
C'luistian  Church.  He  is  Postmaster  at  Chambers- 
liurg.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Masons, 
being  connected  with  Blue  Lodge,  No.  373,  of 
Chambersburg,  and  is  at  the  present  time  Treasurer 
of  this  lodge.  Indeed,  his  prominence  is  verj' 
marked  and  he  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of  those 
Waits  of  character  that  win  the  esteem  of  ever}- 
one  and  that  make  a  man  a  most  valuable  citizen 
of  any  community. 


LLP:N    M.  D.  JONES.      The    lithographic 
portrait  shown   on  the  opposite  page  rep- 
resents one  of  the  oldest  living   pioneers 
^  of  Calhoun  County.     Notwithstanding  his 

advanced  age  he  is  still  actively  connected  with  its 
.agricultural  interests  and  has  his  large  and  well- 
appointed  farm  in  Belleview  Township  under  his 
personal  supervision.  He  is  interested  in  whatever 
will  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  his  adopted  county 
and  is  an  unswerving  adherent  of  the  Democratic 
party.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  that  office  with  characteristic 
fidelity'  and  to  the  s.atisfaction  of  those  who  elected 
him.  By  birth  he  is  a  Virginian  and  takes  pride 
in  the  fact  that  he  is  descended  from  Paul  Jones, 
(if  Revolutionary  fame. 

He  of  whom  we  write  w.as  born  near  Finc.astle, 
Vn.,  October  16,  1816,  and  is  a  namesake  of  Dr. 
McDowell,  of  St.  Louis.  His  father,  Edward  D. 
Jones,  was  a  native    of   Monroe  Count}',  Va .,  and 


was  united  in  marriage  with  .Susannah  Painter, 
a  native  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  that  State. 
This  family  was  intensely  patriotic  anil  fur- 
nished many  soldiers  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  and  the  AVar  of  1812.  Our  subject  passed  his 
childhood  in  his  native  State  and  then  accompan- 
ied his  parents  in  their  removal  to  their  new  home 
in  the  wilds  of  Indiana,  wluru  he  grew  to  a  vigor- 
ous manhood  under  the  bracing  influences  of  a  i)io- 
neer  life.  His  educational  advantages  were  limited 
but  he  is  now  well  posted  on  current  local  and  na- 
tional affairs,  having  made  up  for  his  early  Lick  of 
schooling  by  observation  and  reading. 

Our  subject  well  remembers  the  trip  from  Vir- 
ginia westward  and  relates  many  interesting  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  long  journey.  They 
crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  into  what  was 
then  called  New  \irginia,  stopped  at  the  great  salt 
works  at  the  head  of  the  Kanawha  Rivet  and  there 
sojourned  two  years.  Thence  they  went  to  Charles- 
ton, W.  Va.,  whore  the  father  chartered  the  '-Paul 
Pry,"  the  first  steamboat  that  plied  the  waters  of  the 
Kanawha  River.  Coming  down  the  river  the  boat 
was  let  down  over  the  falls  by  ropes  and  proceeded 
on  to  Point  Pleasant.  On  the  right  stood  a  fort 
on  the  point  between  the  two  rivers;  on  the  left 
bank  was  the  buckej-e  tree  in  which  Daniel  Boone 
alighted  when  pursued  by  hostile  Indians  he  leaped 
over  the  cliff  above.  From  Point  Pleasant  the 
family  proceeded  to  Gallipollis  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  and  finally  after  a  long  journey 
landed  at  their  destination  in  Indiana. 

In  1840  our  subject  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Calhoun  County  and  has  practically  been  a  resi- 
dent here  ever  since.  In  Belleview  Precinct  he 
cast  his  first  vote  in  this  State,  at  which  time  there 
were  twenty-two  votes  polled  in  that  precinct, 
namely:  Alex.  Hemhill,  William  Walls,  John  Stark, 
Henry  G.  Hart,  William  Anderson,  II.  P.  Buchanan, 
Daniel  Puterbaugh,  John  Barroman,  John  Martin, 
Michael  Starnes,  A.  L.  Mozier,  Samuel  Monn,  Alvin 
Tolbert,  Lewis  Mars,  Jr.,  Lewis  Mars,  Sr.,  A.  Mars, 
Samuel  Peg,  Thomas  and  George  McClelland,  Jack 
Maloy,  James  Dewey  and  John  Stall.  In  those  days 
Mr.  Jones  would  haul  deer  home  by  the  wagon  load 
after  they  had  fallen  victims  to  his  unerring  rifle. 
Mr.  Jones   has  been   engaged   in  farming  all  his 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


life  alUiough  at  certain  seasons  he  cut  logs  and 
cordwood  and  made  staves.  For  five  years  he  en- 
gaged in  cutting  saw  logs,  hauling  and  rafting  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  settled  on  his  present  farm  in 
1862  and  now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  as  choice  land  as  may  he  found  in  Belle- 
view  Precinct.  This  he  has  developed  and  has  thus 
assisted  in  advancing  the  growth  of  the  count}-. 
He  is  classed  among  the  representative  pioneers  of 
Calhoun  County  and  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who 
know  him.  His  fellow  citizens  have  a  full  appre- 
ciation of  his  honesty  and  sterling  integrity  in 
business  matters  and  hold  his  word  as  good  as  his 
bond.  Although  he  is  now  past  threescore  and  ten 
the  biographer  found  "Uncle  Allen"  busily  engaged 
in  sowing  grain  and  apparently  doing  as  much 
work  as  many  a  younger  man.  It  is  the  hope  of 
the  citizens  that  he  ma}'  survive  for  many  years  to 
fill  the  spljere  of  usefulness  to  which  he  is  so  well 
adapted. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  was  solemnized 
July  31,  1848.  when  Maria  Burton,  of  Calhoun 
County  became  his  wife.  She  bore  him  a  large 
family  of  children,  of  whom  the  following  four  are 
living:  Eleanor,  the  widow  of  Henry  Fisher,  and  a 
resident  of  Belleview;  Minerva,  now  Mrs.  Goeweye, 
of  Belleview;  Elva,  wife  of  Henry  Willman,  and 
Ada,  wife  of  Andrew  Burton.  Mrs.  Jones  died 
April  6,  1886.  In  March,  1890,  our  subject  was 
wedded  to  his  present  estimable  wife  who  was  Mrs. 
Mary  Wright,  widow  of  T.  Wright  and  a  native  of 
Bellview,  111. 


_2't=e.» 


RS.  SARAH  BORROWMAN.  In  Lanark- 
shire, Scotland,  John  Borrowman  was  born 
February  24,  182(1.  He  emigrated  to 
America  in  1840,  witii  other  members  of 
his  famil}',  among  whom  was  John  Borrowman 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  and  who  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Belleview  Precinct,  Calhoun  Count}'.  He 
made  his  home  in  St.  TjOuIs  until  after  his  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Sarah  Hunter  of  that  place, 
A\igust  6,  1848.  They  removed  to  Calhoun 
County,  settling  on    the  farm  where  Mrs.  Borrow- 


man now  resides.  Their  marriage  was  blessed 
with  six  children,  namely:  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
John  Bunn,  of  Pike  Count}';  Thomas,  who  lives 
in  Macoupin  County;  John  W. ;  Laura,  wife  of 
Lewis  Peck,  of  Nebo.  111.;  Charles;  and  Ollie, 
wife  of  James  Thomas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Borrowman 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Farmer's  Ridge, 
and  like  most  pioneers  were  called  upon  to  endure 
many  hardships  and  deprivations.  The  former 
served  ,is  School  Director  and  was  a  very  public- 
spirited  man,  willing  at  all  times  to  exert  his  in- 
fluence in  behalf  of  worthy  causes.  He  departed 
this  life  January  6,  1885,  mourned  by  his  loving 
family  and  numerous  friends.  In  his  death  the 
county  lost  a  noble  representative  and  one  who  had 
oftentimes  "  dried  the  tears"  of  unfortunate  per- 
sons by  his  generosity  and  kindness.  He  was  held 
in  the  highest  possible  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him 
and  was  a  faithful  member  of  tlie  Christian  Church. 
In  politics  his  symi)atliies  were  with  the  Republican 
party,  of  which  he  was  a  member  and  he  wielded 
considerable  influence  in  the  political  matters  per- 
taining to  the  community  in  which  he  resided.  He 
left  liis  heirs  an  estate  embracing  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  valuable  land,  the  product  of 
bis  life's  liibiir.  He  was  truly  a  self-made  man,  and 
the  very  embodiment  of  honor  and  generosity  of 
feeling. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Borrowman,  who  was  deprived  of  the 
companionship  of  her  worthy  husband,  as  above 
related,  makes  her  home  in  Belleview  Precinct,  and 
is  a  native  of  Campbell  County,  Va.,  where  her 
birth  occurred  September  1 1,  1830.  She  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Sarah  (Lewis)  Hunter,  natives  of 
Virginia.  Her  paternal  grandfather  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  her  maternal  grandfather  is  said  to 
have  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
When  about  seven  years  of  age  slie  moved  with  i 
lier  parents  from  Virginia  to  Franklin  County.  Mo., 
where  her  mother  departed  this  life.  She  received 
a  common-school  education  and  is  well  posted  in 
public  matters  of  importance,  being  a  great  reader 
and  a  forcible  thinker.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli  and  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  society  in  Belleview  Precinct,  in  which  place 
she  is  universally  pojndar  and  higlil\-  respected. 
Her  son,  John  W.  Borrowman,  is  a  native  of  Cal- 


K 


^      ^-55^^    m%' 


JiUet^    Jn'^ayyi.^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


655 


lioun  County,  being  born  hero  Fcbi-uarj-  21.  18()2. 
lie  li.is  been  reared  in  this  county  and  received  liis 
eilucation  in  the  public  school.  He  is  a  stanch 
member  of  the  Republican  ))arty,  and  a  most  worthy 
•ind  enterprising  man.  He  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead with  liis  mother  and  has  met  with  remarkable 
success  for  so  young  a  person,  commanding  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  the  social,  political  and 
mercantile  circles  of  Calhoun  Count}'. 


'i^m-^ 


OHN  WEBER  stands  among  the  most  prac- 
tical, shrewd  and  sound  business  men  of  Pilve 
County,  who  have  been  so  instrumental  in 
raising  its  financial  standing.  He  ostensiblj- 
retired  from  business  some  six  years  ago,  but  as  he 
is  of  too  active  a  teniperauient  to  remain  idle,  he 
still  conducts  some  business  interests.  He  ships 
fruit  every  ye.ar.  and  has  a  warehouse  in  town,  and 
sells  buggies,  etc.  He  is  prominent  in  public  life 
and  is  widely  and  favorably  known. 

Mr.  Weber  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  born  in 
that  city  .lanuary  6,  18*13.  His  father,  bearing  the 
same  name  as  himself,  was  a  native  of  CTermaii}*, 
.ind  there  served  an  apprenticeship  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  tailor.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Germany,  but  his  widow 
with  her  three  sons,  .John,  Henry  and  AV^illiam, 
came  to  this  country.  Heniy  settled  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  there  died;  William  now  resides  at  lUl- 
oxi.  Miss. 

We  will  speak  more  extensively  of  the  father  of 
our  subject.  He  was  a  young  man  when,  he  came 
to  this  country  and  was  accompanied  by  his  wife. 
He  lived  for  a  time  in  Pittsburg,  and  from  there 
went  to  .St.  Louis,  whence  he  came  to  this  State  in 
1844  and  located  in  Adams  County.  He  rented  a 
farm  for  two  vears  and  then  bought  the  same  farm 
which  was  located  in  Beverl\-  Township,  Adams 
County,  and  there  followed  farming  until  within  a 
few  years  of  his  death  when  he  lived  retired  with 
his  children,  d^ing  in  Adams  County  in  188C.  He 
was  very  industrious  and  persevering,  and  accumu- 
lated a  competency.  He  and  his  wife  were  upright 
Christian  people  and  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 


Church  in  wljicii  faith  they  reared  their  children. 
Tile  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Margaret  Meis, 
and  she  was  a  native  of  (Jerinany.  She  is  stiil  liv. 
ing,  making  her  home  with  iier  children,  of  whom 
she  reared  four,  as  follows:  Henry,  who  resides  in 
Clearmint,  Nodaway  County,  i\Io. ;  William,  who 
lives  in  the  same  place,  iie  and  his  brother  Henry 
carrying  on  merehanditing,  farming  and  stock-rais- 
ing in  partnership:  and  Mary  who  married  Leonard 
Stevens,  of  Clayton,  Adams  County. 

Our  subject  was  but  an  infant  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Adams  County,  and  he  was  there  reared 
amid  its  pioneer  scenes.  When  he  was  young, 
deer,  wild  turkey  and  other  kinds  of  game  were 
plenty  and  furnished  good  food  for  the  pioneers. 
He  attended  school  in  a  primitive  frame  building, 
where  the  seats  were  made  of  split  logs  with 
wooden  pins  inserted  for  legs.  He  commenced  to 
assist  on  the  farm  when  a  small  boy.  The  labors 
of  the  farmer  were  nuicli  harder  than  at  present,  as 
they  were  carried  on  with  old  fashioned  and  cum- 
bersome machineiy,  and  all  the  grain  was  cut  with 
a  cradle  and  w.as  tramped  out  with  horses.  When 
Mr.  Weber  was  in  his  twenty-first  year,  he  left  the 
parental  home  to  eng.ag';  in  teaching,  and  taught 
two  terms  of  winter  school,  and  one  season  clerked 
in  a  store.  He  subsequently  opened  an  establish- 
ment of  his  own  in  Kingston,  and  engaged  in  busi- 
ness there  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  sold  out  and  with  his  Inother-in-law 
bought  the  flourmill  in  that  town.  Six  years  later 
he  sold  his  interest  in  that  and  then  taught  two 
terms  of  school. 

In  the  month  of  June,  1877,  Mr.  Weber  came  to 
Barry,  and  in  the  fall  bought  the  Empire  House. 
He  managed  that  very  successfully  for  three  years, 
his  courteous  and  obliging  manner  and  read}'  tact 
making  him  a  popular  host.  He  disjiosed  of  his 
hotel  at  the  expiration  of  th.at  time  and  traveled  a 
few  months  in  the  West.  On  his  return  he  bought 
a  grocery  store  in  Barry,  and  managed  it  the  ensu- 
ing six  years  with  good  financial  success.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  sold  out  with  good  profit  ami 
since  then  has  been  engaged  as  related  in  the  first 
part  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Weber  was  married  in  1867  to  Miss  Rosa 
Perkins,  a  native  of  Adams  County  and  a  daughter 


656 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  B.  C.  and  Isabel  (High)  Perkins.  Four  children 
complete  their  pleasant  home  circle — Ralph  K., 
Harry,  Nettie  and  Cora. 

In  his  career  as  a  live  business  man  our  subject 
has  manifested  a  clear  insight  into  business  matters, 
has  managed  his  affairs  very  judiciously  and  after 
the  most  upright  methods,  and  has  secured  thereby 
the  confidence  of  the  people.  A  man  of  sound  in- 
tellect and  of  a  shrewd,  sagacious,  thoughtful  turn 
of  mind,  he  has  been  invaluable  as  a  citizen,  and  has 
taken  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  public  life  of  city 
and  county.  He  has  served  six  years  as  a  member 
of  the  City  Council,  and  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
School  Board.  In  1890  he  was  elected  a  member 
of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  is  looking 
carefully  afler  the  interests  of  Barry  Townsiiip.  In 
politics  he  is  a  strong  adherent  of  the  Republican 
party. 

^^ ^-^  ^ ^^- 

■^(OSEPH  RUBLE,  who  makes  his  home  in 
Newburg  Township,  is  one  of  those  enter- 
prising and  useful  men  whose  names  are 
familiar  through  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  communities  in  which  they  reside. 

Mr.  Ruble's  birth  occurred  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio.  August  13,  1826,  being  the  second  in  num- 
ber of  the  ten  children  born  to  his  parents,  John 
and  Sarah  Ann  (Coffman)  Ruble.  His  youth  was 
passed  in  his  native  county  and  there  he  received 
liis  education  and  there  learned  the  principles 
which  have  guided  liis  prosperous  life  over  the 
numerous  shoals  that  too  often  beset  the  jiathway 
through  life. 

Our  subject's  father  and  mother  both  came  from 
Pennsylvania  when  the\'  are  quite  young  and  after 
tlieir  marriage  settled  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  continued  to  reside  until  death  came 
and  claimed  them.  Tliey  were  deeply  religious 
people  and  took  an  .active  interest  in  promoting  the 
religious  and  educational  causes  of  the  place  in 
which  they  lived. 

After  reaching  manhood's  estate,  our  subject 
came  to  Pike  County,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  and 
on  March  7,  1851,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Rebecca  Ann  Foreman,  who  like  himself   was 


a  native  of  Highland  County,  her  birth  occurring 
January  22,  1834.  To  this  union  were  born  six 
children,  viz.,  Martha  J.  who  is  the  wife  of  Hiram 
Weaver;  Rachel  Ann,  who  married  W.  C.  Winter; 
Sarah  Maria  who  died  in  infancy;  Mar^'  Emily, 
who  is  at  the  present  writing  Mrs.  George  W. 
Miller;  Henry  M.  who  married  Miss  Minnie  E. 
Benson,  and  Rebecca,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank 
Breitenbucher.  Mrs.  Rebecca  A.  Ruble  died  in 
this  township,  Januar}'  11,  1864,  and  her  husband 
was  married  on  May  12,  1864,  to  Miss  Mary 
Ann  Foreman,  who  was  born  in  Highland  County 
October  30,  1830.  They  had  two  children,  viz; 
Nellie,  who  died  when  eight  j-ears  of  age;  and 
Tacie. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  popular  man  alike 
in  business,  political  and  social  circles  and  has  at 
different  times  been  elected  to  hold  offices  of  public 
trust  and  responsibility  of  no  mean  order.  He 
was  at  one  time  Highway  Commissioner  and  filled 
that  office  most  s-atisfactorily  both  to  himself  and 
the  community  at  large.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  Christ,  in  which  he  has  served  as  Deacon 
for  a  period  of  forty  years.  He  is  also  much 
interested  in  educational  matters  and  appreciates 
the  vast  importance  of  a  good  education  for  botli 
girls  and  boys,  in  order  that  they  may  be  fittetl  to 
take  their  places  in  the  busy  commercial  world 
when  a  necessity  for  so  doing  presents  itself.  His 
agricultural  duties  consume  the  greater  portion  of 
his  time  and  he  devotes  much  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  land  and  also  to  keeping  his 
residence  and  barns  in  good  condition.  His  farm 
comprises  forty  acres. 


^^=^EORGE  P.  BECHDOLT,  son  of  J.acob  P.  and 
\ll  (— ^  Catherine  M.  (Lenhart)  Bechdolt,  w.as  born 
^^Sl  '»  Germany  March  28,  1829.  He  leanied 
to  read,  write  and  mastered  the  rudiments  of  math- 
ematics in  his  native  countrj-,  and  after  reaching 
the  United  States  attended  school  in  York,  I'a., 
for  about  six  months  in  the  winter  of  1838-39, 
where  he  learned  to  read  English.  When  fif- 
teen  years  of    age  he    again    attended  school   for 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


657 


one  month,  chopping  wood  on  Saturdays  to  pay 
for  his  board  and  receiving  only  fift}'  cents  a  cord. 
At  tiie  age  of  eighteen  he  put  in  twenty-eight  days 
at  school  and  graduated,  and  from  the  age  of  fif- 
teen was  entirel}-  dependent  upon  himself  for  sup- 
port. He  turned  his  attention  to  making  staves, 
chopping  wood,  etc.,  and  in  the  spring  hired  out 
to  work  on  a  farm  in  Calhoun  Country,  the  place 
where  C'ampsville  now  stands.  He  had  also  charge 
of  Bushnell's  Ferry  across  the  Illinois  River. 

Mr.  Bechdolt  continued  this  kind  of  work  and 
llalboaling  and  steam  boating  until  ^.wenty-one 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  bought  land  south 
of  Bedford,  in  Pike  Count}-,  and  immediately  took 
possession  of  it.  The  land  w.is  slightl}-  improved, 
but  he  replaced  the  old  log  house  with  a  new  one, 
.md  remained  there  until  1855,  when  he  rented  out 
his  place  and  in  turn  rented  a  farm  south  of  Mil- 
ton for  a  season.  This  property  belonged  to 
George  Underwood.  Our  subject  in  1855  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  and  has  continued  to  add 
to  it  from  time  to  time,  until  it  now  contains  two 
hundred  acres,  with  one  hundred  and  eighty  tillable 
acres  and  one  hundred  acres  under  the  plough, 
the  rest  being  timber  and  wood  pastures.  He 
built  his  handsome  residence  in  18G8  at  a  cost  of 
*3,0()0,  and  a  barn  in  1882  that  cost  him  §1,000. 
He  carries  on  a  general  farming  business,  giving 
i  his  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising  equallj', 
and  is  peculiarity  successful  with  hogs  and  corn. 

Onr  subject  was  married  in  1851  to  Jliss  Frances 
S.  Price,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Polly  (Kennedy) 
Price,  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her  father  wjis  a 
I  blacksmith  and  removed  to  Illinois  at  a  very  earlj* 
date.  They  both  died  many  years  ago,  the  mother 
passing  away  in  1865.  Their  marriage  was  blest 
j  with  eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living.  Mrs.  Bechdolt's  birth  occurred  in  Macomb, 
111.,  May  29,  1834.  aud  she  received  a  common- 
mIiooI  education. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bechdolt  are  the  parents  of  eleven 
ichildreu,  nine  of  whom  are  living,  viz:  Julia  May. 
widow  of  Adam  May,  who  has  four  children  and 
makes  her  home  in  Milton;  Helen,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Patterson,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
our  Album;  Theodore,  who  married  Miss  May 
Van  Meter,  lives  in  Florence  and   has   three  cliil- 


d.ien.  Mariah  married  Frank  . I.  (ioldelman;  they 
have  three  children  and  live  on  a  farm  in  Monta- 
zuma  Township.  Anna,  single;  Lnetta,  wife  of 
Ilardin  Barnett,  lives  in  Milton;  Kdith,  single; 
Fred,  single;  and  Esther,  wife  of  FA  Anderson,  of 
Ft.  Paine,  Ala.  Both  our  subject  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  Milton,  of  which  he  is  Leader  and  Steward.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  Sunday-school 
work,  having  served  as  teacher  and  Superintendent. 
He  has  also  served  as  School  Director  and  is  Chap- 
lain of  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  Jlilton. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  oncn  voted  the  Union 
Labor  ticket  and  latel}-  the  Prohibition,  but  w.as 
originally  a  radical  Republican,  lie  enlisted  in 
August,  1862,  in  Company  K,  Second  Illinois  Cav- 
alrj',  as  a  recruit,  and  was  assigned  to  dut}''  with 
his  regiment  at  Bolivar,  Tenn.  He  look  part  in 
the  following  engagements:  Brownsville  scout, 
Coldwater,  raid  at  Holly  Springs  by  Gen.  Van 
Dorn,  and  at  the  last-named  place  received  a  shot 
in  the  right  breast  ranging  to  the  left  breast,  and 
the  bullet  is  still  in  his  body.  He  was  taken  to 
the  hospital  at  Holly  Springs,  and  then  came  home 
on  a  furlough,  remaining  there  till  March  10,  1863. 
He  reported  at  the  general  hospital  at  St.  Louis 
for  duty  and  was  sent  to  his  regiment  at  Millken's 
Bend.  He  was  honorably  discharged  March  21. 
1863,  owing  to  disability,  and  immediately  returned 
home.  He  still  suffers  from  the  effect  of  that 
wound. 

Our  subject's  parents  were  born  in  Bavaria.  Ger- 
niau}'.  His  father  and  mother  were  married  at 
Cline  Haebach,  where  they  resided  until  1837,  at 
which  time  they  emigrated  to  America.  They 
landed  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  made  the  trip  from 
that  point  to  York.  Pa.,  in  a  wagon.  In  the  spring 
of  1839  they  removed  to  Calhoun  County,  III., 
settling  near  Crater's  Landing  on  a  farm.  The 
father  died  in  the  summer  of  1839, and  the  mother, 
after  making  a  brave  strugggle  to  help  her  chil- 
dren in  their  careers,  died  in  1867.  She  was  the 
mother  of  eleven  children,  two  of  whom  are  living 
at  the  present  writing,  viz:  our  subject;  and  Car- 
oline, who  married  T.  B.  Weber  and  lives  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  His  parents  had  at  one  time  been  in 
comfortable    circumstances,   but   after    coming    to 


658 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Callioun  County  they  found  it  a  difficult  matter 
to  make  a  living.  Tlie  children  were  compelled  to 
worit  and  our  siitiject  has  lioed  corn  when  the  land 
lipd  not  been  plowed,  choi)pcd  wood  and  gone 
through  the  usual  struggles  that  attend  poverty  in 
a  new  country,  but  to-day  lie  ranks  among  the 
wealthy  and  influential  citizens  of  Detroit  Town- 
ship and  is  a  man  highly  respected  and  well  liked 
in  the  community  where  he  resides. 


El^ 


J  ADISON  CHAPMAN,  the  subject  of  the 
present  sketch  is  the  son  of  Edmund  "\V. 
Chapman  and  Mary  (Wood)  Chapman, 
natives  of  ^'irginia  and  South  Carolina 
respectively.  His  parents  were  married  in  South 
Carolina  and  settled  in  that  State,  and  from  there 
moved  to  Eastern  Tennessee  where  tlie  mother  died 
in  1827.  The  father  came  to  Pike  County  in 
1838,  locating  in  Newburg  Township  where  he 
continued  to  reside  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1851.  To  their  union  were 
born  thirteen  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  s'eventh  in  number. 

Mr.  Chairman's  birth  occurred  in  the  Western 
portion  of  South  Carolina,  May  17, 181.5,  and  he  was 
in  his  seventh  year  at  the  time  his  parents  took  him 
to  Tennessee.  He  grew  to  manhood's  estate  in  that 
State,  and  in  1835  came  to  Pike  County  and  settled 
in  Newburg  Township  three  years  later.  Here  he 
continues  to  make  his  home  and  devotes  ills  time 
and  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  Pike 
County,  this  township  on  March  27,  1849,  the 
lady  with  whom  he  joined  his  destiny  being  Miss 
Harriet  .1.  Stagg,  daughter  at  Elijah  and  Rebecca 
(Martin)  Stagg,  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  parents 
moved  from  their  native  State  to  Pike  County  in 
the  year  1838,  settling  in  Newburg  Township,  and 
at  a  later  date  moved  to  Griggsville,  where  thej' 
died,  the  mother  in  1854,  the  fatlier  in  1875.  Mrs. 
Chapman's  birth  occurred  in  Hamilton  Count}', 
Oliio,  December  6,  1824. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ciiapman  have  been  born  ten 
children,  six   of   whom   are   living  at  the   present 


writing,  viz;  Robert  N.,  Lemuel  A.,  Mary  E., 
P^nneline  R.,  Angeline  C.  and  Ed. 

Our  subject  is  a  very  popular  man  and  has  at 
various  times  been  elected  to  fill  oflices  of  import- 
ance and  trust,  having  served  as  Township  Assessor, 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  Highway  Commissioner. 
He  is  a  staunch  member  of  the  Republican  party 
and  takes  great  interest  in  political  matters,  whether 
of  a  national  or  local  nature.  Both  he  and  bis 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  are  active  in  trying  to  advance  both  educa- 
tional and  religious  causes.  Mr.  Chapman  retired 
from  labor  in  Februar}',  1890,  and  now  rents  liis 
farm  which  contains  one  hundred  and  twenty-two 
acres  of  fine  farming  land  but  which  formerly  con- 
tained two  hundred  and  two  acres. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  most  enterprising 
and  highly  respected  gentleman  and  one  who  ranks 
high  in  the  esteem  of  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of 
his  acquaintance  and  as  time  moves  on  the  spirit  of 
progress  grows  more  and  more  pronounced  and  men 
of  sterling  worth  and  strict  integrity  are  more  and 
more  appreciated  both  for  the  success  they  have 
achieved  for  themselves  and  because  their  lives 
make  an  excellent  example  for  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  society  who  need  the  cxamiile  of  such  men 
to  lead  them  properly  to  the  paths  of  fame  ami 
prosperity. 

NDREW   MAIN,  who  is  eng.iged  in  farm- 
ing on  section   5,  Hardin   Township,  is  s 
native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Pike  County,  Aii- 
(©y  gust  G,  1817.     He  is  descended  from  good 

old  Revolutionary  stock,  both  his  paternal  and  m.i- 
ternal  grandfathers,  Philip  Main  and  Andrew  Nye, 
having  served  in  the  War  of  Independence.  In 
the  JMexican  and  Civil  Wars  the  family  has  also 
had  its  representatives  and  although  none  have  at- 
tained to  any  great  degree  of  prominence  in  polit- 
ical or  professional  circles  this  family  has  furnished 
to  the  country  many  useful  and  respected  citizens. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Solomon  Main,  wjis  horn 
in  Pennsylvania  February  27,  1794,  and  served  in 
the  War  of  1812,  also  in  the  Lla<k  llauk  War.    In 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


659 


liis  native  State  he  mnrrierl  Susan  Nye  ami  after  a 
few  years  removeil  to  Jackson  County,  Ohio, 
kvhence  in  1828  he  came  to  Illinois.  Choosing  Pike 
County  as  the  scene  of  his  future  labors  he  located 
pn  section  6,  Hardin  Township,  where  he  made  a 
farm.  He  settled  on  a  raw  piece  of  Congi'ess 
land  comprising  eighty  acres  and  as  he  had  onlj' 
iSO  on  his  arrival  in  the  county  he  was  obliged  to 
maul  rails  to  secure  the  sum  necessary  to  enter  the 
land.  The  country  was  then  almost  in  its  primitive 
jondilion  lieing  yet  the  home  of  many  Indians 
uid  the  haunt  of  wild  animals.  Mr.  Jlain  at  one 
:ime  killed  a  bear  which  he  followed  into  Calhoun 
County  and  there  slew.  He  bore  the  hardships 
uid  trials  of  pioneer  life  but  witli  characteristic 
mergy  overcame  such  disadvantages.  He  was  a 
lard  working  man  and  worthy  citizen.  His  polit- 
cai  support  was  given  to  tlie  Democratic  party 
ind  in  religious  belief  he  was  a  Baptist.  The  death 
)f  his  wife  occuried  in  1851  after  which  he  married 
kirs.  "Walker  who  is  now  deceased.  His  death  oc- 
I'urred  in  187-1.  By  his  first  marriage  there  were 
jifteen  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years 
Ivhile  eleven  yet  abide.  Four  of  the  sons,  Andrew^ 
U'illiam,  Philip  and  Nicholas,  were  soldiers  in  the 
^lexican  War. 

Andrew  Main  was  a  lad  of  eleven  years  when 
he  family  came  to  this  county.  He  was  reared  to 
nanhood  among  the  w^ild  scenes  of  pioneer  life  and 
nan}'  events  of  interest  have  marked  his  career. 
'Vbout  18;31  a  log  schoolhouse  was  built  in  this 
leighborhood;  Jesse  Garrison  was  employed  as 
eaclicr  and  he  was  enrolled  among  the  scholars. 
,le  acquired  his  education  in  the  district  schools 
nd  at  the  age  of  twenty  years  began  life  without 
japilal.  He  may  truly  be  called  a  self-made  man 
lor  it  is  entirely  through  his  own  efforts  that  he  has 
■on  his  propert}'.  He  received  his  first  cow  in 
jiayment  for  twenty-two  hundred  rails  and  he  also 
fought  a  yoke  of  cattle  in  a  similar  manner. 

Mr.  Main  worked  as  a  farm  hand  until  after  his 
larriage  which  occurred  in  1838.  He  wedded 
iitilia  Johnson,  a  native  of  Lincoln  County,  Mo., 
orn  April  17,  1823.  When  she  vyas  two  years  of 
ge  her  father,  George  Johnson,  removed  with  his 
iraily  to  (ialena,  111.,  where  his  death  occurred. 
Lis  widow  afterward  came   to   this  count}'  where 


she  married  Nathan  Watson.  She  is  also  now  de- 
ceased. After  his  marriage  Mr.  Main  settled  on 
section  G,  Hardin  Township,  where  he  owned 
twenty  acres  of  raw  timber  land.  He  built  a  two- 
story  hewed-log  cabin  which  is  still  standing,  be- 
ing now  occupied  by  his  son  Parker.  He  continued 
his  farming  operations  until  .luly  1,").  1817,  when 
he  CTdisted  in  Company  K.  Fifth  Illinois  Infantry, 
for  the  Mexican  War.  The  troops  marched  from 
Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  to  Santa  Fe,  where  they 
arrived  after  seventy-six  days.  The  regiment  did 
guard  duty  in  New  Mexico  for  some  ten  months 
and  at  the  close  of  the  war  marched  bick  to  Alton, 
111.,  forty-fiveda^'s  being  consumed  in  the  journey. 

After  receiving  his  discharge  Mr.  Main  returned 
to  his  farm  on  section  6, where  he  resided  until  1851, 
when  he  obtained  his  present  farm  in  exchange  for 
the  land  warrant  given  him  for  his  services  in  the 
Mexican  War.  It  has  been  his  home  for  thirty- 
nine  years  and  comprises  eighty  acres  of  highly 
cultivated  land  which  is  surrounded  bj-  two  miles 
of  hedge  fence.  Throughout  the  community  he  is 
widely  and  favorably  known.  In  former  ye;ns 
he  was  personally  acquainted  with  Col.  Hardin, 
Stei>hen  A.  Douglas  and  several  other  of  our  prom- 
inent men.  Throughout  his  entire  life  since  cast- 
ing his  first  vote  for  Martin  \:\n  Buren  he  has 
supported  the  Democratic  party  and  feels  a  deep 
interest  in  its  success.  He  has  served  two  terms 
as  Supervisor  of  the  township  and  throughout 
nearly  his  entire  life  has  been  a  School  Director. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  at  Independence.  For  the  past  ten  }-ears 
Mrs.  Main  has  been  in  very  poor  health  but  she 
bears  her  sufferings  with  Christian  fortitude.  Mr. 
Main  was  for  many  years  a  Deacoil  in  the  Church 
at  Independence  and  was  then  ordained  Flder  which 
position  he  still  fills.  F^or  a  half  century  he  has 
engaged  in  preaching  the  Gospel  and  by  his  upright 
life  and  noble  character  as  well  as  his  fervent  and 
earnest  words  he  has  led  inanj-  to  accept  the  light. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Main  numbered  fif- 
teen children,  nine  of  whom  are  living — Alvin, 
Philip,  Parker,  Mrs.  Jane  C'olvin,  Mrs.  Minerva 
Lawson,  Colonel,  George,  William  and  Thomas. 
Alvin  served  in  the  late  war  and  Rufus,  another 
son,  lost  his   life   in    that  struggle.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 


660 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Main  are  now  in  their  declining  j-ears  but  they  can 
look  baci<  over  lives  well  S[ient,  feeling  no  regret 
for  the  past  and  forward  to  the  future  without  fear, 
knowing  that  it  is  well  with  those  who  serve  the 
Lord. 


^^EORGE  W.  SCHWARTZ,  M.  D.,  is  one  of 
III  f-—,  the  prominent  piiysicians  of  Pike  Count}', 
^\^^  the  center  of  his  practice  being  Summer 
Hill.  His  boyhood  was  passed  in  a  manner  cus- 
tomary to  farmers'  sons,  but  he  enjoyed  educa- 
tional privileges  as  he  grew  older  which  are  not 
vouchsafed  to  all  youth  in  rural  districts.  He  se- 
cured a  fine  education,  thus  preparing  his  mind 
for  the  undertaking  of  the  science  of  medicine, 
of  wliich  he  made  a  specialty,  becoming  thor- 
oughly versed  in  the  principles  of  therapeutics. 
The  J  ears  that  have  passed  since  he  received  his 
diploma  have  l)een  devoted  to  careful  application 
of  that  which  he  had  learned  and  he  is  numbered 
among  the  successful  practitioners  of  this  [jart  of 
the  State. 

Dr.  Schwartz  is  of  Swiss  descent,  his  grandpar- 
ents, Andrew  and  Mary  Ann  (Shoemaker)  Schwartz 
having  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Switzerland. 
Grandfather  Schwartz  was  a  farmer  and  cobbler. 
George  Schwartz,  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  October  7,  1813,  and  between  the  ages  of  six 
and  eighteen  years  attended  school,  acquiring  a 
good  German  education.  When  twenty  years  old 
he  came  to  America  and  although  he  never  attended 
school  here,  be  learned  to  read  and  write  Knglish 
with  ease.  He  landed  in  New  Orleans  in  Jul}', 
1833,  came  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  on  a  steamboat  and  on  August  8,  landed  in 
Pike  County,  HI.  While  in  St.  Louis  he  had  §500 
and  a  watch  taken  from  him  under  false  [)retenses 
and  when  he  reached  this  county  he  had  but  $4.50 
in  money. 

Mr.  Schwartz  set  himself  to  work  to  find  em- 
ployment and  was  soon  engaged  by  the  month,  re- 
ceiving §7  per  month  the  first  year  and  '^S  per 
montii  the  second.  In  1839  he  and  James  Gay 
bought  eighty   acres  of  land    in   Atlas   Township, 


where  they  kept  "bach"  together  for  three  years. 
Although  both  were  very  poor  at  that  time,  they 
afterward  became  wealthy  and  influential  farmers, 
both  being  industrious,  economical  and  of  good 
habits.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Schwartz 
owned  about  three  hundred  acres  of  land  and  a  fine 
brick  residence  in  Summer  Hill.  He  was  a  Deacon 
in  the  Summer  Hill  Congregational  Church  and  at 
one  time  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  and 
Trustee  of  the  church.  He  was  a  Republican,  lie 
breathed  his  last  January  26,  1887. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Xortli 
Carolina  October  2."),  1810,  and  is  still  living, 
making  her  home  at  the  old  homestead  in  Summer 
Hill.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Gay  and  be- 
came Mrs.  Schwartz  in  1838.  She  is  a  conscientious 
Christian,  belonging  to  the  Congregational  Church. 
She  bore  her  husband  five  children,  four  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity,  namely:  John  G.,  Julius, 
George  W.  and  Lucy  A.,  now  Mrs.  Shaw;  the  de- 
ceased was  Mary  A.  who  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  . 
years. 

Dr.  Schwartz  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  of  d»j'  i 
February  17,  1817,  in  the  county  where  helms  won 
fame  and  fortune.  He  was  reared  on  the  farm  in 
Atlas  Township  and  acquired  tlie  rudiments  of  bis 
education  in  the  old  log  schoolhouses,  attending 
there  during  the  winter  and  assisting  in  the  farm 
work  during  the  summer.  When  seventeen  years 
old  he  began  attending  select  school,  spending  two 
winters  in  Pittsfield  and  one  in  Perry.  He  then  en- 
tered Knox  Academy  in  Galesburg,  wheie  he  pur- 
sued the  |)reparatory  studies  two  years,  then  enter- 
ing the  college  devoted  an  equal  length  of  time  to 
the  branches  in  the  classical  course.  After  leaving 
college  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  of- 
fice of  Hurd  ife  Burlingham,  but  remained  there 
only  a  month. 

Young  Schwartz  then  entered  the  college  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  St.  Louis,  took  one 
course  of  lectures,  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Midi., 
and  took  a  course  in  the  medical  college  there,  fol- 
lowing this  by  another  course  in  St.  Louis,  where 
he  was  graduated  Jlarch  13,  1873.  He  began  his 
professional  labors  in  Milton.  Atchison  County. 
Mo.,  but  after  practicing  there  about  six  months 
came  to  his  native  county,  establishing  himsslf  in 


I 


•■■^§.. 


^C^-<L€/2ji      '-y^  ^'7^-^-?^i&^^^-^0 


'^li  mt 


*,' 


^Ccr-^    Jf^A^^-^^^^ 


I 

I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BlOGRArillCAL  ALBUM. 


665 


Slimmer  Hill,  and  has  since  made  this  his  Iiome.  He 
has  worked  up  a  large  practice  and  is  doing  much 
to  alleviate  suffering  and  save  lives  in  this  local- 
ity. 

Dr.  Schwartz  owns  three  hundred  aud  fort^-  acres 
of  well-improved  land  in  Atlas,  Martinsljurg  and 
Pleasant  Hill  Townships,  all  enclosed  but  forty 
acres.  The  mother's  residence  is  a  commodious, 
two-story  brick  house,  in  .Summer  Hill,  surrounded 
by  a  lawn  set  with  evergreen  and  maple  trees  which 
afford  grateful'  siiade  in  summer  and  protect  the 
dwelling  from  the  wintiy  blasts.  Dr.  Schwartz  has 
never  married,  but  with  this  exception  has  fulfilled 
all  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen,  remaining  with  and 
looking  after  the  interests  of  his  mother. 


/OSEPH  McFARLAND.  The  results  of  vast 
human  experience  are  embodied  in  the  well- 
tried  maxim  ••Heaven  helps  those  who  help 
themselves."  Probably  no  better  proof  of 
its  truth  can  be  found  than  in  the  life  of  .loscph 
McFarland.  an  honored  citizen  of  Pike  County, 
wiio  can  be  found  pursuing  his  chosen  vocation  on 
section  9,  Pleasant  ^'ale  Township.  He  was  born 
1  in  County  Tyrone.  Ireland,  February  11.  1810,  and 
his  f.'ither,  Joseph  McFarland,  .Sr.,  opened  his  eyes 
to  the  light  in  the  same  house.  Hi  the  year  1812, 
the  senior  McFarland  raised  a  companj-  of  eleven 
men  in  his  own  county  and  came  with  them  to 
America,  offering  their  services  to  Gen.  Jackson  in 
the  war  against  P^ngland.  The}'  were  equipped, 
entered  into  service,  and  Mr.  McFarlan<l  and  four 
comrades  were  killed  in  the  first  battle  of  ]S"ew  Or- 
leans. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  country, 
receiving  his  education  in  the  parish  schools,  and 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years  starting  out  in  life  as  a 
cattle-dealer.  He  was  interestetl  with  his  uncle  in 
that  business  until  1841.  when  he  came  to  America 
to  look  after  a  pension  for  his  mother.  He  landed 
in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  whence  he  went  to  Boston. 
Mass.,  being  given  free  passage  on  account  of  his 
father  having  been  killed  in  the  service  of  the  Uni- 
ted Stales.    At  Boston  young  ^McFarland  was  taken 


down  with  the  ship  fever  and  confined  to  his  bed 
five  weeks.  When  l.aken  sick  he  had  $100,  a  good 
watch  and  plenty  of  clothes;  when  he  recovered  he 
h.ad  fifty  cents  with  which  to  start  out  in  search  of 
a  fortune.  He  met  Joseph  Allen,  a  friend  indeed, 
who  took  him  to  a  store  and  bought  him  a  850  suit 
of  clothes. 

Soon  after  this  Mr.  McFurLand  went  to  work  for 
a  Mr.  Levi  Farwcll  with  the  intention  of  earning 
money  to  bring  his  mother  to  America,  but  her 
death  frustiated  his  plans.  He  remained  with  Ah'. 
Farwell  ten  j-ears  and  two  months,  or  until  the 
death  of  his  employer.  He  w.as  economical  and 
saving,  and  succeeded  in  accumulating  -i<2,. 500,  with 
which  capital  he  started  for  the  Prairie  State.  He 
traveled  by  stage  to  Pittsburg,  thence  by  water  to 
St.  Louis,  then  on  to  Cincinnati  Landing  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  where  he  met  a  man  who  took 
him  to  Barrv.  Pike  County.  At  that  time  the 
county  was  undeveloped,  onl}-  an  odd  house  to  be 
seen  here  and  there,  and  no  indications  of  the 
thriving  towns  and  highly-cultivated  farms  of  the 
present  day. 

Mr.  McFarland  at  once  purchased  one  hundred 
acres  on  the  section  he  now  resides  upon,  there  be- 
ing a  small  house  on  the  land.  In  that  little  cabin 
he  liveil  about  two  years  without  a  bedstead  except 
what  he  made  out  of  polos.  He  then  had  two  bed- 
steads made  and  a  table,  which  he  still  preserves. 
He  also  has  the  first  chair  he  ever  owned,  a  calf-skin 
bottom,  supposed  to  lie  one  hundred  years  old.  He 
now  owns  one  thousand  acres  of  good  land  in 
Pleasant  Vale  Township,  four  hundred  acres  being 
fine  pasture  land.  He  has  been  a  very  extensive 
stock-dealer,  and  although  he  has  recently  shipped 
two  carloads,  still  has  about  one  hundred  and  fift}' 
head  of  cattle  on  band.  There  are  two  living 
springs  on  Mr.  AIcFarland's  estate,  one  being  at  the 
back  door  of  his  residence,  from  which  pipes  are 
laid  to  convev  the  water  to  convenient  points  on 
the  farm. 

The  residence  of  our  subject  occupies  a  com- 
manding site  on  the  bluff  and  from  the  front  door 
the  owner  can  overlook  seven  hundred  acres  of  his 
estate.  His  farm  land  adjoins  the  village  of  New 
Canton  and  is  valued  at  $100  per  acre,  the  purchase 
price  which  he  paid  having  been^ll  an  acre.  With 


666 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


his  town  property  he  has  fifteen  houses  on  his  land 
and  is  contemplating  the  building  of  still  more.  He 
has  abounding  faith  in  the  future  of  New  Canton 
anil  is  proving  his  belief  by  the  number  of  build- 
ings which  he  is  erecting  there. 

In  the  Emerald  Isle  in  1835  Mr.  McFarland  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Isabel  Brown,  a  native  of 
the  same  country,  who  passed  away  in  186.T.  The 
union  was  blest  by  the  birth  of  two  children- 
John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve  years  and  six 
months,  and  George,  who  lives  on  a  farm  near  his 
father.  In  1870,  Mr.  McFarland  was  again  married, 
having  won  for  his  wife  ^liss  Maria  Kindrick,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Ireland. 

No  more  peaceable  man  can  be  met  with  in  a 
day's  journey  than  Joseph  McFarland,  who  has 
never  had  a  lawsuit  and  will  put  up  with  consider- 
able rather  than  get  into  a  quarrel.  He  is  genial 
and  whole-souled,  well-informed  and  overflowing 
with  energy,  and  has  made  many  friends  in  the 
section  of  country  which  has  so  long  been  his 
home.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  is  a  be- 
liever in  Protestantism,  although  not  connected 
with  any  religious  organization.  He,  however,  con- 
tributes liberally  to  the  suiiport  of  the  Gospel,  and 
gave  the  groun.l  and  §40  toward  the  building  of  the 
I'nion  Church  located  on  section  9.  In  connection 
Willi  this  biographical  notice,  the  reader's  attention 
is  invited  to  a  lithographic  portrait  of  Mr.  McFar- 
land together  with  tliose  of  his  wives. 


-^^ 


|1_^  UMPHREY  D.  HARLOW,  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative agriculturists  of  Bellevicw  Pre- 
.-<^  einct,  Calhoun  County,  makes  his  home  on 
section  5,  in  that  precinct,  and  is  a  man  uni- 
versally respected  and  liked.  He  was  ushered  into 
the  world  in  Pike  County,  Mo.,  February-  18.  1830, 
being  the  son  of  Nelson  and  Mary  J.  (Olden)  Har- 
low, natives  of  Kentucky,  and  from  them  lie  in- 
herited the  manly  spirit  and  intellectual  tendencies 
that  characterize  so  many  citizens  of  the  Blue 
Grass  State.  He  is  the  only  surviving  child  of  the 
family  of  eight  born  to  iiis  mother.  His  parents 
removed  from  Kentucky    to   ML-souri.   locating  in 


Pike  County  at  an  earl}'  date  while  the  Indians  still 
roamed  at  will  over  the  land  of  their  forefatherf, 
and  where  nature  reigned  in  her  primitive  garb. 
Jlr.  Harlow  removed  with  his  mother  and  other 
members  of  the  family  to  Pike  Count}-,  111.,  when 
two  years  of  age,  his  father  having  passed  away 
from  earthly  scenes  while  residing  in  the  State  of 
Missouri.  •  After  reaching  Pike  County,  111.,  the 
famdy  settled  near  Martinsburg,  where  they  re- 
mained about  six  years,  at  which  time  they  removed 
to  Pleasant  Hill.  At  the  latter  named  place  his 
motiier  married  M.  M.  Craft  (deceased).  Our  sub- 
ject was  about  fourteen  j-ears  of  age  when  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Calhoun  Count}^  in  1843.  They 
located  in  Belleview,  where  the  mother  died  in 
1875,  having  siirvived  her  second  husband.  She 
was  three  times  mai-ried,  lastly  to  John  AVells,  who 
is  now  deceased.  In  Calhoun  County,  amid  the 
scenes  of  pioneer  life,  Mr.  Harlow  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  subscription  schools.  He  has  de- 
voted his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  chiefly, 
but  was  for  four  years  engaged  in  carrying  the 
United  States  mail. 

Our  subject  was  married  October  30,  1853,  to 
Miss  Harriet  Shelton,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Pike 
Count}',  July  10,  1838,  she  being  the  daughter  of 
Wilson  and  Matilda  (Trunnels)  Shelton,  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  Ohio,  respectively.  Her  parents  re- 
moved to  Pike  County  at  an  early  day,  taking  jiart 
in  the  pioneer  work  of  th.it  county  and  continuing 
to  reside  there  up  to  the  time  of  their  death.  .  Her 
father  died  in  1887,  her  mother  sometime  before 
that  date.  Mrs.  Harlow  was  reared  in  her  native 
county,  and  her  marriage  was  solemnized  there. 
She  is  the  mother  of  nine  children,  eight  of  whom 
are  living,  viz:  James,  William,  John,  Evan,  Har- 
vey, Carl.  Mary  (wife  of  Edward  Jennings),  llat- 
tie,  and  Nelson  (deceased). 

Mr.  Harlow  in  1853,  made  a  permanent  settle- 
ment on  his  present  farm,  which  when  it  came  into 
his  possession  was  scarcely  more  than  a  wilderness 
as  compared  with  the  high  state  of  cultivation  that 
distinguishes  it  now.  He  has  cleared  the  land  of 
the  heavy  timber  and  brush,  and  cultivated  the  soil 
himself  and  few  men  have  worked  more  consistently 
or  faithfully  than  he.  He  owns  ninety-nine  acres 
of  land,  all  the  fruit  of  his  own  labor  since  he  com- 


i' 


POKTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


667 


^. 


r^^>^ 


B.  CriENOWKTII.  the  subject  of  the  pres- 
ent sketch,  belongs  to  the  genial,  agreeable 
class  of  gentlemen  who  win  friends  con- 
stantly, anvl  whom  it  is  fllwa3S  a  pleasure  to 
meet,  to  read  of.  or  to  think  of.  His  ancestors 
came  originialU'  from  Germany,  and  ins  grandfa- 
ther, William  C'henoweth,  was  born  in  the  State  of 
Virginia,  and  when  eighteen  3'ears  of  age  removed 
to  Bardstown,  K}.,  while  the  countr3-  around  there 
abiinnded  with  red  men,  and  wns  wild  as  wild 
could  be  in  ever}-  respect.  Hemarriid  a  Kentucky 
lady,  Mrs.  Wary  Hinton  nee  Van  Meter,  and  thcj- 
both  died  in  that  State  in  old  age,  leaving  seven 
sons  and  two  daughters. 

Our  subject's  father,  Abraham  C'henoweth.  was 
born  in  Hardin  County.  Ky.,  in  1787,  and  he  passed 
his  childhooil  and  jouth  there.  He  w.as  a  skilled 
njechanic  and  tanner.  His  sons  made  trips  to  New 
Orleans  and  other  southern  cities,  and  took  manj' 
flatboats  down  the  Ohio  River.  He  married  his 
third  cousin.  Miss  Rachel  C'henoweth,  who  was  born 
ill  Hardin  County,  Ken.  After  the  birth  of  five 
children  the}'  removed  in  1820  to  Imliana,  remain- 
ing in  Johnson  County  for  two  3'ears,  and  from 
there  to  Columbus  where  the  father  established  a 
timnery.  and  at  a  later  date  removed  to  Clinton 
County  in  the  same  State,  and  in  183G  came  with 
liis  entire  faniilv  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Perr3'  Town- 
ship, and  in  this  county  Mr.  C'henoweth  died  March 
1.  1861.  and  his  wife  died  four  3'ears  later  at  tiie 
home  of  our  subject  in  1864,  being  at  the  time  in 
her  seventy-fourth  year. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  and  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Viliuda  Hutchinson,  of  Lynn  Countv.  Mo.,  are  the 


inenced  life  empty  handed,  and  has  been  compelled 
to  help  himself  at  all  times.  He  is  a  trul3'  good 
man,  and  has  been  encouraged  aixl  helped  by  iiis 
loving  wife,  who  has  lost  no  opportunil\-  to  adniin- 
ter  to  his  comfort  and  liap|iiness.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  identified  with  the  Christian  Church,  and 
are  willing  supporters  of  every  worthy  cause,  and 
cheerful  contributors  toward  the  improvement  of 
Bellcview  Precinct. 


only  surviving  members  of  their  family.  He  was 
very  young  when  his  parents  came  to  Pike  County, 
and  here  received  his  education  and  attained  his 
m.-inhood.  He  was  married  in  FairTuount  Town- 
ship, this  county,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Allen,  who  was 
born  in  New  York  State  in  18;i0.  being  the  daugh- 
ter of  Ambrose  and  Margaret  (Brower)  Allen,  and 
came  with  her  family  lo  Pike  Conuty.  Mr.  Allen 
died  at  the  home  of  his  daughter  when  past  sev- 
ent3'  years  of  age. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chenowetli  have  been  born  four 
children,  viz:  Alzada,  wife  of  Charles  Browning,  of 
this  township;  Sarah,  who  is  at  home  with  her  iiav- 
ents;  Rachel,  wife  of  C.  R.  Uorsey,  of  this  town- 
ship; and  Octavia,  wife  of  Oscar  Dennis,  of  Cham- 
borsburg  Townshii).  The  famil\-  all  belong  to  the 
Christian  Church,  and  are  very  prosperous  in  life. 
Our  subject  has  been  an  Elder  in  this  churcii  for 
man}'  years.  He  is  a  Prohibitionist  and  an  active 
worker  in  the  cause,  realizing  the  danger  of  leaving 
it  optional  with  the  youth  of  our  land  to  ruin  their 
fair  lives  with  the  wine  cup.  He  is  a  good  man  and 
one  who  has  the  heart3'  friendship  and  good  will  of 
all  who  know  him. 


IRAM  '^'EAVER.  As  day  after  day  the 
world  grows  constantl3'  more  progressive, 
the  memory  of  the  pioneer  d.ays  with  the 
hardships  and-denial  that  was  practiced  by 
those  who  first  settled  this  grand  and  glorious  coun- 
try of  OLi'.s,  grows  less  and  less.  In  looking  at  the 
marks  of  prosperity  on  every  side  of  this  wide-awake 
and  progressive  township  of  Newburg,  Pike  Count3', 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  remember  that  but  a  few- 
short  years  back  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  wild- 
erness, the  home  of  wild  animals,  and  the  red  man, 
who  in  the  rude  comfort  of  his  wigwam  enjoyed 
undisputed  rights  to  the  surrounding  country  think- 
ing nothing  of  the  white  man  who  should  come  lo 
drive  him  from  the  burying  ground  of  his  fore- 
fathers. 

Our  subject  made  his  first  ajjpcarance  in  this 
world  ill  Perry  County.  I'a.,  May  7,  1848,  being  the 
son  of  .lohn  and  Eliza  (.Miller)  Weaver,  natives  of 


668 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Pennsj'lvania.  His  parents  came  to  Pike  County 
in  tlie  year  1849,  and  settled  in  Detroit  Township, 
and  later  in  Newburg  Townsiiip,  where  the  father 
died  in  1875,  and  the  mother  in  the  fall  of  1886. 
To  them  were  born  eight  children,  six  sons  and  two 
daugliters,  and  our  subject  was  the  fourth  in  num- 
ber of  these  children. 

The  subject  of  our  slietcli  was  only  about  one 
year  old  at  the  time  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Pike  County-,  and  here  he  pa-ssed  the  years  inter- 
vening between  infancy*  and  manhood's  estate,  and 
afterward  made  this  liis  home  after  he  had  been 
united  in  lioly  wedlock  with  the  lady  of  his  choice. 
His  education  was  received  in  the  common  schools 
of  tliis  township,  and  he  also  took  a  course  in  the 
Iligli  School.  After  completing  his  education  he 
was  suSiciently  interested  in  educational  matters  to 
devote  his  attention  for  a  time  to  teaching  the 
young  ideas  to  shoot. 

Mr.  Weaver  has  alwa^'s  liad  a  real  fondness  for 
agricultural  pursuits,  being  convinced  of  the  free- 
dom and  liappiness  of  life  in  the  country  as  com- 
pared with  the  busy  whirl  of  citj'  vvays,  and  the 
rush  that  must  sooner  or  later  wear  out  the  busy 
bread-winners  who  are  so  energetically  struggling 
with  Dame  Fortune  for  a  share  of  her  favor.  Con- 
sequently he  has  devoted  the  best  j^ears  of  his  life 
to  cultivating  his  valuable  estate,  whieli  embraces 
one  hundred  and  sixty-two  acres  of  highly  culti- 
vated land.  He  is  a  model  farmer  and  takes  much 
pride  in  tlie  management  of  liis  affairs,  and  is  there- 
fore very  successful  in  all  his  undertakings. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Newburg  Township, 
October  5,  1871,  to  Miss  Martha  J.  Ruble,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Rebecca  (B'oreman)  Ruble.  Her 
birth  occurred  in  this  place  on  tlie  22d  of  Decem- 
ber, 1850.  Tiiis  union  has  been  blessed  witli  four 
children,  viz:  Annie  M.,  Ethel  K.,  Kilmer  H.  and 
Harold  E. 

Mr.  Weaver  was  elected  Assessor  for  this  township 
in  the  spring  of  1890,  and  he  has  served  as  School 
Director  through  a  number  of  terms.  In  politics  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  part3',  and  is  mucii 
interested  in  both  local  and  general  political  mat- 
ters. His  wife  is  a  faithful  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Indeed,  it  would  be  difficult  to  picture  a 
liappler  or  more  comfortable  home  than  is  that  of 


our  subject,  who  surrounded  by  the  love  of  a 
chaiming  wife  and  attractive  children,  passes  his 
days  in  quietude  and  peace,  such  as  comes  alone 
to  those  blessed  with  happ3'  domestic  relations  and 
worldly  successes. 


ILLIAM  P.  COCKRELL  was  born  in  .lef- 
ferson  County,  Ky.,  being  the  son  of  Jesse 
and  Nancy  (Davis)  Cockrell.  The  Cock- 
rell  family  is  one  of  special  note,  and  a  full  account 
of  this  highlj-  honored  family  will  be  found  given 
at  length  in  the  sketch  of  David  D.  Cockrell,  whose 
sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  our  Album. 

Our  subject  commenced  work  in  his  father's  shop 
while  quite  young  and  continued  to  work  there 
until  he  reached  his  nineteenth  j'ear.  At  that  age 
he  moved  to  Hickman,  Ky.,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  butchering  business  up  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  at  which  time  he  went  to  New  Madrid,  Mo. 
Political  excitement  was  very  great  and  our  sub- 
ject was  at  one  time  taken  prisoner  and  kept  in 
confinement  for  a  period  of  two  years.  When  re- 
leased from  imprisonment,  he  came  to  Calhoun 
County,  and  at  that  time  was  entirely  without  means 
to  establish  a  business  of  his  own.  He  was  there- 
fore compelled  to  accept  whatever  presented  itself 
in  the  shape  of  work,  but  being  possessed  of  un- 
daunted energy  and  excellent  judgment  he  was  in 
a  short  time  able  to  purchase  a  tract  of  laud.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  timber  and  as  he  had 
bought  the  propert}'  on  time  he  was  compelled  to 
work  very  faithfulU'to  succeed  at  all.  He  turned 
the  timber  to  good  account  and  finally  paid  for  his 
land  and  had  enough  money  for  business  purposes. 
This  same  land  is  included  in  his  present  estate, 
and  for  several  years  he  has  been  quite  extensively 
engaged  in  buying  and  shipping  live  stock,  apples, 
etc..  St.  Louis  being  the  principal  market  for  the 
live  stock,  and  the  apples,  etc.  being  shipped  to 
various  points.  He  bu}-s  apples  on  the  trees,  or  at 
the  landing. 

Our  subject  was  first  married  January,  1858,  to 
Miss  Olive  Elizabeth  Millron  who  died  November 
14,  1884.     Of  this  union  were  born  two   children: 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


66!) 


,I()hn  and  Martha.     After  the  loss  of  bis  wife  our   ' 
subject  was  raanieil  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Fiedler,  on 
the  24th  of  December,  1885.     She  was  born  in  Cal- 
houn County  and  is  a  daughter  of  Ileurj-  Fiedler. 
She  is  a  member  of  St.  IMathew's  Lutheran  Ciiurch 
at  Brussels.     Her  father  was  born  in  Germany  and 
numbered    among    the   earl}'    pioneers    of    Gilead    i 
Township,  where  lie  owns  a  valuable  farm  and  con-   j 
tinues  to   reside.     Our   subject's  second    marriage 
lias  been  blessed  with  two    children:    Robert  and 
Annie  Maria. 

Mr.  Cockrell  belongs  to  the  class  of  active,  wide- 
awake business  men,  who  in  advancing  their  own 
interests  advance  those  of  the  community  in  which 
tliey  reside,  and  has  been  largely  instrumental  in  | 
bringing  about  the  wonderful  growth  of  Rich- 
woods  Precinct  through  the  past  few  years.  In  j 
jjolitics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  alwaj-s  takes  an  active 
part  at  tiie  polls. 


^f^AVID   DAVIS  COCKRELL,  ex-Treasurer 
jjj  and   Assessor,    was    born    in    Alexandria. 
Alexandria  County,  Va.,   March  5,  lS3fJ, 
"  being  the  son  of  Jesse  and  Nancy  (Davis) 

Cockrell.  Our  subject's  fatiier  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia. 'l*he  Cockrells  located  in  the  United  States 
in  tlic  early  Colonial  days  and  the  name  is  now 
familiar  through  many  States,  they  having  always 
been  people  of  influence  in  any  community  where 
they  resided.  Our  subject's  grandfather  was  Moses 
Cockrell.  and  his  great-grandfather  was  Peter  Cock- 
rell, both  of  whom  were  elegant,  courtly  gentlemen 
who  were  well  and  favorably  known.  His  fatiier 
lived  i.'i  ^'iiginia  until  about  the  j^ear  1837,  when 
with  his  wife  and  child  (our  subject)  he  removed  to 
Kentucky,  making  the  trip  across  the  mountains 
with  a  team  and  locating  in  Jefferson  County  after 
reaching  the  Blue  Grass  State.  He  had  learned  the 
trade  of  a  wagonmaker,  and  established  a  shop  in 
which  he  carrieil  on  his  trade  for  several  years.  He 
next  removed  to  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  where  lie 
worked  at  his  trade  until  185G.  At  that  date  he  re- 
turned to  Kentucky,  locating  in  Hickman,  Fulton 
Count}-,  continuing  to  devote  his  attention   to   his 


trade  at  that  place  up  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war,  when  he  removed  to  Obion,  Tenn.  lie  died 
soon  after  settling  in  that  place. 

Our  subject's  mother  was  previous  to  her  mar- 
riage. Miss  Nancy  Davis.  She  was  born  in  Virginia 
and  breathed  her  last  in  Jeffersonville,  leaving  a 
devoted  husband  and  loving  children  to  mourn  her 
loss.  Of  the  children  born  to  her,  four  attained  ma- 
turity, viz:  David,  the  subject  of  our  sketch;  Will- 
iam P.,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  our  Ai,- 
lUM;  Anna  Maria;  and  .Jessie,  who  now  is  deceased. 
After  her  death  her  husband  married  again  and  has 
two  daiigiilers  who  were  born  of  this  second  mar- 
riage. 

Mr.  Cockrell  began  to  work  with  his  father  when 
quite  young,  and  continued  tti  do  so  until  he  reached 
his  twentieth  year  at  which  time  he  started  out  to 
make  a  career  for  himself,  going  first  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  engaged  in  a  rope  and  bag  factory  and 
where  he  soon  rose  to  the  position  of  foreman.  At  the 
end  of  two  3-ears  he  came  to  Calhoun  County  and 
worked  bj-  the  month  for  others.  August  12,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  the  Ninety-seventh  Illinois  Infantry. 
Among  the  most  important  battles  in  wiiich  he  par- 
ticipated were  the  following:  Chickasaw  Bayou, 
first  battle  of  Vicksburg,  Champion  Hills,  Arkan- 
sas Post,  siege  and  capture  of  Vicksburg,  Jack- 
son, Miss.,  Mobile  and  Blakelj'.  At  the  latter 
named  place  he  captured  iiis  distinguished  kinsman, 
Gen.  Cockrell,  of  Missouri.  Our  subject  served 
with  his  regiment  until  tiie  close  of  the  war,  being 
honorably  discharged  in  August,  186.5.  When  [leace 
was  once  more  fully  restored  he  returned  to  Cal- 
houn County,  purchasing  a  tract  of  land  tliatis  now 
embraced  in  his  farm  on  section  7,  Richwoods 
Township,  one  mile  west  of  Batchtown.  Since  that 
time  he  lias  devoted  his  attention  chiefly  to  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  18.JS  to  Miss  Sarah 
Groves  who  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 14,  1841.  Of  this  union  were  born  Hfteeii  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  are  living,  viz:  William  H., 
John,  Ellen,  Charles,  Elizabeth,  Walter  and  Mere- 
dith. Mr.  Cockrell  is  a  Democrat  and  a  strong 
supporter  of  the  principles  of  that  party.  From 
time  to  time  he  has  been  elected  to  fill  offices  of 
trust  and  res[iousibilily,  being  a  highly   respected 


670 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


anil  jirospei-oiis  citizen  of  Ricliwoods  Township.  He 
is  speui.ally  interested  in  ed ue.ilioii.il  matters,  being 
for  many  years  a  member  of  the  District  School 
15oard.  He  wis  elected  Trensnrer  and  Assessor  of 
Calhoun  County  in  1886,  an  oflice  that  he  held  for 
a  period  of  four  years.  Indeed,  there  are  few  men 
accorded  a  greater  amount  of  personal  friendship 
or  general  admiration  than  has  always  been  given 
our  subject. 


m^^^-^ 


^^EORGi:  CLINTON  McCLURE,  the  sub- 
jll  (-_  jecl  of  our  sketch,  was  born  in  Petersburg, 
^^Jj  Indiana,  .lanuary  27,  1858,  and  is  a  man  who 
has  met  with  success  in  his  journey  through  life 
chiefly  because  of  his  undaunted  courage  in  over- 
coming obstacles  and  because  of  his  natural  ability. 

jNIr.  McClure's  father,  II.  L.  McChire,  is  at  the 
present  writing  a  resident  of  West  Point,  Calhuuii 
County.  He  moved  from  Indiana  to  Missouri  in 
1866,  settling  first  at  Hannibal,  then  at  Palmyra, 
where  he  remained  six  years.  He  once  more  re- 
turned to  Hannibal  and  established  a  store  in  that 
place,  being  for  three  years  engaged  in  the  business 
there.  He  is  at  present  engaged  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  and  fishing. 

Our  subject  was  eight  years  old  when  his  parents 
moved  to  Missouri  and  at  the  early  age  of  twelve 
he  commenced  to  earn  a  livelihood  for  himself, 
working  for  his  board  and  clothes  five  years.  He 
worked  on  a  farm  up  to  his  twentieth  birthday,  at 
wliicli  date  he  commenced  fishing  in  the  Illinois 
River  and  later  in  the  Mississippi  River.  He  has 
made  a  great  success  of  this  business,  being  well 
supplied  with  nets,  lines,  boats  and  everything  es- 
sential to  the  carrying  out  of  a  large  business  in 
the  fishing  line.  St.  Louis  is  the  principal  market 
fur  the  fish  he  catches.  In  1886  he  purchased  his 
present  residence  which  is  a  commodious  frame 
house  situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
River. 

Mr.  McClure  was  married  in  1881  to  Miss  Rosa 
Seidler,  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  a  daughter 
of  John  Seidler.  Her  father  was  a  resident  of  St. 
Louis  for  many  years,  and  in  that  city  followed  the 


trade  of  a  ship  carpenter.  On  account  of  ill  health 
he  moved  to  a  farm  in  Calhoun  County,  where  he 
died  in  1871.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Roth, 
who  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America 
\\ith  her  |)arents,  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Roth.  She 
was  married  the  second  time  to  Peter  Wildershntz. 
and  makes  her  home  in  Point  Precinct.  Of  her  first 
marriage  were  born  seven  children,  viz:  Henry; 
Annie;  Rosa  (Mrs.  McClure);  William;  John;  Bar- 
ney and  Julia.  And  of  her  second  marriage  was 
born  one  son, — Edward. 

Our  subject  and  bis  wife  are  devout  members  of 
the  Lutheran  (  liurch  and  endeavor  by  every  possi- 
ble means  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  they  reside.  They  have  many  friends 
and  are  comfortably  fixed  in  life  and  well  prepared 
to  enjoy  the  declining  years  of  their  lives.  They 
are  tlie  parents  of  one  child  — Arthur  Clinton.  As 
time  rolls  on  we  see  each  day  striking  illustrations 
of  the  numerous  and  varied  occupations  by  which 
men  and  women  are  seeking  to  secure  for  them- 
selves both  fame  and  fortune.  It  is  undoubtedly 
true  that  industrious  habits  united  to  strict  integ- 
rity of  purpose  and  kindness  of  heart  cannot  fail  to 
achieve  good  results  in  the  end. 


IMON  A.  GEEDING.  It  is  always  pleas- 
ant  to  read  an  account  of  those  men,  who 
realizing  that  life  is  earnest,  have  made  for 
themselves  "footsteps  on  the  sands  of  time" 
that  will  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  younger  members 
of  society  who  have  not  yet  commenced  a  struggle 
for  fame  and  fortune.  Agricultural  pursuits  when 
given  careful  attention  yield  good  results,  and  there 
is  a  freedom  about  the  life  of  an  agriculturist  that 
is  enjoyed  by  no  other  class  of  bread-winners. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Rock  Island  County, 
April  18,  1849,  being  the  son  of  John  and  Lovina 
(Smith)  deeding.  He  was  only  six  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Adams  County,  and 
still  young  when  he  removed  with  the  family  to 
Calhoun  County.  He  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
under  his  father's  instruction,  and  upon  his  twenty- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


671 


first  birthday  his  fntber  gave  him  foityaorcs  of  fine 
farming:  laiu).  At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  lo- 
cated on  this  farm  and  lias  added  to  llie  original 
forty  acres  until  at  the  present  writing  he  owns 
cishty-five  acres  on  section  4,  Point  Townshii).  He 
|)ersonally  superintends  the  improvement  of  his  es- 
tate, and  by  means  of  energy  and  good  luannge- 
raent  has  all  his  land  in  a  splendid  slate  of  cultiva- 
tion. 

Mr.  Geeding  was  married,  April  18,  1881,  to 
Miss  Annie  Seidler,  whose  birth  occurred  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  This  union  has  been  blessed  with  one 
child.  Mabel.  Mrs.  Geeding  is  a  daughter  of  .John 
Seidler.  a  shi|)  contractor  by  profession  who  worked 
in  St.  Louis  a  number  of  years,  and  after  losing  his 
liealtli  removed  to  a  far-ii  in  Calhoun  County,  where 
he  died  in  1S71.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Roth, 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Roth,  natives  of 
Germany.  After  coming  to  the  United  States,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Roth  settled  in  St.  Louis,  and  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Roth  married  Peter 
Willdershutz,  making  her  home  in  Point  Town- 
ship. To  her  first  mnrriage  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren, viz:  Henry,  Annie  (Mrs.  Geeding),  Rosa, 
Win,  .Tohn,  Barney  and  Julia.  To  her  second  mar- 
riage was  born  one  son,  Edward. 

Our  subject's  father.  John  Geeding,  was  a  native 
of  Maryland,  being  born  in  that  Slate  in  ISl;"),  and 
there  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  AVhile  still 
quite  a  young  man  he  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he 
followed  his  trade  up  to  the  year  1847,  at  which 
time  he  removed  to  Rock  Island  Count3'.  In  1853 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  near  Burton,  Adams 
County,  .and  for  sis  and  one-half  years  continued  to 
make  his  home  there,  working  constantly  at  his 
trade  and  clearing  his  laud.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  removed  to  Callioun  County,  where  he 
l)0ught  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Point  Township.  Onl}'  fort3-  acres  of  the  land  was 
cleared,  tlie  rest  being  covered  with  heavy  timber 
and  brush.  Mr.  Geeding  set  to  work  and  soon 
built  a  number  of  frame  buildings,  cleared  the 
;,'roucd  and  planted  an  extensive  orchard.  He 
I  made  his  home  on  this  place  up  to  the  time  of  his 
I  death,  which  occurred  December  17,  1884. 
I  Mr.  Geeding's  mother,  who  previous  to  her  mar- 
;  riage  was  Lovina  Smith,  died  on   the   home   farm, 


June  28,  1888,  after  attaining  her  seventy-second 
year.  She  raised  eight  of  her  ten  children,  viz: 
Amanda,  .Lane,  Andrew,  Margaret,  Simon  A.,  New- 
ton, George,  and  Janson. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  has  climbed  slowly  and 
surely  up  the  ladder  of  fortune,  and  is  a  popular 
and  highly  respected  gentleman.  From  childhood 
he  gave  evidence  of  that  undaunted  courage  and 
perseverance  in  well  doing,  that  invariably  achieve 
success.  He  is  a  member  of  tlie  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  They  are  both  very  much  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  the  comuuinity  in  which  they  re- 
side and  use  their  iulluence  in  behalf  of  educational 
and  religious  matters. 


fi. 


%j' 


HARLES  P.   BECKER,    farmer  and  stock- 
'_  raiser  of  Carlin  Precinct,  made  his  first  ap- 


*^f'  pearance  in  the  world  on  February  27,  18,57, 
and  is  at  present  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
on  section  28.  His  parents,  Gregory  and  Theresa 
(Daack)  Becker,  were  n.atives  of  Germany,  and  their 
union  was  blest  with  eleven  children,  viz:  Charles 
P..  oursubject;  John;  Rebecca,  wife  of  John  Piper; 
Fredericka,  wife  of  J.  E.  Thomas;  Joseph  AV.;  Mag- 
gie, widow  of  Phillip  Cloninger;  Dina.  Mary,  Cath 
erine,  George  and  Henry.  After  reaching  America 
they  settled  in  Calhoun  County,  sometime  in  the '50s 
and  found  the  country  scarce!}' more  than  a  wilder- 
ness around  Carliu  Precinct  where  they  made  their 
home.  The}'  numbered  among  the  first  German 
pioneers  iu  Calhoun  County,  and  like  the  mMJorily 
of  people  who  are  starting  in  a  new  place,  were 
forced  to  undergo  numerous  hardships,  but  success 
crowned  their  labor,  and  their  pleasant  manners 
won  them  many  friends.  The  mother  died  August 
28,  1879.  Tlie  father  is  now  past  seventy  years 
of  age,  but  is  strong  and  health}'  for  one  of  his 
years,  and  looks  back  with  satisfaction  upon  a  life 
well  and  profitably  si)ent.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  belongs  lo  the 
Republican  party. 

Charles  Becker  passed  his  youth  in  Calhoun 
County,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  pioneer 
scenes  and  has  watched  the  wilderness  change  into 


672 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


charming  landscapes  and  the  har(1ships  of  early 
(lays  give  place  to  the'prosperity  that  characterizes 
Calhoun  County  now.  Naturally  his  educational 
advantages  were  limited  to  the  district  school  of 
Carlln  and  he  received  none  of  the  intellectual 
training  that  is  found  at  the  present  date  in  all 
schools.  He  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
valuable  land  and  is  a  self -made  man  in  the  true 
sense  of  that  term,  having  acquired  his  property  by 
means  of  his  oivn  exertions.  His  political  sympa- 
thies are  with  the  Republican  party,  of  which  he  is  a 
member  ;  and  he  has  at  various  times  been  elected  to 
offices  of  public  trust,  serving  at  one  time  as  School 
Director.  The  Becker  family  is  one  ofHlie  best 
and  oldest  German  families  in  Calhoun  Count}^  and 
is  everywhere  favorably  known.  Mr.  Becker  was 
married  on  November  21,  1882,  to  Miss  Lottie 
(^lille. 


I 


I 


\f/OB  DIXON.  A  visit  to  the  home  of  this 
gentleman  would  well  rcfja}-  an3'one  who 
appreciates  thrift  and  industry  and  desires 
to  see  something  of  thorough  and  practical 
farming.  Nowhere  in  the  entire  State  can  a  farm 
be  found  where  everything  is  utilized  to  better  ad- 
vantage, and  the  motto,  "Whatever  is  worth  doing 
is  worth  doing  well,"  carried  out  more  thoroughly 
than  on  section  6,  Perry  Townshii>,  Pike  County. 
The  buildings  on  this  farm  are  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial and  practical  kind,  as  will  be  proved  b3'  the 
view  of  the  place  on  another  page;  the  land  which 
is  under  the  plow  is  thoroughly  tilled  and  ever3- 
thing  that  will  contribute  to  the  enriching  of  the 
soil  and  the  improvement  of  stock  and  crops  is 
carefully  done.  Mr.  Dixon  raises  a  large  amount 
of  stock  and  feeds  them  so  .as  to  produce  the  best 
results,  the  grain  being  ground,  feed  cut  and  wood 
snwed  by  a  large  wind-mill,  with  adequate  machin- 
ery in  the  barn.  He  employs  every  method  calcu- 
lated to  improve  the  condition  of  his  land  and  if 
there  is  any  man  in  the  limits  of  the  county  who 
hauls  more  loads  of  manure  per  acre  on  his  land 
than  Mr.  Dixon  the  latter  would  like  to  see  the  man 
and  talk  with  him. 

Mr.  Dixon  and  his  wife,  formerly  Ann  Stephen- 


son, are  natives  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  born 
June  1 1,  1828,  and  Decemljer  6,  18.34,  respectively. 
Their  parents  were  poor  but  respectable  and  the 
only  capital  the  young  couple  had  with  which  to 
begin  their  wedded  life  was  the  habits  in  which 
they  had  been  reared,  their  indomitable  energy  and 
their  desire  to  promote  each  other's  intercots.  The 
day  after  the}'  were  married  they  set  sail  for  the 
Tnitod  States  and  after  crossing  from  Liverpool 
to  New  York  continued  their  journey  westward  to 
Adams  County,  this  State.  They  reached  here 
burdened  by  a  debt  of  8105  for  their  passage  and 
man  and  wife  worked  for  811  per  month  durina 
the  first  winter,  1860-61. 

Mr.  Dixon  w.as  afterward   able  to  obtain  higher 
wages  and  by  good   management  they  soon  saved 
enought   to   purchase   some   land   in  Pike  County. 
Securing  the  title  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
in  Perry  Township  they  worked  on  witii  unremit- 
ting energy,  surrounding    themselves   with    more   I 
and  more  of  comfort  and  increasing  their  landed   i 
estate  until  they  now  own  four  hundred  acres  of  ' 
fine  land  in  Pike  and  Brown  Counties.  ; 

The  dwelling  of  Mr.  Dixon   is  one  of  the  best  | 
farmhouses  in  the  county,  his  barns  are  modein  in  I 
arrangement    and    altogether    his    home  place  is  a  ) 
model  of  attractiveness.     He  never   succumbs  to  \ 
misfortune  but  seems  rather  to  be  incited  to  fresh 
efforts  bv  any  catastrophe  which  overtakes  him.   A  | 
feiv  years  since  he  erected  a  fine  residence  at  a  cost  ! 
of  83,000  and  a  few  months  later  the  building  was 
burned  to  the  ground.     A    still    better  structure 
soon   reared   its  walls  on  the  same  foundation  and 
n(p  signs  oi  the  disaster  were  left  on  the  place.  The 
most  of  the  land   owned    by   Mr.  Dixon    is  under 
cultivation   and    in  addition  to  raising  good  crops 
be  makes  a  specialty  of   Shropshire-down   sheep, 
Short-horn  cattle  and  good  horses  and  swine.     He 
keeps  the  best   strains    of   the    respective    breeds.  ! 
makes  astudy  of  his  business  and  has  an  unexcelled 
record  as  a  farmer  and  stockman. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dixon  have  a  large  family  of  smart 
chihlren  who  are  doing  credit  to  the  .advantages 
they  have  received.  Two  sons  and  two  daughters 
have  been  removed  from  them  by  death.  The  liv- 
ing are  Thomas,  who  assists  his  father  on  the  home 
farm;  Anna,  wife  of  Perry  Zimmerman  a  farmer  in 


» 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


G75 


Klkhorn  Township,  Brown  Count}-;  Emma,  wife  of 
Honrv  Smith  a  farmer  in  Northwestern  Kansas; 
William  who  is  unmarried  and  farming  in  the  same 
section;  Samuel  who  labors  on  tlie  home  farm; 
Ellen,  Job  and  Albert  who  also  linger  around  the 
l)arental  fireside.  Mr.  Dixon  is  independent  in 
politics,  casting  his  vote  accoi'ding  to  his  judi;- 
ment  regarding  the  special  need  of  the  time.  He 
and  bis  wife  arc  consistent  members  of  the  Meth- 
orlist  Episcopal  Church  and  highly  respected  mem- 
bers of  the  community. 


-i^^E 


'^^ 


HITTIC  C.  LAMMY.  A  progressive  and 
^htened  membcrof  the  agricultural  com- 
of  Calhoun  County,  this  gentleman 
is  i)leasantly  located  on  his  father's  homestead  in 
Point  Precinct  which  the  latter  redeemed  from  the 
wilderness  in  pioneer  times.  This  place  our  subject 
is  now  managing  with  skill  and  abilit}-  so  as  to 
leap  good  financial  results. 

Mr.  Lammy  was  horn  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland, 
December  10,  1848.  He  is  ason  of  Solomon  Lammy, 
who  was  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and  his 
father,  bearing  the  same  name  as  himself  is  thought 
to  have  been  born  in  Ireland,  while  the  paternal 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
P'rance.  He  was  a  Huguenot  who,  during  the 
persecution  of  bis  sect  in  his  native  land  took 
refuge  in  Ireland  and  there  passed  the  remainder  of 
his  days  in  quietness  and  peace.  The  grandfather 
of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  and  spent  his  entire 
life  on  Irish  soil,  dying  at  the  remarkably  advanced 
age  of  one  hundred  and  five  years. 

Solomon  Lamray  was  reared  in  Ireland  and  worked 
at  weaving  during  the  winter  season,  farming  the 
rest  of  the  time  while  he  remained  a  j-esident  of 
the  old  countrj'.  In  1849  he  emigrated  to  America 
with  his  wife  and  five  children,  setting  sail  from 
Londonderry  and  coming  by  the  wa}'  of  Liverpool 
to  New  York.  He  then  made  his  way  by  the  Hud- 
son River  and  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  from  there  by 
the  Lakes  to  Chicago,  thence  by  the  Illinois  Canal 
and  Illinois  River  to  Calhoun  Count}',  and  soon 
after  his  arrival  bought  the  farm  joining    the  one 


on  which  our  subject  lives  on  section  35,  and  later 
bought  this  farm  also.  It  was  all  timber  at  the 
time  and  Mr.  Lammy  was  for  some  years  engaged 
in  getting  out  staves,  hoop  poles,  saw  logs,  etc.  He 
finally  turned  his  attention  to  farming,  in  which  he 
w.as  quite  successful  and  resided  here  until  death 
closed  his  mortal  career  February  9,  1886. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  John  and  Sarah  (Forbes)  Robb,  natives  of  Scot- 
land, and  her  given  name  was  Jane.  Her  father  was  a 
surgeon  in  the  British  army  and  spent  hislast  years  in 
Al>erdeen,  Scotland.  .Mrs.  Lammy  departed  this  life 
in  the  month  of  August,  1851,  leaving  the  follow- 
ing children:  John  who  was  murdered  by  brigands 
September  26, 1881,  while  he  was  in  the  performance 
of  his  duties  as  Sheriff  of  this  county;  William, 
who  died  June  25,  1890;  Mary,  who  died  March 
16,  1883;  our  subject,  and  Sarah  J.,  the  wife  of 
Peter  Loonam  of  Point  Precinct. 

He  of  whom  these  lines  are  written  was  given 
fine  I'lhicational  advantages  in  his  youth.  He  ob- 
tained his  early  schooling  in  Calhoun  County,  and 
then  entered  Chaddock  College  at  Quinc}-.  Sub- 
sequently he  became  a  student  at  the  Northwestern 
University  at  Evanston,  Cook  County,  111.,  andwhcn 
he  entered  upon  the  profession  of  a  teacher  at  the 
early  age  of  eighteen  years  he  was  well  prepared 
for  the  work  before  him.  In  1877  he  abandoned 
that  calling  to  give  his  attention  to  the  mercantile 
business  at  Pearl,  Pike  County,  and  after  conduct- 
ing it  until  1884.  returned  to  the  old  home  farm. 
He  brings  to  his  labors  a  well-trained,  acute  mind, 
has  readily  adopted  the  best  modern  methods  for 
carrying  on  agriculture,  and  his  farm  is  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  best  managed  estates  in  this  part 
of  the  country.  He  li.as  here  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive and  delightful  homes  in  Calhoun  County. 
His  commodious  dwelling,  a  view  of  which  may  be 
found  on  another  page,  occupies  a  beautiful  situa- 
tion on  a  bluff  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
River  which  commands  an  extensive  view  up  and 
down  the  stream  and  across  into  Missouri.  The 
pen  of  a  poet  would  be  needed  to  do  full  justice  to 
the  charms  of  its  location.  It  is  the  seat  of  a  re- 
fined and  pleasant  hospitality,  and  the  gracious 
hostess  and  courteous  host  are  often  called  upon  to 
entertain  friend  or  stranger  i)eneath  its  roof. 


^ 


676 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  our  subject,  to 
whom  he  wns  maiTJedin  1871),  was  Emma  Hess. 
She  was  born  in  the  town  of  Pearl.  PiUc  County, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  Hiiani  and  Adeline  Hess,  na- 
tives respectively  of  Pike  and  While  Counties,  this 
State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Laniniy  li.ave  one  child,  named 
Clyde.  Mr.  Lammy  is  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  Milton  Lodge  No.  275,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  in  Milton, 
Pike  County,  111.,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church. 


fF^  ENRY  BELL,  Postmaster  at  Byerlon,  Cal- 
^\,  houn  County.  Each  year  brings  people  from 
almost  every  known  country,  who  come  to 
America  seeking  the  i)erfect  freedom  and 
superior  advantages  offered  in  the  mercantile  circles 
here,  and  as  a  rule  they  become  pleased  with  '-L'ncle 
Sam's"  country  and  fail  to  return  to  their  n.ative 
land.  Among  those  who  have  crossed  the  ocean  to 
find  a  new  home  aud  new  customs  is  numbered  the 
one  whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Buckinghamshire,  England,  December  23, 
1834,  and  his  parents,  William  and  Maria  (Cheese) 
Bell,  were  also  natives  of  England. 

Mr.  Bell  was  the  j'oungest  of  the  ten  children 
born  to  his  parents  and  remained  in  his  native 
place  up  to  the  time  when  he  was  near  his  seven- 
teenth birthday,  receiving  a  good  English  educa- 
tion but  none  of  the  educational  advantages  offered 
In  colleges.  He  quit  the  school  room  at  the  early 
age  of  fifteen  and  about  a  year  later,  in  1852,  went 
to  Australia  while  the  gold  excitement  was  raging, 
and  remained  in  that  country  until  1858,  during 
which  time  he  succeeded  admirably,  and  afterward 
spent  six  weeks  in  Queensland,  sailing  for  America 
at  Christmas  lime  in  the  year  1858.  After  an 
ocean  voyage  of  about  three  months  he  landed  in 
San  Krancisco,  Cal.,  where  he  engaged  in  gold  min- 
ing, but  without  success.  He  discovered  the  breed- 
ing place  of  a  species  of  whale  in  Lower  California 
and  for  a  time  engaged  in  capturing  whales  and 
getting  the  oil  from  them,  in  which  industry  he 
cleared  $1,500.  He  then  returned  to  his  native 
country.     In  1863  he  left  England  and  upon  com- 


ing to  America  came  at  once  to  Calhoun  County, 
reaching  this  county  in  the  month  of  August.  He 
has  continued  to  reside  here  up  to  the  present  wri- 
ting and  has  met  with  marked  success  in  most  of  his 
business  transactions. 

Our  subject  was  married  .June  15,  1862.  to  Miss 
Emil}-  F.  Peck,  and  tlieir  marriage  has  been  blessed 
with  three  children,  viz:  Henry,  Amy  and  Thomas. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party  but  in- 
clines to  some  of  the  Independent  ideas.  He  is  a 
public-spirited  man  and  is  active  in  trying  to  ad- 
vance the  educational  and  religions  advantages  of 
his  county. 

Mr.  Bell  is  a  -self-made  man  and  has  engaged  in 
a  number  of  industries  during  his  long  business 
career.  For  a  number  of  years  he  ran  a  wood  yard 
at  Silver  Creek  on  the  Illiiiois  River,  and  in  1874 
took  possession  of  his  present  estate.  He  owns  one 
hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres  of  land,  most  of  which 
is  in  a  splendid  state  of  cultivation,  and  besides 
this  he  is  interested  in  a  general  merchandise  busi- 
ness, carrying  a  stock  valued  at  )i;4,000.  He  handles 
merchandise,  agricultural  implements,  etc.,  and  the 
i  sales  will  average  from  $6,000  to  ?;7,000  per  annum. 
His  store  is  fortj'-four  feet  in  length  by  twentj- 
feet  in  width  and  is  two  stories  high.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  under  the  Hayes  administratinn 
and  his  office  is  called  the  B3erton  Post-office,  and 
he  has  served  during  the  years  that  intervened  be- 
tween that  date  and  this.  He  is  a  genial-mannered, 
agreeable  gentleman  who  wins  friends  easil}-  and  is 
very  popular  in  this  community. 


<4l  IV'ILEY  MILLER.  In  looking  at  the  highly 
\/\///  cultivated  farms  that  abound  in  such  num- 
^™  bers  in  Calhoun  County,  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  realize  that  onlj'  a  few  short  j'cars  .igo 
this  section  of  Uncle  .Sam's  domain  was  scarcely 
more  tliqn  a  wilderness.  And  j'et  such  is  the  c.ise, 
and  throughout  the  county  we  find  men  who  per- 
sonally endured  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life  and 
worked  to  bring  about  the  transformation  of  heavy 
timber  lands  into  blooming  landscapes.  Among 
this  number  is  Wiley  Miller,  whose    biography'   is 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


677 


lierewitli  pifsented,  nnd  who  iio«"  makes  bis  home 
I  on  section  11,  Belleviow  Precinet,  in  Callioun 
I  County.  He  made  liis  liist  apiiearaiico  iu  the  dnima 
of  life  in  Scott  County,  December  29.  1835,  being 
llic  son  of  William  and  Millie  (Pilchor)  INIillcr. 
Ills  parents  were  born  in  North  Carolina,  the  father 
I  being  of  German  descent  and  the  mother  of  Eng- 
lish. They  both  moved  to  Illinois  while  young, 
settling  in  what  is  now  knopn  as  Scott  County, 
and  were  tliere  married.  Their  union  was  blessed 
witii  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  living  at  the 
present  time,  viz.:  JIartha,  Wiley.  Columbus,  Ara- 
ininla  and  John.  Those  deceased  are:  Martin,  Marj- 
Olid  Melvina. 

Mr.  Jliller  moved  with  his  [larents  to  Calhonn 
|Count\'  in  1843,  and  has  continued  to  reside  there 
since  liiat  date.  The  family  seLtled  in  Belleview 
Precinct,  and  liere  the  father  died  in  July,  1878, 
and  the  mother  passed  to  her  final  resting  place  in 
pebruary,  187;<.  They  were  among  the  oldest 
pioneers  in  Callioun  County  and  in  their  death  the 
Iconnty  lost  generous,  active  and  useful  citizens. 
'Wiley  passed  tlie  years  of  childhood,  j-oulli  and 
jDianhood  iu  the  same  place,  and  following  Horace 
Greeley's  advice  to  "grow  ui)  with  the  country" 
klislinctly  remembers  all  the  incidents  connected 
with  the  pioneer  days  of  Calhoun  County  and  re- 
lates most  interesting  experiences  of  a  youth  passed 
in  a  comparativelj'  wild  country.  His  education 
>Tas  received  in  the  district  schools  of  Calhoun 
County,  and  he  natural!}'  did  not  have  the  educa- 
tional advantages  otifered  to  young  men  of  the  pres- 
ent day.  But  though  chiefly  self  educated,  he  is 
well  posted  upon  all  important  issues  of  the  times 
ind  has  exercised  excellent  judgment  in  all  his  bus- 
ness  ventures. 

Thesubjectof  our  sketch  enlisted  Maj'  12. 1864,  in 
Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Thirtj-seventh  Illi- 
(lois  Infantry.  He  enlisted  for  one  hundred 
lays  service  the  first  time  but  remained  on 
liclive  duty  nearlj-  Ave  months  before  he  was  dis- 
charged, being  princii)ally  engaged  doing  guard 
Uity  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  He  enlisted  the  second 
|ime  February  11,  186.5,  in  C'ompan}'  I,  One 
|lundred  and  Forty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  ar.d 
tecame  a  part  of  the  Thomas'  division  of  the 
irmy  of  the  Cumberland.     His  principal  work  this 


time  was  at  Tullahoma.  Tenn.,  and  lie  -vas  honor- 
ably discharged  September  24,  186.j.  He  returned 
home  immediately  after  being  released  from  ser- 
vice and  has  continued  to  reside  in  Calboun  County 
u])  to  the  i)resent  date.  Ho  owns  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land  all  of  which  he  m.ade  for  himself  by 
means  of  industry  and  close  apiJication  to  work. 
He  receives  a  pension  of  -isfi  per  month.  He  has 
served  as  Constable  and  has  at  all  times  manifested 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  this  community,  being  a 
very  public  spirited  man  and  one  of  generous  im- 
pulses. As  a  raeralier  of  the  Republican  party  he 
wields  considerable  intluence  in  political  matters 
and  is  generally  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  worth- 
iest citizens  of  Belleview  Precinct.  After  both 
enlistments  in  the  army  he  w.as  elected  Seigeant  of 
his  com[)an3',  and  has  at  all  limes  been  the  rcciiiient 
of  respect  and  esteem.  He  has  not  yet  succumbed 
to  Cupid's  charms,  but  is  still  enjoying  the  freedom 
of  bachelor  life. 


-^~ 


OHN  BORROWMAN.  In  Lanarkshire,  in 
bonny  Scotland,  where  purple  heather  forms 
an  unbroken  carpet,  John  Borrowman  made 
his  first  appearance  in  the  world  on  the  6th 
of  March,  1827,  and  has  inherited  much  of  the 
poetic  love  of  the  beautiful  that  characterizes  the 
natives  of  the  land  of  thistles  and  oatmeal.  His 
parents,  John  and  Jane  Borrowman,  were  also 
natives  of  .Scotland,  and  emigrated  willi  their 
family  of  children  to  America  in  the  vear  1838. 
They  took  passage  at  Liverpool  in  a  sailing  vessel, 
and  after  an  ocean  voyage  of  thirty  days  landed  in 
New  York  Citv.  From  that  point  they  went  im- 
mediately to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  the  mother  died, 
in  1840.  The  father  breathed  his  l.ast  in  Calhoun 
County,  iu  1849. 

Mr.  Borrowman  came  to  Calhoun  County  when 
only  sixteen  j'ears  of  age,  and  as  the  county  at  that 
time  was  new,  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life  reigned 
on  every  side.  His  father  was  the  first  settler  of 
Farmers'  Ridge,  and  he  saw  the  first  furrow- 
turned  in  that  place,  in  f:ict,  he  has  watched  the 
wdderness  of  trees  and  brush  transformed  into  val- 


678 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


liable  ami  liiglily  cnltivateil  farms  by  the  skillful 
liaiids  of  man.  He,  like  all  pioneers,  was  forced  to 
labor  failhfully  and  well.  He  received  a  common 
fcliool  education,  but  the  times  afforded  none  of 
the  educational  advanlages  offered  young  men  of 
ihe  present  day.  However,  his  natural  ability  and 
perseverance  have  enabled  him  to  succeed  where 
many  a  man  would  have  failed  utterly,  and  his 
fondness  for  reading  enabled  him  to  acquire  a  large 
amount  of  useful  information  that  the  rude  schools 
did  not  imi)art. 

Our  subject  was  first  married  in  1857,  to  Miss 
.lulia  Harpole,  daughter  of  Adam  Ilarpole,  deceased. 
Tlieir  union  was  blessed  with  one  son — Charles — 
wlio  is  now  dead.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in 
1858,  and  in  the  following  year  Mr.  Borrowman 
married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Ball,  a  daughter  of  Travis 
and  Elzila  (Skidmore)  Ball.  Her  birth  occurred 
in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  May  19,  1840,  and  she 
was  about  twenty-three  months  old  when  her  father 
died.  Her  (jareuts  were  born  in  Virginia  and  had 
eight  children,  six  of  whom  are  living,  viz. :  Travis, 
Daniel,  Robert,  James,  Ruth,  wife  of  Nelson  Whit- 
ney, and  .Sarah,  Mrs.  Borrowman.  The  latter 
moved  with  her  mother  to  Calhoun  County  when 
about  fifteen  years  of  age,  settling  in  Belleview 
Precinct  while  the  country  was  still  in  its  [)riraitive 
state,  and  there  Mrs.  Ball  died,  in  1862.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Borrowman  are  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
six  of  whom  are  living — John  AY.,  Mary  A.,  James 
A.  Robert  N.,  Edward  and  Ruth  A.  Those  de- 
ceased are  Elva  E.  and  Isabel. 

Mr.  Borrowman  made  a  permanent  settlement 
where  he  now  lives  in  1857,  and  owns  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  land.  This  property  was 
originally  covered  with  timber,  but  has  been  trans- 
formed into  valuable  farming  land  by  our  subject, 
and  is  a  lasting  monument  to  the  hard  labor  he  did 
so  cheerfulli' in  the  past  j'ears.  In  liis  efforts  he 
received  the  assistance  of  a  devoted  wife  and  the 
other  members  of  the  home  circle.  Mv.  and  Mrs. 
Borrowman  are  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of 
Calhoun  County,  and  share  the  admiration  and 
respect  accorded  those  who  by  their  industry  and 
good  habits  have  made  this  one  of  the  most  desir- 
able counties  in  the  jjrosperous  State  of  Illinois. 
Mr.  Borrowman  is  a  self-made  man,  having  achieved 


both  popularity  and  wealth  b\-  means  of  his  own 
aliilily,  and  is  generally  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
most  substantial  men  in  Belleview  Precinct.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  at  all 
times  a  hearty  supporter  of  wortli^'  causes  and  of 
every  measure  that  has  for  its  object  the  advance- 
ment of  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 


OHN  J.  SMITH,  proprietor  and  editor  of  the 
Calhoun  Pi'toi!, was  ushered  into  this  world  at 
Chillicothe,  Ross  County,  Ohio,  on  the  10th  ' 
(|^/'    of  October,  1845.  His  father,  Joseph  Smith.  '■ 
was  born    in  Virginia.     He  learned  the  carpenter  ', 
trade  but  did  not  follow  it,  turning  his  attention  to  , 
farming  instead.     In   1849  he  moved    to  Illinois,  j 
settling    at    Mt.  Auburn,    Christian    County,   and 
bought  a  tract  of  wild  land.     He  devoted  his  time 
to  the  clearing  and  cultivating  of  his  estate  and  died ' 
on  his  farm  in  1856  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-one.' 
He  m.irried  Miss  Fancy  Warwick,  who  was  also  boiii 
in    Virginia.     Her   father,   Beverly  Warwick,  was " 
born  in  England  and  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the - 
noted  Warwick  family.     In  that  country  he  pa.ssed 
the  J'ears   intervening   between  infancy   and  man- 
hood's estate.  After  his  marriage  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  family,  settling  first  in  Virginia,  next  ' 
in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he  bought  a  tract  of 
land,  and  where  he  died. 

Our  subject's  mother  died  in  1853  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  leaving  three  children,  viz:  Lewis 
N..  who  lives  at  Mt.  Auburn,  111.;  John  J.,  our 
subject  and  Nancy  E.,  who  married  Jesse  Emmet 
and  resides  in  Colorado.  His  grandfather, Thomas 
Smith  was,  it  is  believed,  born  in  England.  He 
moved  from  Virginia  to  Ohio  about  the  j'ear  1833, 
locating  near  Chillicothe.  He  farmed  there  and  at 
that  place  his  death  occurred. 

Mr.  Smith  being  left  an  or[)lian  at  an  early  age, 
was  compelled  to  take  care  of  himself  and  fight  his  ■ 
own  way  through  life.  As  soon  as  he  reached  his 
tenth  year  he  was  emploj'ed  in  tiie  office  of  the 
Magnet  in  Decatur,  111.  He  was  afterward  em- 
ployed in  various  offices  up  to  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War.     He  enlisted  at  the  first  call  for  troops, 


(I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


679 


Jilt  because  of  his  youth  was  not  mustered  intoser- 
/ice  until  the  fall  of  186L  He  enlisted  in  Coni- 
jany  B,  Forty- fiijt  Illinois  Infantry,  and  served 
vith  the  same  company  and  regiment  in  all  their 
nttles  and  campaigns  up  to  the  close  of  the  war. 
lis  regiment  was  discharged  in  1805,  and  in  March 
)f  the  following  3-ear,  Mr.  Smith  commenced  the 
)ublication  of  the  Bement  Courier  at  Bement,  Piatt 
^"ounty,  but  after  one  year  sold  out  his  interest  and 
vent  to  Mann  County  where  he  started  the  3fann 
Vribiine.  He  next  moved  to  Breckenridge,  Mo. 
nd  commenced  the  Breckenridge  Journal.  Heaf- 
erward  moved  to  Illinois  having  charge  of  various 
lapers  through  different  parts  of  the  State  as  the 
ears  passed  on,  and  in  1880  started  the  Calhoun 
'^i lot  at  Batchtown,  and  has  made  it  one  of  the 
irightest  and  most  acceptable  sheets  in  Calhoun 
'ounty. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  1866 
p  Miss  Agnes  Perkins,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
lary  (Soward)  Perkins,  and  a  native  of  George- 
own,  Kentucky.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
niith  has  been  blessed  with  two  children,  viz:  Ed- 
ard  M.  and  Nelson  R. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  stanch  Republican  having  under 
ill  circumstances  been  devoted  to  the  interests  of 
iiat  party.  He  commenced  his  editorial  career  as 
I  writer  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  is  besides  a  jour- 
lalist,  a  writer  of  fiction  and  also  of  poetry.  His 
enius  is  widely  recognized  and  his  paper  is  cer- 
linly  a  pilot  for  those  wishing  to  avoid  the 
loals  of  ignorance  in  the  sea  of  life. 


'>ILLIAM  SANDERSON,  a  prosperous 
KjiJr  ^*''™^''  of  section  19,  Detroit  Township, 
y\y  Pike  County, was  born  in  Highland  County, 
'hio,on  a  farm,  December  28,  182.5,  being  the  son 
f  George  and  Mary  (Chaplin)  Sanderson,  born  in 
lliio  in  1790  and  in  Pennsylvania  in  1798,  re- 
lectively.  His  grandfather  Sanderson  came 
■iginallj-  from  Ireland,  and  after  reaching  the 
idled  States  settled  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
^ing   one    of    the   pioneers  of  that  county,     llis 


maternal  grandfather,  AVilliam  Chaplin,  was  born 
in  Maryland  as  was  also  his  wife,  Sarah  Chaplin, 
and  they  were  both  of  Englisli  descent.  Our  sub- 
ject's parents  were  married  in  Highland  Count3', 
and  resided  there  for  several  years  after  marriage. 
His  father  died  in  1846  and  his  mother  moved 
with  the  children  to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  18fl5, 
settling  in  Detroit.  Her  death  occurred  here  In 
1883.  Both  parents  were  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Of  their  nine  children,  four  arc  liv- 
ing at  the  present  time.  The  father  was  interested 
in  politics,  belonging  to  the  Democratic  partj-.  He 
served  as  School  Director  for  a  number  of  years. 
Our  subject  obtained  only  a  limited  education, 
.  owing  to  the  fact  that  schools  in  those  days  were 
verjf  indifferent  in  Ohio,  as  well  as  in  other  parts 
of  our  country.  His  parent^  being  poor  he  labored 
to  help  them  up  to  the  time  when  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age,  but  then  began  a  business  career  for 
himself.  The  hardest  month's  work  he  ever  did 
brought  him  in  only  $8,  §.5  of  which  he  gave  to 
his  mother.  In  commencing  for  himself  he  had 
not  a  cent  and  was,  therefore,  compelled  to  take 
what  work  presented  itself.  For  a  lime  he  worked 
out  by  the  day  for  others,  and  afterward  learned 
the  plasterer's  trade,  at  which  he  worked  a  few 
years.  He  then  returned  to  farming,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  give  that  his  undivided  attention  up  to 
the  present  writing. 

Mr.  Sanderson  came  to  Illinois  in  1851,  locating 
in  Detroit,  Pike  County,  where  he  bought  out 
William  Johnson's  interest  in  a  general  store  and 
entered  into  partnership  with  David  Foreman.  At 
the  end  of  two  years  he  sold  out  to  his  partner  and 
for  two  3'ears  rented  land.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
lion  30,  and  took  possession  of  it  April  19, 
1859.  The  land  was  partially  improved.  In  1888 
he  moved  to  section  19,  and  is  today  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  in  Detroit  Townshi]). 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  September 
17, 1857,  to  Miss  Lucinda  Williams,  daughter  of  An- 
derson Williams,  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  res- 
dent  of  Detroit  Township.  She  was  l)orn  in  Detroit 
Township  in  1839  and  received  a  good  education, 
preparing  herself,  in  fad.  for  a  teacher.  She  is  a 
truly  good  woman,  and  one  highly  esteemed  by  all 


680 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


who  know  ber.  SLe  has  at  all  times  and  under  all 
circumstances  ministered  unto  the  good  of  hus- 
band, cliihhen,  friends  and  neighbors  and  is  much 
loved.  She  is  the  mother  of  six  children,  viz.: 
Gilbert,  who  married  ISIiss  Belle  Morton,  makes 
his  home  in  Pilie  County*,  and  has  one  child; 
Linnie,  Raj',  AVilliam  Jr.,  Clara  and  Reuben,  all  of 
whom  are  well  educated.  Linnie  is  a  graduate  of 
Abingdon  and  Eureka  Colleges,  in  music,  and  pos- 
sesses great  musical  talent.  Gilbert  was  a  student 
at  Abingdon.  Clara  will  graduate  from  the  High 
School  at  Pittsfield  in  1891.  William,  Jr.,  gradu- 
ated  from  tiie  same  school  in  1890.  The  family 
belongs  to  the  Ciuislian  Church  and  Mr.  Sanderson 
is  a  deacon  in  this  church.  The}'  all  take  an  active 
interest  in  Sunday  School  work,  Mrs.  Sanderson 
being  teacher  of  the  Bible  Class. 

Mr.  Sanderson  has  served  as  School  Director  of 
Detroit  for  lifteen  years,  and  as  Road  Commis- 
sioner for  three  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  order  at  Milton,  and  votes  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  He  was  sent  as  delegate  to  several 
conventions,  and  wields  considerable  influence 
througliout  tins  section  of  Pike  County.  He  owns 
four  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable  lan<l,  has 
tour  residences  on  his  farm  and  one  in  Missouri. 
He  carries  on  the  farm  and  is  largely  interested  in 
stock-raising.  He  is  a  temperate  man,  and  his  wife 
is  a  very  active  worker  in  the  temperance  cause. 


<Jl  jh  JASPER  SMITH ERM AN,  Supervisor  of 
\/^///  Detroit  Township,  is  one  of  the  wealthiest 
VY'vy^  and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  this 
section  of  Pike  County,  and  has  a  liost  of  friends 
who  are  convinced  tliat  he  is  worthy  of  every 
honor  that  can  be  bestowed  upon  liim.  His  finan- 
cial success  is  no  doubt  due  to  his  methoLUcal 
habits,  practical  judgment  and  sound  common 
sense,  coupled  witli  tlie  elements  of  an  upright 
character  and  good  citizenship. 

Great-grandfather  Smitherman  was  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  in  Tennessee,  a)id  Jesse  Smither- 
man, one  of  his  sons,  was  born  on  a  farm  in  that 
state,  and  throughout  the  course  of  his  life  devoted 


his  attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Both  father 
and  son  served  in  the  war  of  1S12.  Thev  fre- 
quently had  trouble  with  the  Indians  and  were 
obliged  to  live  in  block  houses.  Jesse  Smitherman 
came  to  Illinois  in  1830,  settling  in  Mcl)onou"h 
Ccuntj-,  but  returned  to  Tennessee,  remaining  there 
two  years,  and  then  coming  again  to  this  slate  lo- 
cated in  Morgan  Countj',  a  few  miles  south  of 
Jacksonville.  At  a  later  date  he  removed  to 
Greene  County,  where  lie  died  in  1852.  His  son, 
Littleton  Jefferson,  father  of  our  subject,  was  horn 
in  Rutherford  County,  Tennessee,  in  1819,  and  re. 
ccived  a  common  school  education.  He  was  but 
eight  3-ears  old  when  the  family  moved  from  Ten- 
nessee. The}-  walked  all  the  wa^-  from  that  state 
to  Illinois,  their  few  household  goods  being  hauled 
in  a  small,  one  liorse  cart.  The  Indians  were  very 
numerous  in  those  days,  roving  over  the  whole 
countr}-.  Young  Smitlierman  knew  where  an  In- 
dian was  buried  and  used  to  go  to  his  grave,  get  a 
tomahawk  that  was  there  and  play  with  it,  then  re- 
turn it  to  its  resting  place. 

Jefferson  Smitherman  was  married  in  Morgan 
Count}'  to  Miss  Miriam  Brown,  a  native  of  Ala- 
bama, a  lady  of  refinement  and  social  culture.  Her 
father,  James  Fayette  Brown,  was  a  native  of  Ala- 
bama, and  in  his  early  years  was  a  teamster,  mak- 
ing trips  between  his  native  state  and  Virginia. 
He  afterward  became  a  farmer  and  removed  to 
Greene  County,  Illinois,  at  an  early  period  in  its 
history,  and  came  to  Pike  County  in  184(i.  In  1854 
he  went  to  Texas,  but  at  the  end  of  a  3ear  returned 
to  Pike  County  and  two  years  later  went  again  to 
the  Lone  Star  State,  where  he  died  in  18G3.  lie 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

After  their  marriage  the  parents  of  our  subject 
lived  for  two  years  in  Morgan  Count}',  and  then 
passed  six  years  in  Macoupin  County.  In  1846 
they  came  to  Pike  County,  settling  in  Detroit 
Township,  at  Piketown,  hut  at  the  expiration  of 
five  years  going  on  a  farm  in  the  same  township. 
The  wife  died  in  1880  and  the  husband  in  Febru- 
ary, 1887;  their  mortal  remains  were  deposited  in 
Douglas  Cemetery.  Both  were  of  the  Universalist 
faith.  ^Ir.  Smitherman  had  great  influence  in 
political  as  well  as  local  matters,  and  was  active  in 
advancing  the    educational  affairs  of  Ids  coimly, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


681 


especiall}'  those  of  the  home  schools.  He  seivcrt 
as  Assessor  two  years,  as  Supervisor  tliree  or  four 
years,  ami  was  for  four  years  Treasurer  of  Pike 
Count}-,  from  18G7  to  1871.  His  family  consisted 
of  five  children,  of  whom  our  sul)ject  is  the  only 
one  living. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Morgan 
County,  October  10.  1840,  and  received  a  good 
education  in  the  common  schools.  His  parents 
were  poor  at  that  time  and  his  father  chopped  cord 
wood  for  the  money  with  which  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land.  The  land  was  covered  with  brush, 
hut  they  at  once  commenced  to  im|)rovc  it  by 
building  a  frame  house,  sawing  the  lumber  for 
same  at  a  horse  mill  that  belonged  to  William  A. 
Clemmens. 

Mr.  Smithernian  remained  with  his  parents  until 
1862,  when  he  raised  his  first  wheat  crop  on  a  por- 
tion of  his  father's  farm.  His  father  added  to  his 
estate  till  he  had  two  hundred  acres,  and  was  ver}- 
jmethodical  in  all  his  ways  of  conducting  business. 
Our  subject  continued  on  this  farm  and  had  the 
, management  of  it  from  18G7  up  to  the  time  of  his 
ifather's  death  and  owns  it  at  the  present  writing. 
'He  has  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  two  hun- 
dred good  farming  land  and  the  rest  pasture  and 
timber  laud.  He  carries  on  an  extensive  business, 
being  interested  in  farming,  dealing  in  grain,  and 
iraising  both  slock  and  fruit.  He  has  handled  as 
jniany  as  four  hundred  head  of  Southdown  sheep, 
and  is  generally  conceded  to  be  an  excellent  man- 
^iger.  The  barn  on  the  estate  was  built  by  his 
^father. 

Our  subject  was  married  April  7,  186.3,  to  Miss 
'Louisa  Lester,  daUfChter  of  Jesse  Lester,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Detroit  Township,  who  took  part 
in  the  Pjlack  Hawk  War.  His  daughter  was  born 
hear  Milton,  December  10,  1845,  and  received  a 
bood  education.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smitherman  are 
l-lie  parents  of  three  children,  viz.:  Otis,  born 
ftlarch  18,  1864,  and  married  to  Miss  P.elle  Great- 
house.  He  lives  on  section  28,  and  has  one  child, 
jtlarold;  JNIate,  whose  birth  occurred  August  14, 
1867,  and  who  married  Monta  Greathouse  and  re- 
sides on  the  home  farm;  and   Inez,  born   April  7, 

87.i.     All  of  the  children  have  a  llrst-class  educa- 
ion  and  at  the   regular   county  examination   this 


year  received  an  average  of  ninety-eight  per  cent. 
Mrs.  Smitherman  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

i\Ir.  Smitherman  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  orilcr. 
Blue  Lodge  and  Chapter,  at  Milton.  He  is  Senior 
Warden  in  this  lodge  and  Principal  Sojourner  in 
in  the  chapter.  He  has  been  School  Director  for 
the  past  seven  years  and  served  as  Koad  Commis- 
sioner for  two  years.  lie  is  at  present  Supervisor, 
an  oHlce  that  he  has  filled  most  creditably  for  four 
years.  He  is  well  posted  on  political  matters  and 
votes  the  Democratic  ticket.  June  1st,  this  year, 
he  received  a  severe  injury  in  falling  from  a  horse 
upon  his  left  thigh  and  dislocating  his  hip,  the 
tendons  being  torn  completely  away.  He  suffers 
very  much  and  contemplates  moving  to  IMilton, 
where  he  hopes  to  recover.  His  attention  is  devoted 
chiefly  to  his  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  is  held 
in  high  esteem,  both  for  his  strict  integrity  and  for 
his  generous  nature. 


♦♦^^^E 


OHN  BECKER,  brother  of  Charles  P. 
Becker,  was  born  in  Calhoun  County,  Janu- 
ary 14,  1859,  and  is  a  worthy  son  of  his 
father,  Gregory'  Becker,  who  figured  so 
prominently  in  the  advancement  of  Calhoun 
County.  He  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  re- 
ceiving a  moderately  good  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Carlin  Precinct,  and  has  been  principally 
engaged  in  farming  during  the  course  of  his  life. 
For  several  seasons  he  ran  a  steam  threshing  ma- 
chine, threshing  grain  for  the  neighbors  and  meet- 
ing with  marked  success  in  that  line  of  business. 
Mr.  Becker  has  never  married,  enjoying  still  the 
freedom  of  "bachelor  life."  He  is  an  Independent 
in  politics,  voting  for  the  man  he  thinks  worthy  of 
the  desired  office  rather  than  for  the  pleasure  of 
an}'  one  party.  He  remains  with  his  father  at  the 
old  homestead  in  Carlin  Precinct  and  always  uses 
his  influence  for  the  improvement  of  the  commer- 
cial and  social  standing  of  this  precinct,  of  which 
he  is  one  of  the  most  intellectual  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens.  Another  representative  of  the 
Becker  family,  .loscph  W.  Becker,  is  Superintendent 


682 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALRL'M. 


of  the  Gilead  schools  in  Calhoun  County,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  successful  and  popular  educators  in 
this  county.  He  is  a  Prohibitionist  in  political  be- 
lief and  a  man  of  great  influence.  The  Becker 
family,  as  a  family,  is  generally  distinguished  for 
intellectuality,  unusual  influence  in  public  matters 
and  strict  integrity.  The3' are,  one  and  all,  enter- 
prising and  industrious  and  are  always  willing  to 
help  the  advancement  of  worthy  causes.  Their 
commercial  standing  is  excellent  and  they  rank 
among  the  most  highly  esteemed  and  most  widely 
known  families  in  this  section  of  Illinois. 

^f  SA  WINTER.  There  is  nothing  more  in- 
@yu[     teresting  than  the   biograpli3'  of  men  who 

\\l  ii  by  their  natural  ability  and  energj'  iiave 
(^  won  from  Dame  Fortune  her  smiles,  and  in 

helping  themselves  so  capabl}-  arc  of  great  benefit 
to  tiie  communities  in  which  they  reside.  It  is  al- 
ways a  pleasure  to  represent  such  men  in  the  pages 
of  our  Ai.nuM  which  is  read  by  the  best  class  of  men 
and  women  all  over  the  countr}'. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  Asa  Winter,  was  the 
third  in  number  of  the  ten  children  born  to  Williard 
0.  and  Racliel  (Higgins)  Winter.  His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Highland  County,  Ohio,  September  8, 
1844,  and  there  he  passed  his  3'outh  and  attended 
school  and  received  a  fair  education  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  all  schools  at  that  time  were  without  the 
mental  training  tiiat  they  possess  at  the  present 
date. 

Mr.  Winte'-  came  to  Pike  County  in  1H65  and 
two  _ycars  later,  on  the  21st  of  March,  was  married 
in  Higliland  County  to  Miss  Mar}-  J.  Morris, 
daughter  of  Pierson  and  Eliza  (Shields)  Morris, 
natives  of  Ohio.  She  was  born  in  Clinton  County, 
Ohio,  May  20,  1846,  and  after  one  year  i)assed  in 
Pike  County  they  removed  to  her  native  place 
where  our  subject  engaged  in  farming  for  a  little 
more  than  a  year.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time 
Ihey  returned  to  Pike  County.  In  1872  he  removed 
to  Carroll  County,  Mo.,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  teaching  for  a  period  of  two  years,  but  at 
the  end  of  that   lime   returned   once  more  to  Pike 


County  and  has  continued  to  make  it  his  home  up 
to  the  present  writing.  He  is  the  owner  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine  land  and  is  a 
number  one  farmer,  taking  great  pride  in  his  occu- 
pation and  giving  much  careful  attention  to  the 
cultivation  of  his  estate. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  AVinter  are  the  happy  parents  of 
four  children,  viz.:  Othello  W.,  Nettie  E.,  Truman 
E.,  Walter  C,  and  it  would  be  difticnlt  to  picture  a 
more  contented  and  industrious  family  thiin  that 
of  our  subject.  His  wife  is  a  faithful  Christian  and 
an  active  meml)er  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  our 
subject  is  Elder  of  the  same.  He  also  takes  great 
interest  in  Sunday-school  work,  and  was  at  one 
time  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 

Tne  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  prominent  and 
popular  man  in  this  townshi|),  a  fact  clearly  proven 
bj-  his  being  railed  upon  at  various  times  to  fill 
offices  of  public  trust.  He  was  elected  Supervisor 
of  Newburg  Township  six  or  seven  times,  and  was 
Township  Clerk  for  man^'  terms.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Reijublican  party  and  much  interested  in  all 
political  issues  of  the  day. 

Mr.  Winter,  as  an  educator,  was  at  one  time  of 
great  assistance  in  this  community  and  labored 
faithfully  and  well  to  advance  the  educational 
standard  of  the  township.  His  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters  continues  great  and  he  loses  no 
opportunity  of  lending  his  influence  in  its  behalf. 


LCINOUS  SMYTH,  M.  D.  There  is  scarcely 
^1    any  other  profession  that  calls  for  the  same 
amount  of  intelligence,  general    infoiraa- 
,5^^  tion  and   good  judgment  that  is  requisite 

for  the  successful  practice  of  the  Esculapian  art. 
What  nobility  of  life,  what  gentleness  of  manner, 
and  above  all  what  strictness  of  integrity  is  de- 
manded of  those  into  whose  charge  we  entrust  our 
beloved  ones  w'hen  Death  seems  just  on  the  other 
side  of  the  door.  Among  the  physicians  who  .ip- 
preciating  the  great  confidence  placed  in  them  have 
mastered  their  profession  thorough!}"  and  acccoi- 
plished  wonderful  cures,  ranks  Dr.  A.  Smyth,  of 
Belleriew  Precinct,  Calhoun   County.     He  is  also 


I 


J 


l)aAaj^  HjU^^clpT' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


685 


a  skilled  surgeon  anrl  a  tuan  of  whom  the  eoramii- 
nity  is  proiul,  ennohling  as  he  does  the  profession 
that  he  has  chosen  for  his  life  work.  His  birth 
occurred  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  May  5,  1855,  he  being 
the  son  of  Jolin  G.  and  Mar^-  A.  Smyth,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respective!}'.  His  pater- 
nal ancestors  were  Germans,  and  his  father  is  dead. 

Dr.  Smyth  was  next  to  the  eldest  ciiild  in  his 
father's  farailj-  and  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Anderson  Count}-.  Kan.,  in  1859.  In  that  place  he 
passed  his  youth,  receiving  ail  the  educational  ad- 
vantages offered  in  tlial  section  of  the  State  of 
Illinois  at  tliat  day  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  com- 
menced a  business  career  for  himself,  being  em- 
ployed on  railroads  through  Indian  Territory  and 
Texas.  He  returned  to  Illinois  in  1873,  locating 
in  Pike  County  and  attending  the  High  School  at 
El  Dara  and  Barry  for  a  time.  He  afterward  at- 
tended Chaddock  College  at  Quincy  for  two  years 
and  after  completing  the  course  there  taught  school 
for  five  or  six  years  in  Pike  and  Calhoun  Counties, 
hut  chiefly  in  the  latter.  About  the  year  1878  he 
commenced  the  stud}'  of  medicine  and  in  1880-81 
took  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  He  first 
practiced  his  profession  at  Newport,  Ark.,  for  a  few 
months  and  then  taught  school  through  the  winter 
months  in  Belleview,  111. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  matrimonial  bonds 
witii  Miss  Clara  J.  Peck  in  1882  and  their  marriage 
has  been  blessed  with  two  children — Gertrude  and 
Amy  (deceased).  He  sustained  the  sad  loss  of  iiis 
wife  April  29,  1889,  and  greatly  mourned  the  loss 
of  the  beloved  companion  of  his  fireside  who  has 
always  been  so  faithful  and  kind  in  her  family.  Dr. 
Smyth  took  a  course  of  lectures  in  1883-84  at  the 
Quincy  College  of  Medicine,  being  graduated  from 
the  same  in  March,  1884.  In  1878-79  in  partner- 
ship with  Jennings,  Long  &  Co.  he  engaged  in 
mercantile  pursuits  at  Belleview.  In  May,  1884, 
he  settled  at  Iris  present  home  and  has  since  been 
constantly  engaged  in  the  practice  of  bis  profes- 
sion, winning  more  and  more  esteem  every  day 
and  accorded  a  high  place  in  the  friendship  of  those 
about  him.  He  owns  two  hundred  acres  of  fine 
land,  and  though  strictly  a  self-made  man  lias  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  top  in  his  profession  and  in 


acquiring  a  comfortable  fortune  by  means  of  his 
ability  and  perseverance.  He  is  a  member  of  llie 
Republican  party  but  in  local  matters  votes  for  the 
man  rather  than  from  party  prejudice.  Tiiusasday 
follows  day  to  be  lost  in  the  fatiiomless  depths  of 
time,  qstiie  wilderness  of  trees  and  brush  gives  pl.ice 
to  highly  cultivated  estates,  we  see  on  every 
side  unmistakable  evidences  that  everything  is  pos- 
sible to  him  who  labors  faithfully  and  well,  and 
that  success  invariably  crowns  active  service  in 
behalf  of  the  good  of  mankind. 


NDREW  SIIUHART  is  a  thrifty,  well-to- 
do  practical  member  of  the  farming  com- 
;')  munity  of  Pike  County,  and  is  pursuing 
his  calling  in  Barry  Township.  He  was 
born  October  18,  1835,  in  Germany  and  is  asonof 
Michael  and  Annie  Shuhart,  who  were  reared  and 
married  in  Germany  and  came  to  America  in  1851 
with  their  four  ciiildren.  Tliey  ni.ade  their  way  to 
this  State  and  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  pioneers  of 
Adams  County.  The  father  bought  a  tract  of 
timber  land  three  miles  northeast  of  Columbus,  a 
few  acres  of  which  were  improved  and  a  log  cabin 
stood  on  the  place  in  which  the  family  made  their 
home,  lie  actively  engaged  in  the  pioneer  work 
of  further  developing  his  land  and  resided  there 
many  years,  finally  selling  the  place  he  bought  for  a 
home  near  (.Quincy,  and  there  death  ended  his  mortal 
career.  The  mother  of  our  subject  survived  his 
fatlier  a  few  years  and  then  she  too  passed  away. 
Tlie  marriage  of  the  parents  was  blessed  to  them 
by  the  following  children, — Andrew,  Fred,  Jane 
and  Charley. 

Andrew  Shuhart  attended  the  excellent  schools 
of  his  native  land  quite  steadily  till  lie  was  fourteen 
years  old  and  gained  a  good  practical  education. 
He  then  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  weaver 
and  when  sixteen  years  old  came  to  America  witli 
his  parents.  He  lived  with  his  father  until  he  was 
twenty-three  and  was  of  great  assistance  to  him  in 
his  farm  labors  and  at  the  same  time  gained  a  good 
knowledge  of  agriculture.  He  married  and  rented 
a  farm  in  Adams  County,  and  carried   on    farming 


686 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


as  a  renter  till  1859;  he  then  came  to  Pike  County, 
and  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  given  liim  by  his 
father,  located  in  Pleasant  Vale  Tovvnsliip.  On 
that  place  he  resided  till  1880,  and  then  having 
married  Mrs.  House  settled  on  her  farm  in  Barry 
Township.  Here  he  is  pursuing  his  vocation  with 
marked  success,  his  steady  application  to  business 
and  iiis  excellent  management  bringing  him  in  a 
good  income. 

Mr.  Sliuhart  has  been  three  times  married.  Mary 
Englehart  was  the  maiden  name  of  his  first  wife, 
who  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America 
with  her  parents.  She  died  Noveml)er  23,  18G5. 
By  tiiat  marriage  our  subject  had  three  children, — 
Anton,  Frank  and  Fred.  The  second  marriage  of 
our  subject  was  with  Mar}'  A.  Hendrickson,  a  na- 
tive of  Maryland.  She  died  May  9,  1879,  leaving 
one  daughter,  Maggie  J. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  to  Mrs.  Sarah 
(Morris)  House,  was  celebrated  September  l(i,  1879. 
Mrs.  Shuhart  was  born  in  Davidson  County,  N.  C, 
August  6,  1829,  and  her  father,  Simeon  Morris,  is 
supposed  to  liave  been  born  in  ihe  same  State.  He 
learned  the  trade  of  a  hatter  and  followed  it  there 
till  1836,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  wife 
and  seven  children,  and  settled  in  McDonough 
County  as  one  of  its  pioneers.  The  removal  was 
made  overland  with  teams,  and  the  family  spent 
nine  weeks  on  the  road.  Mr.  Morris  entered  a 
tract  of  Government  land  about  twelve  miles  from 
Macomb  and  built  a  board  shant}'  on  it  for  a 
temporary  shelter,  subsequently  replacing  it  by  a 
sul)stantial  log  house.  At  that  time,  deer,  wild 
turkeys  and  other  kinds  of  game  were  plenly,  the 
country  being  so  sparsely  settled  that  the  wild 
animals  had  not  been  driven  from  their  old  haunts. 
There  were  no  railways  there  for  years  and  Quinc}' 
!ind  Rushville  were  the  nearest  markets.  Mr. 
]\Iorris  cleared  a  farm  on  which  he  resided  till  his 
death,  and  a  part  of  his  old  homestead  is  now  in 
tiie  possession  of  his  son. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Shuhart's  mother  was 
Hannah  Freeman.  She  died  in  North  Carolina, 
.about  1833,  and  Mr.  Morris  married  a  second  time, 
Martha  Kenneday  becoming  his  wife.  She  died  on 
the  home  farm  in  McDonough  County.  The  wife 
of  our  subject  was  si\  years  old  when  she  came    to 


Illinois  with  her  parents  and  has  a  clear  recollection 
of  the  incidents  of  pioneer  life  here.  Her  mother 
used  to  card,  spin  and  weave  and  made  all  the 
cloth  used  in  the  family.  Mrs.  Shuhart  also  learned 
to  spin  and  weave,  becoming  quite  expert  in  both. 
She  lived  with  her  parents  till  her  marriage  in  1849 
to  Solomon  House. 

Mr.  House  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  son  of 
John  House,  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  a  pioneer 
of  Barry  Township  where  he  spent  his  last  years. 
He  was  a  boy  in  his  teens  when  he  came  to  Pike 
County  with  his  parents.  He  was  reared  on  the 
parental  homestead  and  at  the  time  of  marriage 
settled  on  the  farm  where  Mrs.  Shuhart  now  resides. 
At  that  time  there  were  a  few  acres  cleared  and  a 
log  house  stood  on  the  place  in  which  he  and  his 
bride  commenced  housekeeping.  He  resided  here  j 
till  his  demise  in  the  month  of  January,  1860.  In 
the  meantime  he  hid  been  prospered  and  by  diligent 
labor  had  secured  a  good  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres  of  well-cultivated  land.  By  that  marriage 
Mrs.  Shuhart  became  the  mother  of  four  children,  ■ 
namely:  Benjamin,  Mary,  Emma  and  Solomon. 

A  lithographic  portrait  of  Mrs.  Shuhart  may  be  i 
found  on  anoiher  page  of  this  volume. 


HARLES  R.  SHAW,  who  is  a  member  of  ! 
the  Pike  County  Board  of  h;upervisors,  is  a 
prominent  farmer  and  grain-buyer  of  Rouk- 
port,  where  he  has  his  home,  his  extensive  fanning 
interests  centering  in  Atlas  Township.  He  is  a 
native-born  citizen  of  this  county  his  birth  taking 
place  November  27,  1853.  His  father,  Henry  B. 
Shaw  was  an  early  settler  and  was  at  one  time  a 
prominent  and  influential  farmer  of  Martinsburg 
Township.  He  came  of  fine  old  Revolutionary  stock, 
both  his  father  and  grandfather  having  been  ofli- 
cers  in  that  war  and  he  was  born  in  South  Wilbra- 
ham,  Mass.,  August  24,1812.  He  was  reared  in 
Massachusetts,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
carpenter  and  after  coming  to  Pike  County  in  the 
spring  of  1836,  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  his 
trade,  while  his  wife  and  bojs  managed  his  farm. 
He    was    considered  the   finest    carpenter   in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


687 


county  and  erected  some  of  the  largest  gristmills 
and  many  of  the  best  buildings  in  this  part  of  the 
I'ountry  during  his  lifetime.  He  became  an  exten- 
sive landowner  and  was  quite  wealthy.  He  died 
January  3,  188G,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  His 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Collins, 
was  born  on  Wood  River,  Madison  County,  111., 
November  2,  1815,  and  is  still  living  with  her  son 
Fred.  For  further  p.ireutal  history'  and  account  of 
ancestry  see  sketch  of  the  brother  of  our  subject  on 
another  page  of  this  volume. 

Charles  R.  Siiaw  of  whom  this  is  a  life  record, 
passed  his  early  youth  in  attending  school  at  .Sum- 
mer Hill  near  his  home  and  working  on  his  father's 
farm.  He  remained  an  inmate  of  the  parental 
liouseiiold  until  he  was  twenty-four  years  old,  but 
lie  began  farming  for  himself  witli  his  father  when 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  the  mouth  of 
February,  1880,  he  removed  to  Rockport,  111.,  and 
purchased  his  present  neat  frame  residence  in 
which  he  lived  and  rented  his  father's  farm  after 
the  death  of  the  latter  in  1886.  In  July,  1880,  he 
began  buying  and  shipping  wheat  from  Rockport, 
in  partneiship  with  II.  L.  Anderson,  of  Summer 
Hill.  Tliere  is  a  great  deal  of  wheat  raised  and 
marketed  at  Rockport  and  they  have  bought  .<ind 
sold  as  high  as  seventy  thousand  bushels  in  a  single 
year,  and  are  carrying  on  a  large  and  lucrative  bus- 
iness in  that  line. 

Uur  subject  has  been  prosperous  and  now  owns 
five  hundred  acres  of  land,  of  which  two  hundred 
and  thirty  .acres  arc  rich  Mississippi  bottom  land 
and  forms  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Atlas  Town- 
siiip.  He  farms  quite  extensively  and  raises  a 
good  many  cattle  and  sheep.  He  has  an  attractive 
home  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  of  Rockport, 
his  pleasant  dwelling  being  surrounded  by  beauti- 
ful shade  trees. 

Mr.  Shaw  was  married  December  19,  1876,  to 
Miss  Clara  A.  Roosa,  who  was  born  at  Atlas,  in 
Pike  County,  February  22.  18f>3.  Her  father  was 
Herman  M.  Roosa,  who  was  born  in  Sullivan 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1831.  His  father,  Tunis  J. 
Roosa,  was  born  in  Ulster  County,  N.  Y.,  April  9, 
1809,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Roosa  who  was  also  a 
native  of  that  county,  where  he  was  born  February 
23,  1790.     His  father,   Tunis   Roosa,  great-great- 

f 


grandfather  of  Mrs.  Shaw,  is  thought  to  have  been 
a  native  of  Holland.  He  was  a  large  landowner 
and  an  extensive  farmer  of  Ulster  County  and  he 
had  many  slaves.  He  died  there  at  a  ripe  old  age. 
Mrs.  Shaw's  great-grandfather  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade  and  a  very  extensive  farmer  of  Sullivan 
County,  N.  Y.  When  he  was  fifty  years  of  age  he 
sold  his  farm  for  $40,000.  He  was  an  old  line 
Whig  in  politics  and  was  in  oflice  a  good  deal  of 
the  time.  He  died  August  20,  1845.  Mrs.  Shaw's 
grandfather  was  for  a  time  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  at  EUenville,  N.  Y.  After  a  lime  he  came 
westward  and  for  eight  years  was  engaged  as  an 
engineer  on  a  steamboat  on  the  Mississippi  River. 
He  was  afterward  interested  in  the  nicrcantile  bus- 
iness at  Atlas  and  Naples,  111.,  and  also  at  Onaga, 
and  Louisville,  Kan.  He  died  at  the  latter  jilace 
at  upwards  of  eighty  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  Shaw's  father  came  with  his  parents  to  Scott 
County,  this  State  when  nine  years  of  age,  and 
soon  afterwards  accompanied  them  to  Atlas,  where 
he  grew  up  on  a  farm.  With  the  exce[)tion  of  two 
years  spent  in  farming  near  Manhattan,  Kan.,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Atlas 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  sold 
out,  raised  a  company  of  soldiers  of  which  he  was 
appointed  Captain,  and  went  South.  He  was  Cap- 
tain of  Company  D,  Third  Missouri  Cavalry  and 
served  with  distinction  through  the  entire  war.  He 
was  afterward  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
at  Libert}',  Mo.,  and  later  went  to  California  where 
he  managed  a  large  stock  ranch  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  finally  returned  eastward  as  far  as 
Leavenworth,  Kan.,  where  he  died  May  15,  1889. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Shaw's  mother  was 
Edna  C.  Adams,  who  is  a  sister  to  Jeremiah  G. 
Adams,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewdiere  in 
this  volume.  She  was  born  in  1832  and  is  still 
living  at  Atlas.  She  reared  five  children^Clara 
A.,  Cornelius,  Ettie,  Loui  and  Ernest.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Shaw  have  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five 
children,  whom  they  have  named  Clay,  Bessie, 
Ettie,  Henry  B.  and  Helen. 

This  brief  record  of  the  life  career  of  our  sub- 
ject shows  him  to  be  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
business  talent,  s.agacity  and  fore.'^ight,  and  these 
traits  of  character,  which  arc  seconded  l>y  a  high 


688 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


reputation  for  unimpeachable  integrity,  Lave 
placed  him  among  the  most  valuable  citizens  of 
Atlas  Township,  and  have  made  him  influential  in 
the  management  of  public  affairs.  He  has  held  the 
offices  of  Treasurer  and  School  Trustee,  and  is  now 
serving  his  second  term  as  Supervisor  of  Atlas.  In 
him  the  Republican  party  finds  a  ready  and  intel- 
ligent champion. 

OLOMON  T.  JOHNSTON,  whose  sketch 
is  now  presented,  ranks  among  the  pioneers 
of  Pike  County,  who  by  their  undaunted 
courage  and  industry  transformed  a  coun- 
try where  Nature  reigned  supreme  into  blooming 
landscapes  and  flourishing  cities.  It  is  difficult  to 
realize  tiiat  a  few  short  years  ago  the  prosperous 
and  highly  cultivated  State  of  Illinois  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  red  man,  and  that  deer  and  wild 
turkeys  roamed  at  will,  with  little  fear  of  losing 
their  freedom.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  great  in- 
fluence, having  served  both  his  country  and  his  im- 
mediate neigliborhood  in  time  of  trouble,  and  being 
distinguished  by  strengtli  of  character  and  integrity 
of  purpose. 

Mr.  Johnston  was  born  in  Beaver  County,  Pa., 
November  12,  1832,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Cat!iarine(Main)  Johnston,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
His  parents  were  married  in  Beaver  County  about 
1822  or  1823.  His  father  served  in  tlie  War  of 
1812,  and  took  part  in  the  siege  of  Baltimore.  He 
enlisted  in  Captain  Roll's  company  of  New  Jersey 
troops  and  was  very  faithful  while  danger  menaced 
the  country.  After  his  marriage  he  continued  to 
reside  in  Pennsylvania  until  1850,  at  which  date  he 
moved  to  Pike  County,  settling  in  Hardin  Town- 
ship. He  died  hero  in  1865,  and  was  true  to  the 
Democratic  party  all  his  life.  His  wife  passed  to 
her  final  resting  place  in  Pike  Count}',  Mo., 
in  1887,  being  at  the  time  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather, 
Richard  Jolinston,  was  a  native  of  Ireland  but 
came  to  America  while  quite  joung  and  located  in 
New  Jersey.  His  maternal  grandfather  Main,  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Beaver  County,  Pa.   He 


figured  prominently  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  To 
Mr.  Johnston's  parents  were  born  seven  children, 
four  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Our  subject  received  a  common-school  education 
in  his  native  State,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  com- 
menced a  business  career  for  himself,  working  at 
the  carpenter  trade  occasionally  and  devoting  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  to  agricultural  pursuits. 
He  was  at  first  compelled  to  work  for  others,  farm- 
ing, doing  carpenter  work,  making  rails,  shingles, 
etc.,  but  in  1856  he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  19,  in  Montezuma  Township.  He  bought 
this  land  for  $1.25  per  acre,  and  at  the  time  of  tlie 
purchase  it  was  barren  land,  destitute  of  any  sign 
of  cultivation.  However  he  settled  upon  it,  and 
after  building  a  log  house  commenced  the  cultiva- 
tion of  sixty-five  acres.  This  property  is  still  in 
his  possession  and  is  very  valuable  now. 

Mr.  Johnston  moved  to  his  present  farm  on  sec- 
tion 32,  in  1884.  This  property  was  highly  culti- 
vated when  he  bought  it  and  his  handsome  resi- 
dence was  complete  at  that  time.  He  has  built 
fences,  two  large  barns,  sheds,  etc.  The  barns  cost 
$900.  He  owns  four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
laud,  nearly  all  good  farming  soil  and  over  three 
hundred  acres  of  it  under  plow.  Here  he  carries 
on  a  mixed  farming  business  and  also  devotes  much 
attention  to  stock  raising. 

In  1853  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  to 
l\Iiss  Susan  Heavner,  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Smith)  Heavner,  natives  of  Virginia  and 
Kentucky  respectively.  Her  birth  occurred  August 
3,  1834,  in  Hardin  Township,  and  here  she  received 
an  education  in  the  log  sehoolhouses  common  in 
those  days.  Mrs.  Johnston's  parents  were  married 
in  Kentucky  and  resided  in  that  State  until  1829, 
at  which  time  they  moved  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Scott  County.  In  the  following  spring  tlicy  moved 
to  Pike  County,  locating  in  Hardin  Township  and 
just  before  their  death  they  moved  to  Montezuma 
Township,  making  their  home  on  section  19.  Her 
father  died  in  1871  and  her  mother  in  1869.  They 
were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity  and  nine  of  whom  are  living  at 
the  present  time.  Her  fatlier  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812  and  was  under  Gen.  Jackson  in  the 
battle  of  New  Orleans  in  1814.  He  helped  to  build 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


689 


the  first  storehouse  in  Pittsfiekl.  Jlrs.  Jolinston  is 
11  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  talies  great 
interest  in  Sun(la_v  school  worlv. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnston  are  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  nine  of  niiom  are  now  living,  viz:  Melinda 
J.,  wife  of  Philip  W.  Thomas,  who  resides  in  Har- 
din Township;  Mary  Louisa,  wife  of  Robert  O. 
Cox,  who  resides  in  Hardin  Township  and  has  four 
children;  Ellen,  who  married  Hardin  J.  Calleuder 
of  Montezuma  Township,  and  has  one  child; 
Tliomas  J.,  who  married  Miss  Delia  E.  Crawford, 
makes  liis  home  in  Montezuma  Township  and  has 
two  children;  Allen  D.,  Otis,  Eva,  Edwin  P.  and 
Frank.  p]dwin  P.  holds  a  first-grade  certificate  as 
a  teacher  and  has  taught  scliool  with  great  success 
through  two  terms.  He  is  an  unusually  bright 
young  man  and  exceedingly  intellectual  in  his  tastes 
and  inclinations.  Besides  talent  he  possesses  good 
judgment  and  energy  and  though  j'oung  has  al- 
ready achieved  an  enviable  reputation  for  bril- 
liancy, strict  integrity  and  cordial  manners.  All  of 
the  children  received  good  educations  and  have 
promising  futures  before  them. 

Mr.  Johnston  has  served  nine  years  as  School 
Director  and  has  also  been  Collector  for  Mon- 
tezuma Township.  He  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the 
political  issues  of  the  daj'  and  is  a  strong  Demo- 
crat. 

Our  subject  h.as  an  excellent  war  record,  and 
still  suffers  from  the  effects  of  service.  He  enlisted 
August  9,  1862,  in  Company  E,  Ninety-ninth  Illi- 
nois Regiment,  enlisting  as  a  Corporal.  The  reg- 
iment was  sent  to  Benton  Barracks,  .St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  from  there  went  to  Rolla,  then  to  Salem,  to 
Houston  and  to  Hartville  in  Missouri,  and  took 
part  in  an  engagement  at  the  latter  named  |)lace. 
They  then  returned  to  Houston,  went  to  West 
Plains,  to  Middlebrook  and  to  St.  Genevieve,  Mo. 
They  took  passage  on  a  steamboat  and  landed  at 
Milliken's  Bend,  from  which  point  they  went  to 
New  Carthage  with  Generals  Grant  and  Sherman. 
They  marched  to  Grand  Gulf  and  witnessed  the 
battle  between  the  Union  gunboats  and  the  Rebel 
batteries.  They  next  embarked  for  Bruinsburg, 
Miss.,  and  from  that  point  marched  eleven  miles 
toward  Port  Gibson,  where  they  engaged  with  the 
enemy  May  1  and  2,  1863.  Early  in  the  morning  of 


May  1  our  subject  while  on  his  way  down  a  hollow 
to  take  a  battery  at  the  Magnolia  Church,  was 
struck  in  the  right  breast  by  a  minie  ball.  It 
passed  inward,  backward  and  downward,  lodging 
against  the  backbone  beneath  the  muscles  of  the 
back,  and  remains  in  that  positi<m  at  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Johnston,  after  this  fearful  accident, 
w.as  conveyed  to  a  private  house — Grant's  hospital 
— where  he  remained  about  a  week.  He  has  never 
been  well  since  and  suffers  constantly  from  this 
wound.  At  the  end  of  the  week  he  went  to  Grand 
Gulf  and  from  there  to  the  mouth  of  Vicksburg 
Canal,  then  by  army  wagon  to  Young's  Point,  and 
from  there  to  a  hosi)ital  at  Memphis,  Tcnn.,  reach- 
ing there  after  a  month  and  eight  daj-s.  He 
remained  in  thnt  hosi)ital  until  he  was  honorably 
discharged  November  8,  1803. 

Mr.  Johnston  is  a  wealthy  and  inlluenlial  citizen 
of  Montezuma  Township  and  one  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  represent  in  our  Alblm,  in  which  we 
seek  to  give  biographical  sketches  of  those  gentle- 
men who  by  their  energy,  bravery  and  success 
have  made  for  themselves  "footprints  on  the  sands 
of  time"  that  3-ounger  people  may  well  take  as  a 
guide  in  their  careers. 

,,  : sg^JJ^^c       :    . 

<«  IfelLLIAM  T.  IXtiLE.  There  is  a  peculiar 
\/\///  charm  attached  to  the  lives  of  those  men 
W^  who  have  been  familiar  with  the  pioneer 
days  of  their  county  and  who  can  recall  incidents 
that  seem  truly  wonderful  to  one  beholding  only 
the  progress  of  civilization  on  every  side.  It  is 
difficult  to  realize  th.nt  but  a  short  time  ago  the 
now  highly  cultivated  laiuls  of  Richwoods  Precinct, 
Calhoun  County,  were  covered  with  heavy  timber, 
and  that  in  place  of  intellectual  and  active  business 
men,  ved  men  roamed  at  will  through  the  laiul  of 
their  fathers. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Sullivan 
County,  Indiana,  April  4,  1822,  and  was  six  years 
of  age  when  lie  came  with  his  mother  to  Calhoun 
County.  She  is  in  point  of  settlement  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  in  this  county,  and  while  our  sub- 
ject was  quite  young  she  went  through  all  the  trials 


il 


G90 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


and  liardships  of  [jioneer  life,  cooking,  laisinir  cot- 
ton :uk1  flax  and  weaving  clotLes  for  the  family. 
He  wore  buckskin  pants  and  coat,  taking  the 
skin  from  deer  and  dressing  it  liimself.  At  an 
carl3'  age  he  commenced  assisting  his  mother  in  the 
management  of  her  affairs  by  tilling  the  soil  and 
making  himself  generally'  useful. 

Mr.  Ingle  left  home  when  sixteen  years  of  age 
and  engaged  with  a  farmer  named  Denny  who 
lived  on  Garden  Creek,  St.  Charles  County,  JNIo., 
receiving  in  compensation  for  his  services  first  $12 
per  month  and  after  a  time  $18.  While  working 
in  this  way  he  saved  enough  money  to  purchase  a 
small  farm,  and  after  building  a  log  house  on  an 
island  he  engaged  in  hauling  wood  to  sell  to  the 
steamers.  He  continued  to  deal  in  wood  until  the 
time  of  his  marriage,  and  then  rented  land  in  Point 
Precinct,  and  afterwards  took  possession  of  the 
place  where  he  now  resides.  It  was  covered  with 
timber  and  brush,  but  he  has  cleared  the  land  and 
cultivated  the  soil  most  successfully,  and  to-day 
owns  a  valuable  estate.  His  farm  embraces  two 
iuuidred  and  eleven  and  one-lialf  acres  of  highly  im- 
proved land  and  he  is  generally  conceded  to  be 
one  of  the  6nest  farmers  in  Calhoun  County. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Marj'  V.  Winchester, 
November  7,  1843.  She  was  born  in  Tennessee 
March  16,  1827,  and  died  January  2,  1872.  After 
her  death  our  subject  was  again  married  Janu- 
ary 28,  1873,  to  Miss  Margaret  A.  Johnson,  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Fayette  County',  111.,  April  12, 
1844.  His  first  marriage  was  blessed  with  nine 
children,  viz.:  James  M.,  Keziah  J..  George  W., 
Joel  E.,  Mary  E.,  William  H.,  Benjamin  F.,  Sarah 
A.  and  Diton  U.  Of  the  second  union  were  born 
two  children,  viz.:  Eva  and  Columbus. 

Mrs.  Ingle's  father,  Isaac  Johnson,  was  born 
in  Tennessee,  and  her  grandfather,  Henry  Johnson 
removed  from  thatStatje  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Fay- 
ette County  and  from  that  point  moved  to  Mis- 
souri. Her  father  w.as  young  when  the  famil}' 
removed  to  Fayette  County,  and  in  that  place  he  re- 
ceived his  education  and  afterward  learned  the 
blacksmith  trade  in  .Shelb^'ville,  111.  He  moved  to 
Shelby  County  in  1845,  and  there  followed  his 
trade  up  to  the  lime  of  his  death  which  occurred 
in  the  yeai-  1858.     Mrs,  Ingle  was  an  infant  at  the 


time  of  her  mother's  death,  and  resided  with  her 
grandparents  until  her  father  was  married  the 
second  time,  and  llien  lived  with  her  step-mother 
in  Shelb3villc  until  she  reached  her  fourteenth 
year.  She  then  passed  two  years  in  Calhoun 
County,  and  from  this  place  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  she  lived  up  to  the  time  of  her  marriage. 

Our  subject's  father,  Aaron  Ingle,  was  a  pioneer 
of  Sullivan  County,  Ind.,  and  spr nt  his  last  years 
there.  In  1828  our  subject's  mother  came  with 
her  children  to  Calhoun  County  b}-  waj-  of  the 
Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Bloom's 
Landing.  The  family  located  in  what  is  now  known 
as  Bellshollow,  in  Richwoods  Precinct,  which  was 
formerly  known  as  Cave  Spring  Hollow.  The 
countrj'  at  that  time  was  very  wild  and  turkeys, 
panthers,  and  many  different  kinds  of  animals 
abounded  everywhere. 


■A^-- 
■^,  « 


■^  AMES  W.  FOREMAN,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  is  one  of  the  wealthy  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens  of  Detroit  Township,  Pike 
County,  and  has  been  largelj-  instrumental 
in  bringing  about  the  prosperity  that  distinguishes 
this  part  of  the  county.  His  father,  David  Fore- 
man, was  born  near  Lexington,  Ky.,  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation,  and  figured  in  the  War  of  1812. 
His  mother  who,  previous  to  her  marriage  was  Miss 
Margaret  Gallaway,  was  born  in  Ireland.  They 
were  married  in  Kenlnck}-  and  resided  there  for  a 
number  of  years,  after  which  they  moved  to  High- 
hind  County,  Ohio.  At  the  expiration  of  four  years 
they  removed  to  Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  and 
thence  to  Warren  County,  Ind.  In  1839  they 
came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Newburg  Township, 
Pike  County.  Our  subject's  mother  died  in  183.5, 
and  his  father  married  again.  His  death  occurred 
in  July,  18G2.  The  first  marriage  w.as  blessed  with 
thirteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are  now  living,  and 
seven  children  were  born  of  the  second  union. 

Our  subject  was  born  March  6,  1820,  in  High- 
land County,  Ohio,  and  attended  the  log  school- 
houses  in  the  State  of  Indiana.     He  commenced  a 


i 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


691 


career  for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and 
the  extent  of  his  worldly  goods  was  one  blind 
liorse.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in  the  summer  and 
in  a  cooper  shop  tiirough  the  winter  months.  In 
1840  he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  two  and  one  half 
miles  north  of  Pittsfield,  but  after  renting  tliat 
farm  for  two  years  he  removed  southeast  of  I'itts- 
lieid  about  two  and  one-iialf  miles,  where  he  rented 
a  farm  for  five  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  lie  bought  a  tract  of  land  containing  eighty 
acres  and  situated  three  miles  southeast  of  Pitts- 
field.  After  three  months  he  removed  to  anotlier 
place  and  tinally  traded  with  his  father  for  his 
present  farm,  upon  which  he  has  lived  forty-two 
years.  He  has  added  to  his  original  estate  and  now 
owns  three  hundred  and  eighty-three  acres  of  val- 
uable land  highly  improved. 

Jlr.  Foreman  was  married  in  1840,  on  the  "23d 
(if  December,  to  IMiss  Jane  Jsorton,  daughter  of 
John  and  Zruraha  (Cliadwick)  Norton,  natives  of 
Maine.  She  was  born  April  17,  1820.  near  the 
Muskingum  River,  Ohio,  while  the  family  was  re- 
moving to  Indiana,  and  received  her  education  iu 
the  latter  .State.  Her  parents  were  married  in 
Maine  and  removed  to  Indiana  in  the  year  1820. 
settling  in  Warren  County,  and  in  1846  removed  to 
Illinois  where  they  located  in  Hardin  Townshii). 
Pike  Count}'.  Her  father  was  a  cooper  and  farmer 
j  and  died  when  seventy-four  years  old.  Her  mother 
I  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-four.  Their  union  was 
blessed  with  fifteen  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
now  living. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foreman  are  the  parents  of 
eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  are  living  at  the 
present  writing,  viz:  Norton,  who  married  Miss 
Ellen  Bond,  lives  in  Butler  County,  Kas..  and  has 
seven  children;  Townsend,  who  married  Miss  Mary 
Golilman  and  makes  his  home  in  Detroit;  Try- 
phena,  wife  of  Joseph  Shriver,  lives  in  Macou- 
pin County  and  has  five  children;  Taylor,  who 
married  Miss  Julia  Goldman,  lives  in  Detroit  and 
has  one  child;  Claj',  who  Hiarried  Miss  Marj- 
Blades,  lives  in  Nebraska  and  has  four  children; 
Orplia,  wife  of  lleniy  Shrirer.  lives  in  Newburg 
Township  and  has  one  child;  Lincoln,  wlio  married 
Miss  Maggie  Swearingen  lives  in  Morgan  County 
and  has  one  child;  Union,  twin  brother  to  Lincoln, 


wlio  married  Miss  Laura  Harris  (deceased)  i\iid  has 
two  children;  and  Cordelia,  wife  of  Everett  AVill- 
iams,  lives  in  Detroit  and  has  three  children.  All 
were  carefully  reared  and  the  parents  liave  iust 
cause  for  pride  in  the  fact  that  the  sons  do  not 
drink  nor  gamble  and  the  daughters  are  excellent 
wives,  mothers  and  neighbors.  The  son  Lincoln  was 
graduated  from  the  American  Medical  College  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  his  tastes  having  led  him  toward  pro- 
fessional life;  he  is  now  practicing  successfully,  and 
winning  encomiums  for  his  ability. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Baptist 
Church — the  old  Primitive  Baptist.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  they  have  worked  hard  and 
long  they  are  in  quite  good  health  and  their  facul- 
ties are  strong  and  vigorous.  All  that  they  have 
of  worldly  goods,  with  the  exception  of  §400  re- 
ceived from  his  father's  estate,  has  been  accumu- 
lated b}'  their  own  industry  and  perseverance.  In 
1849  Mr.  Foreman  builta  cooper  shop  on  his  farm, 
but  that  and  his  dwelling  house  were  burned  the 
same  year.  He  built  a  new  residence  iinmediatel}- 
and  got  out  the  timber,  weatherboarding  and 
shingles  himself.  Mr.  Foreman  has  served  as  School 
Director  for  three  years;  he  was  first  a  Whig  and 
is  now  a  Republican  in  politics. 


-o♦<»^^<^^•.o♦o^ 


-<»— ' 


LBERT     BARBKR.      As  the  world  grows 
older,  competition  in  every  line  of  business 
grows    more   and    more   pronounced,   and 
(^^  ha|)py  are    those    who    find    in    the    calm 

serenity  of  country  life  both  wealth  and  happiness. 
Onr  subject  is  one  of  the  representative  agricul- 
turists and  stock-raisers  of  Belleview  Precinct, 
Calhoun  County,  where  he  makes  his  home  on 
section  1.  His  birth  occurred  in  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, May  20,  1828,  and  he  w.as  the  son  of  .Tames  B. 
.and  Kliza  Barlier,  natives  of  England. 

Mr.  Barber  remained  in  his  native  country  until 
he  reached  his  fourteenth  year,  and  then  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  Arthur  S.,  emigrated  to 
America  in  order  to  find  a  new  home  and  liroader 
scope  for  money  making.  He  took  passage  at 
Liverpool  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  after  an   ocean 


692 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


voyage  of  seven  weeks  landed  in  New  York  City. 
He  made  his  home  in  New  York  State  for  about  a 
3ear.  His  brother  was  a  teacher  by  profession  and 
is  now  serving  as  Postmaster  at  Alameda,  Cal.  From 
New  York  our  subject  moved  to  Wisconsin  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
working  out  for  others.  He  moved  from  that  State 
to  Missouri,  settling  in  Lincoln  County.  In  1863 
lie  removed  with  his  family  to  Calhoun  County, 
where  he  farmed  on  rented  land  for  several  3'ears, 
settling  on  his  present  farm  about  the  year  1870. 
He  has  continued  to  make  this  place  his  home  up 
to  the  present  writing  and  has  cultivated  his  estate 
after  doing  much  hard  ))ionecr  work  and  under- 
going all  the  deprivations  peculiar  to  pioneer  da3'S. 
He  owns  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valua- 
ble land  all  of  which  was  acquired  by  his  faithful 
service  and  energetic  habits. 

Our  suliject  was  married  in  Lincoln  County,  Mo- 
on May  3,  1853,  to  Miss  Nancy  M.  Ashe,  whose 
lirth  occurred  in  Pike  County,  Mo.,  October  5, 
1831.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Susan 
(Plunkett)  Ashe,  natives  of  Kentucky.  This  mar- 
riage has  been  blessed  with  six  children,  three  of 
wiiom  are  living,  viz:  William,  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
F.  M.  Elledge;  and  Charles  H.  Those  who  are  dead 
were  named  as  follows:  James  B.,  !Mary  E.  and 
Artiiur  J.  jNIrs  Barber  has  been  in  the  truest 
sense  of  the  word  a  liel|)mate  to  her  husband 
and  by  her  gentle  counsel  and  loving  treatment 
under  all  circumstances  has  made  the  struggles  that 
attend  a  business  career  light  to  endure. 

Mr.  Barber  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  has  been  a  candidate  for  Assessor,  Treasurer 
and  County  Commissioner.  He  has  always  mani- 
fested a  lively  interest  in  the  public  good  of  the 
community  in  wliich  he  resides  and  has  many  warm 
personal  fiiends  both  in  mercantile  and  political 
circles.  Success  has  crowned  his  business  ventures; 
he  and  his  wife  are  now  in  the  prime  of  life, 
and  are  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  that  money 
can  procure,  and  by  loving  children  and  a  host  of 
friends.  They  both  have  the  pleasure  of  looking 
back  upon  lives  well  and  profitably  spent.  Our 
subject's  career  and  popularity  illustrate  the  fact 
that  our  brothers  who  come  to  us  from  across  the 
waters  are  .as  a  rule   very  valuable  citizens,  and 


bring  with  them  habits  of  strict  integrity  and  tire- 
less energj'  that  enable  them  to  hew  out  flattering 
paths  for  their  journey  through  life  in  a  nevv  coun- 


h 


try. 


^^ 


ENRY  SLEEPER.  Among  the  native^ 
born  citizens  of  Calhoun  County  who  are 
winning  a  competence  from  her  fertile  soil 
is  the  gentleman  above  named,  who  owns 
and  occupies  a  fine  tract  of  land  not  far  from  the 
county  seat.  His  estate  consists  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres,  a  part  of  which  is  timber,  but 
much  rich  bottom  land.  It  forms  a  part  of  the 
homestead  which  his  father  purchased  some  years 
ago.  That  part  which  is  under  the  plow  has  been 
so  thoroughly  developed  as  to  yield  abundantly 
and  the  farm  is  a  valuable  piece  of  property. 

Henry  Schleeper,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  and  came  to  America 
when  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  soon  located  in 
Calhoun  County,  where  he  set  himself  industriously 
to  improve  his  financial  condition.  Being  per- 
fectly trustworthy  and  having  good  habits  he  found 
employment  and  retained  the  confidence  of  those 
for  whom  he  worked.  For  quite  a  length  of  time 
he  was  in  the  eniplo3'  of  John  McDonald,  an  hon- 
ored pioneer,  and  so  well  did  he  use  his  time  that 
he  was  finally  able  to  establish  himself  on  rented 
land.  For  a  time  he  made  his  home  in  Kichwoods 
and  later  in  Gilead  Precinct,  but  finally  bought  a 
tract  of  land,  a  considerable  part  of  which  was  in- 
cluded in  the  Illinois  river  bottoms.  He  accumu- 
lated a  large  landed  estate  which  is  now  owned  by 
his  heirs.  He  died  on  the  home  farm  in  18G1.  TLe 
maiden  name  of  his  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
was  Catherine  Kalverhoff.  She  was  a  native  of  the 
Fatherland  and  died  in  Hardin  Precinct  in  1857. 

Our  subject  opened  his  e3es  to  the  light  Septem- 
ber 29,  1847.  He  was  quite  young  when  his  par- 
ents died  and  much  of  his  3'outhful  training  was 
received  from  his  step-parents.  He  inherited  a  por- 
tion of  his  father's  estate  and  has  continued  to  cul- 
tivate it  since  his  3'outh.  Like  his  father  befori' 
him  he  is  industrious,  of  good  habits  and  ener- 
getic and  he  is  therefore  making  of  his  life's  labors 


i    i 


'i: 


■•■  %. 

^i.a&^«C' 

■■■*    ■-- 

?:...r. 

RESIDENCE  OF  HENRY    5  IE  EPER  ,  StC.IS.HARDl  N    PRECT.  CALHOUM  CO  1  LL. 


ST.MICHAEL'5   CHURCH-   CRATER   PRECT.  CALHOUN   CO.I  LL.  REV.  C.  SOMM  ER,  PA5T0R  , 


i 


^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


695 


.1  success.  He  is  able  to  surround  liis  family  with 
the  man}'  comforts  wiiicli  a  well-to-flo  farmer  can 
enjov  and  to  bestow  upon  his  children  good  ad- 
vantages. He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  lielongs  to  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church. 

Jlr.  Sleeper  took  to  himself  a  wife  Februarj'  4, 
1875,  the  lady  whom  he  won  being  Miss  Catherine 
Heger.  She  was  born  in  Richwoods  Precinct,  is  a 
capable  housewife,  an  efficient  helpmate  and  an 
affectionate  mother.  To  the  happy  couple  four 
children  have  been  born, — Lena,  Henry,  IMarj'  and 
Edward  .1.  A  view  of  the  home  of  the  Sleepers  fit- 
tingly accompanies  this  sketch. 


EV.  FATHER  CLEMENS  SOMMER,  pas- 
tor of  St.  Michael's  Roman  Catholic  Church 
in  Crater  Precinct  and  also  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  at  Kampsville,  is  one  of 
the  leading  clerg3raen  of  Calhoun  Count}',  whom 
it  is  a  pleasurcato  represent  in  this  Album.  He  is  a 
native  of  Prussia,  born  in  the  province  of  West- 
phalia, .July  20,  1852.  His  parents,  Anton  and 
Elizabeth  Sommer,  are  deceased.  He  began  his 
attendance  on  the  iniblic  schools  of  Germany  when 
five  years  old,  conlinuing  it  until  he  had  entered 
his  teens  when  he  became  a  student  in  the  college 
at  Brilon.  He  spent  about  two  years  there,  after 
which  followed  five  years  at  Paderborn  and  four 
years  at  Munster.  This  in  turn  was  followed  by 
six  months  of  stud}-  in  Dublin,  Ireland. 

Father  Sommer  was  graduated  in  1873  and  or- 
dained to  the  priesthood  in  1877.  The  following 
year  he  came  to  America,  taking  passage  at  Rot- 
terdam on  a  steamer  and  landing  at  New  York 
after  an  ocean  voyage  of  seventeen  days.  He  was 
sent  here  b}'  the  Church  to  take  charge  of  the 
parish  he  is  now  pastor  of  and  over  which  he  has 
ofBciated  twelve  years.  The  present  beautiful 
Chnrch  of  St.  Mich.ael's,  a  view  of  which  is  f^iven 
in  this  volume,  was  built  in  1881,  mainly  through 
the  herculean  efforts  of  Father  Sommer  who  was 
determined  that  his  congregation  should  have  a 
fitting  place  in  which  to  worship.  The  structural 
beauty  of  the   edifice   symbolizes  the  graces  of  a 


Christian  character  and  its  tapering  spire  points  the 
beholder,  to  the  happy  home  beyond  the  skies. 
The  building  and  its  contents  cost  ^7.000.  The 
church  lias  a  membership  of  about  thirty-five  fam- 
ilies and  that  at  Kampsville  is  equall}-  as  large. 

The  career  of  Father  Sommer  has  been  one  of 
unusual  success  and  through  his  instrumentality 
Catholicism  in  northern  Calhoun  County  has  pros- 
pered as  never  before.  He  is  of  a  social,  enter- 
taining disposition  and  his  long  connection  wiib 
St.  Michael's  attests  to  the  favor  with  which  his 
people  regard  him  as  a  faithful  and  kind  pastor. 
While  a  strict  disciplinarian  in  regard  to  church 
matters.  Father  Sommer  is  also  recognized  as  a 
man  who  entertains  broad  and  liberal  views  on 
matters  pertaining  to  politics  and  State.  His  deep 
scholarship  and  travel  have  made  him  a  keen  judge 
of  human  nature  and  he  has  many  friends  outside 
the  pale  of  his  church  who  wish  him  well.  He  is 
an  ardent  student  and  his  quiet  home  and  studio  at 
St.  Michael's  are  suggestive  of  the  hours  he  spends 
in  perusal  of  the  volumes  wherein  are  recorded  the 
thought  and  research  of  the  scholars  of  all  ages,  and 
the  deep  study  given  them. 

■^  AMES  W.  ANDERSON.  Among  the  native- 
born  citizens  of  Calhoun  County,  sons  of  its 
pioneers,  is  our  subject,  who  is  now  one  of 
its  enterprising  and  successful  farmers  and 
stock  raisers.  He  w.as  born  Jul}'  7, 1852,  on  the  old 
homestead  on  section  5,  Belleview  Precinct,  Calhoun 
County,  which  his  father  had  then  begun  to  develop 
from  the  wilderness.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  well- 
known  John  W.  and  Mary  J.  (Harlow)  Anderson, 
natives  respectively  of  Missouri  and  Illinois.  His 
father  came  to  Calhoun  County  some  time  in  the 
'40s,  was  married  here  and  became  the  father  of 
a  large  family  of  children  of  whom  the  following 
survive:  Mary  A.  now  the  widow  of  Mr.  White  of 
Calhoun  County;  Melinda,  wife  of  W.  J.  Wells 
of  Pike  County  ;  Francis  M.,  a  resident  of  Missouri ; 
and  James  W. 

The  father  of  our  subject  settled  on  the  farm 
now  occupied  by  the  son   of   whom   we   write,  in 


696 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


1848,  and  was  the  first  settler  in  the  neighborhood. 
He  located  in  the  primeval  forests  and  had  to  hew 
out  his  farm  by  hard  and  constant  labor,  and  like 
most  pioneers  suffered  hardships  and  was  deprived 
of  many  comforts  while  building  up  his  home. 
He  had  entered  his  land  from  the  Government 
and  in  time  brought  it  to  a  fine  condition.  At 
Ills  death  August  18,  1881,  one  of  the  best  citizens 
and  most  honored  pioneers  of  the  county  passed 
away.  lie  was  public  siiirited  and  favored  all 
schemes  likel}'  to  improve  the  township  or  county 
or  elevate  society.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  Church,  which  he  had  served  as  Eilder, 
and  he  was  greatly  esteemed  by  the  entire  com- 
munity wliere  so  man}'  years  of  his  life  were  passed. 
His  wife  died  a  few  years  before  he  did  and  they 
are  now  resting  together. 

Our  subject  grew  to  a  stalwart  manhood  in  the 
county  of  his  nativity  and  gleaned  such  an  educa- 
tion as  was  afforded  by  the  local  schools.  He  was 
first  married  to  Delia  Zumalt,  and  for  fcis  second 
wife  married  Miss  OUie  Zumalt  and  they  have  here 
a  cozy  home  where  hospitality  abounds.  Mr. 
Anderson  owns  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  tlie 
vicinitj'  comprising  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
acres  of  highly  fertile,  well  tilled  soil,  on  which  are 
all  needed  improvements.  He  gives  much  atten- 
tion to  stock-raising  and  is  very  prosjjcrous  in  his 
calling.  Like  his  father,  he  is  a  man  of  public 
spirit,  and  is  greatly  interested  in  whatsoever  will 
promote  the  welfare  of  his  native  county.  He  is 
an  intelligent,  thoughtful  man,  with  opinions  of 
his  own  on  all  topics,  and  in  his  political  views  is 
a  decided  Democrat. 


^|^j_^  ENRY  ROADS  is  one  of  those  i)rominent 
and  successful  men  who  by  their  industry 
and  push  have  driven  away  the  Last  trace 
of    pioneer  d.ays,  and   given    to  Newburg 

Township,  Pike  County,  a  thoroughly  thrifty  and 

wide  awake  appearance. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  of  the  fifteen  children 

born  to  Daniel  and  Maletha  (Spargur)  Roads.    The 


father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  the  mother  of 
South  Carolina,  and  his  birth  occurred  in  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  January  23,  1839, where  he  passed  his 
j'outh  on  his  father's  farm.  He  received  his  edu- 
catlonal  training  in  the  common  schools,  and  whiJe 
the  teaching  was  liy  no  means  so  comprehensive  or 
far-reaching  as  under  tlie  present  system  of  schools, 
still  his  natural  quickness  enabled  him  to  profit  to 
the  fullest  possible  extent  by  the  information  im- 
parted,  and  fitted  him  for  the  management  of  his 
business  affairs  through  after  life. 

Mr.  Roads  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  departed 
from  his  childliood's  home  and  journeyed  forth  in 
the  world  seeking,  as  did  tlie  knights  of  old,  a 
chance  to  wrestle  with  fortune  for  a  share  of  lier 
bounty;  and  looking  thus  for  a  new  dwelling  place 
he  settled  first  in  Grundy  County,  111.,  attracted 
thither  by  the  surprising  opportunities  for  money- 
making  offered  by  this  most  enterprising  State. 
After  one  year  in  that  county  he  changed  his  hab- 
itation to  Livingston  County,  in  the  same  State;  i 
and  in  that  place  he  continued  to  engage  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  for  a  period  of  thr^e  years,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  moved  to  Highland 
Count}'  in  his  native  State.  In  the  3  ear  18C6  he 
came  to  Pike  County,  settling  in  Newburg  Town- 
ship, and  so  pleasant  and  prosperous  has  he  found 
life  here  that  he  has  continued  his  residence  up  to 
the  present  writing  and  is  numbered  among  the  most 
highly  respected  citizens  claimed  by  this  township. 

Our  subject  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy-three  acres  of  fine  farming  land,  and  by  de- 
voting much  attention  and  exercising  his  superior 
judgment  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land  has  in.ide 
his  property  exceedingly  valuable.  His  residence 
and  barns  are  very  nice  indeed,  and  beside  tilling 
the  soil  he  is  also  interested  in  stock-raising,  which 
business  yields  him  a  handsome  income. 

Mr.  Roads  was  married  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  January  23,  1864,  to  Miss  Melissa  M.  Ander- 
son, daughter  of  Philip  and  Rachel  (Springer)  An- 
derson, both  of  whom  died  in  that  count}-,  the 
father,  September  14,  1876,  and  the  mother,  April 
3,  1859.     Mrs.  Roads  was  born  June  10,  1845. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born 
seven  children,  viz:  Artemus  B.,  who  is  a  farmer 
and    makes    his   home  in   Nebraska:  Edward   who 


t 


n 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


697 


(lied  when  about  tweiity-lwo  years  of  age;  Clyde 
E.,  Elmer  Walker,  Delmar  IL,  Leila;  ami  an  ir.fant, 
Thomas,  deceased.  Mr.  Roads  is  a  member  of  tlie 
Prohibition  party,  and  is  also  a  Union  Labor  man. 
Ills  interest  in  all  public  matters  is  great  and  he 
never  misses  an  opportunity  to  advance  the  inter- 
ests of  this  community;  he  is  especially  active 
in  trying  to  blot  out  the  curse  of  the  age.  licpior. 
and  to  put  temptation  out  of  the  reach  of  the  young 
boys  who  will  soon  be  hewing  destinies  for  them- 
selves. 


OIIN    D.   CROSBY,  one   of   the  pioneers  of 
Calhoun  County  who  at   present   makes  his 
home  on  section  14.  Belle  view  Precinct,  was 
born  in  Calhoun  Count}-  October   27,  1842. 
His  parents,  Hezekiah  S.   and   Elizabeth    (Snj'der) 
iCrosby.  were  natives  of  Illinois  and  moved  to  Cal- 
houn County  sometime  in  the  30s'  in  all  probabil- 
ity and  continued  to  make  this  their  home  up  to  the 
lime  of  their  death.     They  were  the  parents  of  nine 
jChildren,  four  of  whom  are  living  at  the   present 
writing,  viz:  .John  D..  .lames  M.,  Thomas  B.  and 
!sarah.  who  married  .John  McWalters.     Mr.  Crosby 
passed  his  youth  in  his  native  county  amid  scenes 
'of  pioneer  life,  and   has   witnessed   the   transform- 
lalion  of  a  wilderness  of  trees  and  brush  into  high- 
|l3'-cultivated  farms.  He  lias  always  been  interested 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  during  the  threshing 
season  has  engaged  in  threshing  grain  for  his  neigh- 
bors, making  in  this  way  a  handsome  income.  He  at- 
tended the  subscription  schools  of  Calhoun  County, 
flut  received  none  of   the  educational  advant.iges 
that  are  offered  j'oung  men  of  this  generation. 
I    Mr.  Crosby  was  married   in   January,   1869,  to 
Margaret  E.  Sternes,  a  native  of  Calhoun  County, 
jind  daughter  of  Jlichael  and  Elzina  Sterues,  both 
f  whom  are  dead.     Her  f.atlier  numbered  among 
he  early  settlers  of  the  county  in  which  her  birth 
)ccurred.       (Jur  subject  and    his  wife  are  the  par- 
!nts  of  seven  children  four  of  whom   are    living, 
.'iz:     Luther,  Clarence,  Luella  and   Luda.     Those 
leceased  are:     Isabel,  Hezekiah  and  Ollie.     Both 
\It.  and  Mrs.  Crosb}-  are  members  of  the  Christian 
hurch  and  are  great  favorites  in  society. 


The  subject  of  our  sketch  owns  a  valuable  farm, 
embracing  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  nil 
of  which  is  highly  cultivalecL  He  is  a  self-made 
man  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  having  cleared 
the  ground  and  cultivated  the  soil  himself.  Living 
in  the  county  when  it  was  wild  and  unbroken  he 
naturally  w.as  forced  to  undergo  the  hardships  com- 
mon to  pioneer  life.  He  is  a  public  spirited  man, 
favoring  anything  that  has  for  its  object  the  im- 
provement and  advancement  of  Bellevie'v  Precinct, 
and  has  several  times  been  elected  to  offices  of 
trust.  He  has  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
is  just  at  this  time  serving  as  .School  Director. 

Mr.  Crosby  enlisted  twice  in  the  Civil  War.  be- 
ing six  months  in  Missouri  and  there  engaged  in 
several  skirmishes,  and  at  a  later  date  serving  nine 
months  and  again  taking  part  in  numerous  skir- 
mishes. He  was  honorably  discharged  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  and  draws  a  pension  of  §4  per  month. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  is 
one  of  the  leading  men  in  his  county  in  political  as 
well  as  in  commercial  and  social  circles,  and  is  gen- 
erally recognized  as  an  unusuallj'  successful  and 
enterprising  agriculturist. 


JIIOMAS  ANDREWS,  whose  biography  is 
here  presented,  was  born  on  the  farm  where 
he  now  resides  on  the  7th  of  May,  1855. 
His  father.  Dr.  Robert  G.  Andrews,  w.as  born  in 
Detroit,  Mich.,  March  4,  1823,  and  his  father,  who 
was  also  named  Robert  Andrews,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Detroit.  He  removed  from  that 
place  to  Illinois  in  1826,  being  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Calhoun  County.  He  made  his  home  in 
Point  Precinct,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
d.ays  there.  His  wife's  maiden  name  was  Miss 
Catherine  Sargent.  Her  death  occurred  in  Point 
Precinct. 

Our  subject's  father  was  a  child  of  throe  years 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  was 
reared  on  the  farm,  and  after  he  reached  manhood's 
estate  he  was  a  boatman  on  the  Mississippi  for  a 
period  of  two  years.  At  a  later  date  be  commenced 
the  study  of  medicine,  and   practiced    his    chosen 


698 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


I 


profession  in  Calhoun  County  up  to  the  time  of 
liis  death,  which  occurred  February  13.  1888.  He 
was  very  saccessful  in  his  praciice  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Metliodi  t  Jlpiscopal  Cliurch.  lie  mar- 
ried Caroline  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Point 
Precnict  September  29,  1824.  They  were  the 
parents  of  two  children — Laura,  deceased,  and  our 
subject.  Her  father,  Samuel  Smith,  was  a  native 
of  Massachusetts  and  passed  his  youth  in  that  State. 
He  removed  to  I'ennsylvania  and  there  married 
and  went  next  to  Illinois,  being  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  Calhoun  County.  At  the  lime  he  came 
to  this  county  the  Indians  held  full  possession  of 
the  country,  and  deer  and  wild  animals  roamed  at 
will  through  the  unbroken  timber  land.  He  c(m- 
tinned  to  reside  in  Point  Precinct  until  death 
claimed  him  in  1851,  and  his  was  one  of  the  first 
deaths  in  Calhoun  County.  His  wife,  who  pre- 
vious to  her  marriage  was  Miss  Lucena  Waite,  w-as 
born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.  The  mother  still  lives  at 
the  old  home  place  with  her  son,  our  subject.  She 
has  been  a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  since  her  youth. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  educated  in  Point 
Precinct  and  has  always  lived  on  the  farm  wliere  he 
now  resides,  and  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  father's 
time  was  devoted  to  the  practice  of  medicine,  he 
has  had  charge  of  the  farm  since  bo3iiood.  He 
married  Miss  Sue  McCurdy,  and  after  sustaining 
her  loss  by  death  in  1881,  he  was  married  in  1885 
to  Miss  Jennie  Burnett.  Of  his  first  marriage  was 
born  one  child,  Grace  Sue,  whose  birth  occurred 
December  19,  1879.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare and  progress  of  the  community  in  which  he 
has  resided  so  long. 

Mr.  Andrews  is  well  thought  of  by  all  who  know 
him,  and  has  man.aged  his  estate  in  a  highly  credi- 
table manner,  and  has  improved  his  land  each  year 
until  at  the  present  writing  it  is  in  a  state  of  ex- 
cellent cultivation,  there  being  four  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  all  told.  His  education  was  received 
under  the  guidance  of  his  father  who  was  a  gentle- 
man of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  one  who 
Was  thoroughly  posted  in  all  the  essential  details  of 
his  profession.  His  mother  is  a  lady  of  great 
strength  of  character,  and  has   through   the  course 


of  her  life  ministered  to  the  comfort  of  busband. 
children  and  friends.  She  is  the  happy  possessor 
of  those  beautiful  traits  of  character  that  true 
Christianity  and  long  years  of  kindness  give. 

t 

OHN  PORTER.  One  of  the  most  highly 
respected  and  popular  citizens  claimed  by 
Newburg  Township,  Pike  County,  is  the 
subject  of  our  present  sketch.  His  name  is 
at  all  times  spoken  with  words  of  praise  and  his  opin- 
ion and  judgment  are  consulted  in  matters  of 
public  importance. 

Mr.  Porter  is  the  son  of  David  and  Nancy  (C'ul- 
ten)  Porter,  natives  of  Rockbridge  County,  Va., 
and  married  there.  Shortly  after  their  marriage  they 
moved  to  Tennessee,  where  tliey  continued  to  re- 
side only  a  short  time,  after  which  they  removed 
to  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  as  earl}'  as  1809,  remain- 
ing there  until  1836,  at  which  time  they  removed 
to  Pike  County,  settling  on  section  24,  Newburg 
Township.  In  1849  the  father  started  for  Califor- 
nia and  died  on  the  way  to  tliat  State.  The 
mother's  death  occurred  in  1867  at  the  residence 
of  our  subject.  To  their  union  were  born  ten 
children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  ninth  in 
number. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  ushered  into 
this  world  on  the  8th  of  April,  1824,  bis  birtli  tak- 
ing place  at  Lincoln,  Mo.,  and  he  had  reached  his 
twelfth  year  at  the  time  his  parents  removed  to 
Newburg  Township.  He  passed  his  youth  here, 
receiving  a  common-school  education  and  has  been 
here  since  1836.  He  is  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising,  and  this  is  his  favorite  occupation, 
though  for  a  i)eriod  of  three  3'ears  he  tried  the  mer- 
cantile business. 

Mr.  Porter  was  married  in  Griggsville,  111.,  No- 
vember 28,  1850,  to  Miss  Eliza  Emeline  Coflfey, 
daughter  of  Nathan  and  Sarah  (Meredith)  Coflfey, 
natives  of  North  Carolina.  Her  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  Adair  County,  Ky.,  and  from  that  point  re- 
moved to  Simpson  County,  that  State,  and  in  1889' 
removed  to  Pike  County,  settling  in  Griggsville 
Township.     They  number  among  the  early  settlers 


W: 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


699 


lof  Pike  County  and  endured  tlie  liai'dsliips  incident 
to  pioneer  life.  To  them  were  born  thirteen  ciiil- 
dren,  of  whom  our  subject's  wife  was  the  tenth. 
iHer  birth  occurred  in  Simpson  Count3',Ky.,  March 
10,  1825,  and  part  of  her  childhood  was  passed  in 
the  Blue  Grass  State. 

To  our  sul)ject  and  wife  have  been  born  five 
children,  viz.:  Elmma;  an  infant,  deceased;  Saraii 
.4.;  Jennie,  wlio  is  tlie  wife  of  Edwin  O.  Goldman, 
md  John  D.  Mr.  Porter  has  not  at  any  time  en- 
lagod  actively  in  politics,  but  has  devoted  his  at- 
ention  exclusively  to  his  agricultural  pursuits  and 
n  so  doing  has  reaped  marked  success.  His  three 
umdred  and  forty  acres  of  ground  are  in  a  highly 
•iiltivated  state. 

Mr.  Porter  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  party, 
le  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views,  and  bis  wife  is 
ulevout  Christian,  having  been  a  member  of  the 
iaptist  Church  since  her  fifteenth  year.  Our  sub- 
icct  has  a  vast  number  of  warm  friends  and  ad- 
mirers throughout  this  community,  and  it  is  much 
o  be  regretted  tliat  his  otherwise  happy  life  is 
londed  by  ill-health.  The  family  of  Mrs.  Porter 
re  all  deceased  except  three,  and  are  buried  in 
'ike  County  except  two  infants  and  one  brother 
ihose  remains  rest  in  Iowa. 


'71?-^ 


f^ZRA  DOANE,  Sr.     The  Township  of  Fair- 
ly     mount  contains   no    citizen   who    is    better 
LL^  known   or  who  has  won  a  warmer  place  in 
lie  liearts  of    the   residents   in  this  part  of  Pike 
ounty  than  Ezra  Doane,  Sr.     He  and  his  wife  are 
ow  living  in  quiet   retirement  on  the  homestead 
h  section   11,  at  whicli    place   Mr.  Doane  has  ira- 
iroved    and    built   up   a  comfortable   home.     Mr. 
(oane  is  now  quite  aged,  having   been  born  Sep- 
■mber  9,    1810,  and  the  years  have  dispossessed 
m  of  some  of  his  mental  activity,  but  have  taken 
ivay  not  one  jot  of  the  characteristics  of  an  excep- 
I  anally   lovable    nature.      He    is   still   as    genial, 
)odnatured   and   kind    as   ever,    and   displaj's  as 
uch    consideration    for   those    about    him.     The 
iirit  which  animates  his  life  is  that  which    makes 
'(1  age  beautiful  and  leads  all  who  witness  his  acts 


to  wish  that  they  too  may  ripen  with  years  into 
sweetness  rather  than  to  become  crabbed  and  sour 
as  do  many. 

Mr.  Doani^  is  a  native  of  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  and 
having  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father  before 
he  can  remember,  but  little  of  the  paternal  history 
is  known.  His  parents'  names  were  William  and 
Hnlda  Doane.  The  elder  Mr.  Doane  was  a  sea- 
faring man  and  was  drowned  while  on  duty  dur- 
ing a  storm.  He  is  believed  to  have  been  born 
in  Maine,  and  the  familj'  is  an  old  and  respected 
one  of  the  New  England  States.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  came  of  Puritan  stock,  her  ancestors 
having  settled  in  the  old  Bay  State  during  Colo- 
nial times  and  having  been  prominent  in  the  region 
of  Cape  Cod.  The  men  were  generally  seafarers, 
and  Samuel  Rider,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  and  his 
wife,  formerly  Miss  Cobb,  lived  to  be  quite  old. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Doane  they  took  their 
daughter  and  her  infant  son,  our  subject,  to  their 
home,  and  from  them  the  lad  received  loving  care 
until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  He  then  went  to 
sea,  serving  a  regular  apprenticeship  before  the 
mast  and  afterward  performing  a  seaman's  duties 
on  coasting  vessels. 

Our  subject  made  several  trips  to  the  West  India 
Islands  and  served  as  first  mate  for  a  time.  He 
was  offered  the  command  of  a  vessel,  but  had 
thoroughly  made  u|)  his  mind  to  abandon  the  sea 
and  refused.  About  1835  he  came  to  this  State, 
making  his  first  settlement  in  Brown  County. 
Some  two  years  later  he  came  to  Pike  County,  and 
in  Pittsfield  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  H.  Mace,  a 
native  of  Maine,  whose  parents  came  of  the  old 
New  England  stock.  Miss  Mace  was  the  eldest 
child  of  her  parents,  who  removed  to  this  State 
when  she  was  a  30ung  woman  and  settled  in  Pike 
County. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Doane  and  his  young 
bride  made  their  home  in  Brown  Count}',  where 
for  some  years  the  husband  was  engaged  in  saw- 
milling.  His  mill  was  located  on  McGee's  Creek 
and  during  a  heavy  freshet  was  swept  aw.ay,  entail- 
ing a  serious  loss.  Mi-.  Doane  then  sold  his  rights 
and  established  himself  on  a  small  farm  in  Fair- 
mount  Township,  Pike  County,  where  he  afterward 


700 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


accumulated  upwards  of  one  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  the  best  part  of  the  township.  He  made 
his  home  here  from  early  in  the  '10s  until  the  spring 
of  18G8,  when  he  removed  to  New  Salem  Village, 
living  there  some  twenty  years.  He  then  returned 
to  his  former  home  in  Fairraount  Township. 
Through  the  eflforts  of  a  life  time  as  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  Mr.  Doane  has  made  a  large  fortune. 

In  1863  Mr.  Doane  met  with  the  loss  of  his  faith- 
ful companion,  who  died  when  about  fort3'-five 
years  of  age;  she  left  eight  children,  all  still  living 
and  all  married  but  one.  The  second  marriage  of 
Mr.  Doane  occurred  in  the  town  of  Perry,  his 
bride  on  this  occasion  being  Miss  Emily  Carter,  a 
lad}'  of  education  and  refinement,  true-hearted  and 
noble.  She  was  born  in  New  Canaan,  Conn.,  on 
Long  Island  Sound,  December  17,  1827,  but  was 
quite  young  when  her  parents  came  West.  After 
receiving  some  fundamental  instruction  she  en- 
tered the  Female  Academy  at  Jacksonville,  111., 
aflerwaid  continuing  her  studies  in  the  State  Nor- 
mal School  at  Normal.  She  entered  the  pedagogi- 
cal field  and  taught  until  her  marriage,  a  period  of 
fourteen  years,  during  which  she  won  the  goodwill 
of  pupils  and  patrons  and  did  efficient  work  in  the 
cause  of  education.  She  is  the  mother  of  one  liv- 
ing child — Levi  S. — who  is  still  at  home,  bnt  ex- 
pects in  a  short  time  to  b3gin  the  scientific  course 
of  study  at  Illinois  College  in  Jacksonville. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Doane  were  Zalama„and 
Harriet  (Ayers)  Carter,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Connecticut  and  were  descended  from  the  old 
New  England  stock  of  the  Puritans.  They  began 
their  wedded  life  on  a  farm  in  their  native  State, 
but  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1832,  set- 
tling in  Winchester,  Scott  Count}'.  There  they 
remained  until  1844,  then,  buying  a  farm  in  Fair- 
mount  Township,  Pike  County,  removed  hither. 
Some  j'ears  later  they  went  to  Jacksonville,  where 
Mrs.  Carter  died  in  J.anuary,  1856,  at  the  age  of 
fifty-five  years.  She  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Chur(  h.  Some  time  after  her  death 
Mr.  Carter  returned  to  Pike  County  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days  on  a  farm  which  he  had  pur- 
chased near  Perry.  He  passed  away  in  April,  1863, 
■Bt  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  He  was  a  promi- 
nent and  worthy  citizen  and    a  consistent   member 


of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  early  political 
adherence  was  given  to  the  AVhig  party,  and  he 
afterward  voted  with  the  Free-Soilers  and  Repub- 
licans. 

Mr.  Doane  has  filled  every  township  office  which 
is  in  the  gift  of  the  people  and  has  zealously  la- 
bored to  advauce  their  interests  in  each  and  every 
position  to  which  he  has  been  called.  He  is  a  standi 
Republican  and  has  voted  that  ticket  since  the 
party  was  organized.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 


^/AMES  FRENCH,  whose  biography  is  here 
presented,  is  the  owner  and  occupant  of  a 
well  developed  tract  of  land  in  Detroit 
(j^/y  Township,  Pike  County.  He  recalls  many 
interesting  events  connected  with  the  pioneer  work 
here,  having  been  but  a  child  when  brought  hither 
by  his  parents  and  having  to  some  extent  partici- 
pated in  the  developing  process.  He  is  widely 
known  in  this  and  Scott  Counties  as  a  thorough- 
going agriculturist  and  a  man  of  the  strictest 
morality,  even  having  the  record  of  never  using 
either  liquor  nor  tobacco. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  J.icob  and 
Rachel  (Evans)  French,  both  natives  of  the  Blue 
Grass  State.  They  were  married  there  and  made 
that  their  home  for  a  number  of  years  after  their 
wedded  life  began,  but  at  length  removed  to  In- 
diana and  finally  came  to  Illinois  about  1839. 
They  settled  in  Flint  Township,  Pike  County,  in  a 
section  that  was  scarcely  more  than  a  wilderness, 
setting  up  their  home  on  wild  land  in  a  log  house. 
They  were  in  moderate  circumstances,  but  the  hus- 
band vvas  a  farmer  and  soon  had  the  improvement 
of  his  property  well  under  lieadw.ay,  and  continued 
to  add  to  his  original  purchase  from  time  to  time. 
He  sold  out  and  removed  to  Scott  County,  and 
from  there  to  Morgan  County,  where  he  died  iu 
1883  and  his  wife  in  1887.  The}'  were  members 
of  the  Christian  Church  and  the  husband  was  a 
strong  Democrat.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  with 
eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living.    Paul 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


701 


iFrencli,  grandfatber  of  our  subject,  was  a  native 
of  Keiituck}-  and  a.  farmer  by  occupation.  He  and 
his  good  wife  were  brougbt  to  tliis  State  by  their 
son  Jacob  in  1843,  and  after  spending  sonae  time 
on  a  farm  removed  to  Milton,  wliere  l)oth  died. 

Tlie  natal  d.ay  of  James  French  was  October  20, 
1836,  and  his  birthplace  the  parental  estate  in 
Kentucijy.  He  was  the  first-born  of  his  parents, 
and  he  remained  under  their  roof  assisting  in  the 
labors  of  the  farm  until  he  reached  his  eighteenth 
year,  in  the  meantime  attending  tlie  common 
schools.  At  the  age  mentioned  he  commenced  a 
(areer  for  himself  by  worl<ing  out  on  a  farm,  but 
at  the  end  of  a  year  he  rented  a  farm  in  Scott 
County'  from  Dr.  Stewart.  He  operated  it  twelve 
years,  then  purchased  his  present  farm  and  at  once 
took  possession.  The  land  was  partially  improved 
and  contained  eighty  acres  of  valuable  soil.  Mr. 
French  built  a  residence  and  barn  in  1876  at  a 
cost  of  $1,500.  and  while  he  commenced  life  empty- 
handed,  as  it  were,  he  is  at  this  writing  a  wealthy 
and  influential  man.  He  devotes  his  attention  to 
farming  and  stock-raising  and  has  followed  thresh- 
ing for  the  past  twenty-three  years. 

Mr.  French  was  married  in  1855  to  Miss  Caro- 
line Madden,  daughter  of  Bonum  and  Cinderella 
(Pell)  Madden,  natives  of  Kentucky,  who  moved 
to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Scott  County.  Mrs. 
French  sustained  the  sad  loss  of  her  mother  while 
\n  infant,  and  her  father  died  in  1884.  Only 
:hree  children  were  born  to  her  mother  and  she 
done  is  living  now.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Scott 
County,  111.,  in  1844,  and  she  received  the  best 
|!ducation  that  was  afforded  there  in  those  days. 
She  is  a  faithful  Christian  and  one  whose  conduct 
!.xercises  a  beneficial  influence  over  all  with  whom 
ihe  comes  in  contact.  She  proves  a  "ministering 
mgel"  to  man}'  an  unfortunate  person,  and  is  a 
^'alued  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  French  are  the  parents  of  four 
•hildren — George,  Henry,  Edward  and  William — 
ind  have  adopted  a  little  boy  from  the  New  York 
lorac  of  the  Friendless,  named  George  Newhart, 
yho  is  now  fourteen  years  old.  Their  son  George 
harried  Miss  Frankie  Thaxton  and  has  six  children 
Ind  lives  in  Montezuma  Township,  Pike  County; 
'lenry  wedded  Miss  Ettie  McEvers,  lives  in   Iowa 


and  has  three  children;  Edward  married  Miss  Ella 
Ilanoz,  makes  his  home  in  Montezuma  Township 
and  has  two  children;  William  married  Miss  Har- 
riet Stevenson,  who  died  leaving  one  child. 

The  subject  of  our  sketcli  is  a  Democrat,  but  his 
time  is  too  fully  occupied  with  domestic  pleasures 
and  charitable  deeds  to  admit  of  an  active  part  in 
political  matters.  He  has  served  in  various  im- 
|)Ortant  otlices  and  is  generally  recognized  as  a  man 
of  superior  ability  .and  an  excellent  neighbor.  His 
principles  are  very  high  and  many  kind  deeds  are 
annually  laid  at  his  door.  He  has  served  as  School 
Director  and  Road  Overseer,  but  continues  to  carry 
on  his  farm. 


UGUSTUS    MEYERS.     There  are  few  oe- 
^''^■iUl\    cupations  that  allow  the  same   freedom  of 
life  and  yield  the   same  opportunities   for 
,,^^  success  as  does  farming.     In  the  country, 

surrounded  on  everj'  si<le  by  Nature's  charms,  the 
world  seems  \ounger  and  much  fairer  than  it  does 
when  seen  in  a  bus}'  city. 

The  subject  of  our  presetit  sketch  ranks  among 
the  prosperous  and  successful  farmers  of  Chambers- 
burg  Township,  Pike  County,  and  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  place  since  1854.  Upon  first  coming 
he  purchased  with  the  $200  then  in  his  possession 
his  present  farm  which  embraced  forty  acres.  And 
here  he  commenced  to  make  improvements  and 
prepare  the  way  for  the  immense  profits  that  he 
has  since  reaped  from  his  estate.  At  this  date  he 
is  the  owner  of  two  valuable  farms,  consisting  of 
five  hundre<l  acres  of  cultivated  land.  His  resi- 
dence and  barns  are  first-class  in  every  respect  and 
he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  his  neighbors  and  gen- 
erally conceded  to  be  a  model  agriculturist. 

Mr.  Meyers  was  born  in  Baden  Province,  Ger- 
many, near  the  city  of  the  same  name,  March  3, 
1819,  and  was  the  son  of  Antone  and  Catharena 
(Heights)  Meyers,  natives  of  Germany.  He  came 
to  the  I'nited  States  in  184G,  locating  in  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  and  from  that  city  came  direct  to  Chambers- 
burg  Township,  as  above  mentioned.  His  parents 
soon  after  their  marriage  commenced  farming  near 


702 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Baden  and  there  all  their  children  were  born  and 
raised  to  manhood's  estate.  Eight  years  after  our 
subject  came  to  this  country,  his  parents  with  their 
familj'  started  for  the  United  States  to  find  a  new 
iiome  and  take  advantage  of  the  opportunities  for 
money-making  in  a  comparativeh'  new  country. 
But  the  mother  breathed  her  last  soon  after  board- 
ing the  ship  to  make  the  voyage,  being  at  the  time 
of  her  death  in  her  sevent}--third  year.  She  had 
led  a  noble  Christian  life  and  was  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Catiiolic  Church.  Her  remains  were  taken 
back  to  the  starting  place,  Havre  de  Grace  and 
there  buried.  The  sorrowing  husband  with  his  six 
children  continued  the  voyage  after  seeing  the  last 
of  their  beloved  dead.  They  came  west  to  Illinois 
and  upon  reaching  this  country  the  children  scat- 
tered out  to  make  careers  for  themselves,  the  father 
living  with  our  subject  at  Chambersburg  Township 
up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1872 
after  he  had  attained  his  ninety -second  j'ear.  He 
passed  away  calmly  and  peacefully  indeed  ;  like  the 
going  out  of  a  lamp  when  the  oil  has  gone  did  his 
spirit  quit  his  body  wiien  the  time  came.  Like  his 
wife,  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Our  subject  was  the  third  child  and  the  second 
son  of  a  famil}'  of  seven  children,  all  of  whom 
lived  to  be  married  and  rear  families,  and  three  yet 
live  and  reside  in  Illinois.  After  attaining  matur- 
ity Mr.  Mc^'ers  learned  the  weaver's  trade,  weaving 
fine  cloths  and  beautiful  silks,  and  he  continued 
this  occupation  while  in  the  Fatherland.  He  took 
passage  from  Rotterdam  in  a  sailer  called  "May- 
flower" and  landed  in  New  York  City,  January  1, 
1847,  going  from  that  point  to  Cincinnati  and 
from  there  came  to  Illinois.  He  has  accumulated 
his  fortune  since  coming  to  Illinois. 

Mr.  Meyers  was  married  in  Pike  County  to  Miss 
Louisa  Cardernian,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Ger- 
many and  who  was'born  in  that  country  in  1829 
and  was  thirty  years  of  age  wlien  she  came  to  this 
country.  She  died  in  1880,  on  the  9th  of  April, 
after  a  life  well  an<i  happily  spent.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  To  their  union 
were  born  seven  ciiildren,  viz.:  August  J.;  Charles, 
who  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Wilson,  and  lives  in 
Griggsville  Township;  Andy,  who  married  Miss 
Lottu  Weliingryder,  and    lives    in    Chambersburg 


Township;  Henry,  at  home  and  assists  in  running 
the  farm;  Lena  C,  Anna  F.  and  Dora  E. 

August  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Missis- 
sippi River  near  Idaho  Landing,  Ark.,  where  he  was 
living,  having  gone  there  for  his  health.  He  was 
twenty-five  years  of  age  and  unmarried. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  is  a  very  public  spirited  man 
and  one  who  takes  great  interest  in  the  advance- 
ment of  this  community.  In  politics  he  is  insj'm- 
pathy  with  the  Democratic  party  and  he  is  popular 
with  all  who  know   him. 


lleton  County,  (i 

ern  parentage,  i| 

a  native  of  a 


,...  LLEN  JOHNS.     The  agriculturists  of  Gal-  l| 
fi^^/Ljl    houn  County  will  compare  favorably  with 
those  of  other  sections   in  their  enterpris- 
ing spirit,  desire  to  improve  their  surround-  i 
ings  and  circumstances,  and  general  interest  in  that  i 
which  pertains  to  their  calling.     Among  the  most  i, 
reliable  farmers  in  Crater  Precinct  is  Allen  Johns,  r 
who  is  successfully  carrying  on   his   chosen  calling  {] 
on  section  8.     He  was  born  in   Pendleton  County,  » 
Va.,  March  24,  1826,  and  is  of  Souther 
his  father,  Isaac  Johns,  having  been 
Southern    State   and    his    mother,  Anne  (Ewing)    |! 
Johns,  born  in  Virginia. 

AVhen  our  subject  was  about  five  years  old  his  I 
parents  removed  to  Gallia  County,  Ohio,  where  the 
father  died  soon   after.     When   about   eight   years 
old  our  subject,   his  mother  and  other  members  of  i  I 
the  family,  took  up  their  residence  in  Coles  County, 
III.,  where  young  Allen  grew    to  manliood.     Since 
his  early  childhood  he  has  borne  such  a  part  as  his  i 
increasing    strength    warranted    in  farm  work,  and  i 
he  therefore   had  very  limited  educational    advan- 
tages.      Desirous  of  gaining   intelligence,    he  bag 
made  use  of    papers  and  books   and    is    quite  well 
informed  on  general  topics.      Several  years  before 
the  Civil  War  Mr.  Johns  came  to   Calhoun  County 
with   his    family,   making    his    first    home    on  the  r 
Illinois  River,  in    Crater  Precinct.     Several  years 
later  he  removed  to  Carlin  Precinct,  where   he  so 
journed  a  number  of  jears. 

The  next  home  of  Mr.   Johns  was  on  his  present)! 


1 


/■  i^ui^^M/  "^  o/iu 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


706 


farm,  wlieio  ho  liiis  Iwo  lunidrt'd  and  four  acres  of 
I:in(l.  upon  which  he  lias  made  such  improvements 
as  hefit  his  circumstances.  In  the  accumulation  of 
his  property  lie  was  ably  assisted  by  a  faithful  and 
devoted  wife  who  was  willinsj  to  begin  life  with 
liira  in  [joverty  and  ai(1  him  in  his  strujjgies  for  a 
competency.  After  their  niarriajje  Mr.  Johns  had 
but  ninety-five  cents  in  money,  but  from  that  small 
heginning  has  grown  his  present  solid  financial  con- 
dition. His  companion  was  removed  from  him  by 
death.  April  6,  1800,  leaving  behind  her  a  wealth 
of  love  and  affection. 

Mrs.  .Tohns  was  known  in  her  maidenhood  as 
Mary  Rogers,  and  became  the  wife  of  our  subject 
Slarch  10,  184  9.  She  was  born  in  Ohio,  but  re.ared 
ill  Edgar  County,  111.,  where  her  parents,  Pelegand 
Mary  Rogers,  settled  when  Indians  were  still  there. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  .Tolins  seven  children  were  born, 
of  whom  the  survivors  are  Isaac,  Douglas,  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth.  The  last  named  is  now  the  wife  of 
J.anies  Edwards.  Mr.  Johns  always  deposits  a 
Democratic  ballot  on  election  day.  He  has  served 
liis  fellow-men  in  the  capacity  of  School  Director 
and  enjoys  their  esteem  and  confidence. 


-^^ 


l/y^,  RS.  BEATHADA  LIKES,  widow  of  the 
late  R.  F.  Likes,  a  well  known  and  hoiiored 
citizen  of  Pike  Cotmty,  is  connected  with 
the  agricultural  interests  of  Iladley  Town- 
ship, where  she  owns  .and  is  successfully  managing 
'lie  of  the  line  farms  for  which  this  locality  is  so 
jioted.  Mrs.  Likes  is  a  native  of  Putnam  County, 
H'enn.,  wliere  her  birth  occurred  June  27,  1830. 
ler  father,  John  W.  Callahan,  is  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  birth. 
Jpon  reaching  years  of  maluritj-  he  married 
'Unanda  J.  Atkans  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
outh  Carolina,  in  which  State  they  were  wedded. 
Lfler  remaining  there  about  four  years  they  be- 
jiime  pioneers  of  Harrison  Count}',  Ind.,  where 
jiey  located  on  a  farm.    Thence  they  came  to  Pike 

ounty  in  1837  and  settled   in  New  Salem  Town- 

lip  then  a  very  wild  locality. 

There  was  not  a  house  witnin  twenty  miles  of 


the  little  log  cabin  that  the  father  erected  to  shelter 
his  family.  Deer.and  all  kinds  of  wild  beasts  roamed 
through  the  forests  and  across  the  prairies;  Mr. 
Callahan  and  his  son  being  expert  hunters  killed 
fifteen  deer  in  one  day.  After  he  had  completed 
his  house  Mr.  Callahan  proceeded  to  clear  and  im 
prove  his  farm,  which  ho  sold  two  years  later  and 
bought  a  tract  of  land  in  Adams  County.  On  that 
homestead  he  lived  till  his  death  in  181G  closed  a 
liusy,  energetic'  life  and  removed  a  good  pioneer 
from  the  scene  of  his  labors.  His  widow  survived 
him  many  years,  her  death  not  occurring  till  she 
was  eighty-nine  years  old.  They  were  the  parents 
of  the  following  eleven  children:  James,  William, 
David,  John  \V.,  Artlmr,  Aarcha,  Eliza,  Rebecca, 
IJeathada,  Jlelvina  and  Maliala. 

Mrs.  Likes  was  the  ninth  child  of  the  family  in 
order  of  birth,  and  the  only  daughter  now  living. 
She  was  reared  in  Adams  County,  111.,  and  gained 
her  education  in  the  log  schoolhouses  of  pioneer 
times.  She  was  taught  every  household  accomplish- 
ment such  as  w.as  then  considered  necessary  in  the 
training  of  girls  and  became  an  expert  spinner  and 
weaver,  turning  off  three  dozen  cuts  in  one  day. 
She  remained  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage 
in  1842  with  R.  F.  Likes. 

Mr.  Likes  was  born  in  Fleming  County,  Ky..  in 
1829.  His  parents,  Philip  and  Juda  Likes,  were 
natives  of  Virginia  where  the^'  were  reared  and 
married.  They  subsequently  became  pioneers  of 
Indiana,  removing  thither  when  their  son.  the  hus- 
l)and  of  our  subject,  was  but  four  years  old.  Mr. 
Likes  passed  the  remainder  of  his  boyhood  and 
youth  amiil  the  (jioneer  scenes  of  that  State  until 
he  was  twenty  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  this  county,  where  he  met,  wooed  and 
won  Miss  Beathada  Callahan. 

They  began  their  wedded  life  in  Richfield  Town- 
ship, Adams  Count}',  where  I\Ir.  Likes  leased  a, 
farm  for  five  j-ears.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
bought  a  fai  m  in  the  same  township,  which  he 
operated  the  ensuing  eighteen  years  with  good 
financial  success.  He  then  moved  to  the  estate 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  widow,  and  in  this 
pleasant  home  he  passed  out  of  life  August  20, 
1889.  He  was  numbered  among  the  best  citizens 
of  the  county  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all   who 


706 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


knew  him.  He  was  buried  with  Masonic  honors 
anfl  all  that  was  mortal  of  him  was  deposited  in 
Barry  Cemetery.  His  everj-day  walk  in  life  was 
guided  by  the  high  principles  of  Christianity ,and  he 
was  ever  kind,  obliging  and  peaceable  in  his  rela- 
tions with  all  about  him,  was  without  enemies  and 
never  had  a  law  suit  in  his  life.  He  was  a  Mason 
and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Star  Order.  Relig- 
iously, he  was  connected  with  the  Christian  Church 
and  was  one  of  its  most  useful  and  faithful  members. 

After  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Likes  became 
the  administrator  of  his  estate  and  took  the  respon- 
sibility of  settling  up  his  affairs.  She  bought 
out  the  interests  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  property, 
and  now  has  a  beautiful  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixt3'-two  and  one-half  acres,  which  is  mostly  under 
cultivation  and  well  improved.  She  is  a  stirring, 
sagacious  woman  of  affairs,  and  looks  carefully 
after  her  interests  in  a  shrewd  and  business-like 
manner.  She  bears  a  high  character  in  the  place 
where  she  is  well-known  and  she  is  one  of  the 
active  members  of  the  Christian  Church.  She  is 
tiie  mother  of  nine  children,  four  daughters  and 
five  sons,  namely:  William,  Samuel,  Mahala,  Philip, 
John  W.,  Marinda,  INIalzena,  Menda  and  Abraham, 
all  of  whom  are  living  but  William  and  Philip. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  we  present  a 
lithographic  portrait  of  the  late  Mr.  Likes. 


^^  HARLES  DEVERGER.  Such  is  the  com- 
(l(  petition  in  every  line  of  business  that    one 

^k^^'  must  jjossess  unusvial  ability  and  a  great 
amount  of  push  to  achieve  success.  Every  year 
the  number  of  competitors  grows  in  strength  and 
on  each  side  we  behold  the  breadwinners  anxiously 
waiting  for  a  chance  to  win  Dame  Fortune's 
smile. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May 
It,  1830.  His  father,  Benjamin  Deverger,  was 
a  native  of  St.  Louis  County,  Mo.,  and  his 
irrand father,  De  Gerda  Deverger,  was  born  in 
Canada.  The  latter  named  gentleman  passed  his 
youtii  on  Canadian  soil,  hut  after  reaching  man's 
I'State    came    to    the    United    States,    settling    in 


what  is  now  St.  Louis  County-,  near  the  present 
site  of  the  village  of  Florisant.  He  was  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  the  Indians,  and  that  section  of  the 
country  was  at  that  time  included  in  the  Spanish 
possessions.  He  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  died  on  his  farm,  having  been  deprived  of  his 
sight  through  the  last  few  years  of  his  life.  He 
married  Miss  P^lizabeth  I>u  Vile,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  St.  Louis  Count3-.  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  France,  and  was  one  of  the  first  white 
men  known  to  have  taken  up  his  residence  among 
the  red  men  in  Missouri,  and  he  had  an  im- 
mense amount  of  influence  over  them.  He  some- 
times performed  sleight-of-hand  tricks,  and  the 
Indians  called  him  Manitou,  because  of  his  great 
prowess. 

Mr.  Deverger's  father  spent  his  youth  in  his 
native  county  and  when  quite  a  young  man  entered 
the  eniploj-  of  the  American  Fur  Company,  re- 
maining with  them  ten  years,  and  making  annual 
trips  to  the  mountains  and  buying  furs  from  the 
Indians.  He  finally  settled  on  a  farm  near  Flori- 
sant, where  he  died  of  cholera,  July  10,  1849.  He 
married  Miss  Julia  Pelky,  who  was  born  in  St. 
Louis  County.  Her  father,  Andrew  Pelky,  was 
hoin  in  Kaskaskia,  111.,  being  of  French  de- 
scjiii.  While  a  3'oung  man  he  moved  to  St.  Louis 
County,  married  there  and  passed  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life  in  Ihat  county.  His  wife  who 
previous  to  her  marriage  was  Miss  Fruzenc  Gur- 
ney,  was  a  native  of  St.  Louis  County  and  there 
her  entire  life  was  spent. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm  and  continued  to  remain  with  his  mother 
until  1861,  at  which  time  he  removed  to  Calhoun 
County  where  he  rented  land.  At  the  expiration 
of  two  years  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  one  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Brussels  and  at  once  commenced 
to  clear  up  his  properl}'.  After  planting  a  fine 
orchard  and  otherwise  improving  the  farm  lie  re- 
sided there  for  a  period  of  sixteen  years,  after 
which  he  sold  that  land  and  bought  the  farm  he 
now  occu[)ies.  This  place  contains  one  hundred 
and  seventy  acres  of  land  on  section  4,  township 
13,  range  2. 

Mr.  Deverger  was  mariicd,  June  27,  1858,  to 
Miss   Catherine   Defore.  a  native  of   St.    Charles 


u 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


707 


County,  Mo.,  and  daughter  of  Charles  and  Eliza- 
beth Defore.  This  marriage  was  blessed  with  four 
children,  viz.;  Sophia,  Mary  Elizabelh,  .Tulia  C.  and 
Frederick.  Mrs.  Deverger  died  in  1867  and  our 
subject  was  a  second  time  married,  his  present  wife 
being  Sarah  Ann  Presse,  a  native  of  Randolph 
County,  Mo.  and  the  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Han- 
nah (Fitznater)  Presse.  By  the  second  union  our 
subject  has  had  eight  children,  six  of  whom  are 
now  living — Emma  C,  llenr}-,  Hannah,  Harvey, 
Benjamin  and  Ettie  L.  Mr.  Deverger  and  two  of 
ihe  cliildrcn  are  members  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
Church,  wliile  some  of  the  other  children  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our  sub- 
ject's mother  died  on  tlie  home  farm  in  St.  Louis 
County,  in  February,  1882.  She  was  the  mother  of 
eleven  c4iildren,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  maturity. 

Our  subject  is  a  prosperous  man  and  one  who 
fully  appreciates  the  necessity  for  good  judgment 
ialii<e  in  large  and  small  matters.  He  gives  careful 
attention  to  liis  farming  and  naturally,  therefore, 
succeeds  admirably-.  Both  he  and  his  family  are 
well  liked  in  the  community  in  which  they  reside, 
laiid  their  home  is  a  very  happ}'  one. 


I       IfeALTER  SCARBOROUGH.     There  is  gre.at 

HiA/     •"'^•■'^s''  ^^^^   ''1   tiiose   men   who,   starting 

\W^     empty-handed     in   the    race    for   success, 

'icliieve  popularit}'  and  wealth  before  the  afternoon 

>f  life  steals  on  apace.     Tiiis  is  a  busy  world,  and 

lictive  indeed  must  he  be  who  outstrips  his  brothers 

u  tbe  competition  that  each  3'ear  grows  fiercer  in 

uiancial  circles.     'Mv.  .Scarborough  is    one  of    tiie 

lurtuuate  number  who  have  so  used  their  talents  as 

I  secure  a  fair  share  of  woridl}'  goods,  and  whose 

iitellect  luas  been  made  to  suliserve   their  interests 

[1  business,  citizenship   and  personal  culture.     He 

psides  on    section   30,   Detioit  Township,  and  is 

lassed  among  the  most  prosperous  farmers  of  Pike 

•ount3'. 

Mr.  Scarborough's  birtli  occurred  in  JLaryland 
(Umary  26,  1852,  he  being  the  son  of  John  W.  and 
.dia  Ann  (Howlett)  .Scarborough,  who  arc  natives 
:  the  same  State  as  himself.     The  father  was  born 


in  1818  and  died  in  1885;  the  motlier  is  still  liv- 
ing at  the  age  of  sixty-eight.  Tiiey  were  married 
in  tlieir  :iative  State  and  their  union  w.as  blessed 
witli  seven  cliildrcn,  five  of  whom  are  now  living, 
all  in  Maryland  except  our  subject.  They  are:  A. 
il.,  Walter,  Eliza  L.,  (Mrs.  John  Wallace),  Mar- 
shaleen,  (Mrs.  Joseph  Robinson),  and  Emma.  Jo- 
seph Scarborough,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
a  prosperous  f;umcr  of  Maryland  but  his  parents 
came  from  England.  Andrew  Howlett,  maternal 
grandfather,  was  born  in  Maryland  and  was  of 
Scotch  descent. 

Mr.  Scarborough  received  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  elementary  schools  of  his  native  State, 
and  at  a  later  date  attended  a  private  school  in 
Pennsylvania  for  four  terms  and  there  studied  all 
tlie  higher  branches,  natural  sciences,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  commenced  his  business  career 
as  a  teacher  and  taught  most  successfully  in  the 
States  of  Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  for 
eiglit  3'ears.  working  on  a  farm  through  the  vacation 
months  of  the  year.  In  1877  he  came  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Pike  County.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in 
Newburg  Township  for  Hardin  Westlakc  through 
two  summers  and  taught  school  in   winter. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Scarborough  rented  his 
present  farm  for  five  years  and  then  removed  to  an 
eight3'-acre  tract  situated  one-half  mile  east,  which 
he  bought.  It  was  quite  well  improved  and  was  a 
satisfactory  home  some  four  years,  but  at  the  ex- 
piration of  that  [)eriod  Mr.  .Scarborough  removed 
to  section  29,  where  he  bought  eighty  acres,  occu- 
pying it  however  but  a  year  and  a  half.  He  then 
came  back  to  his  present  location,  where  he  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  sixty-two  and  five-eighths 
acres,  two  hundred  and  tvventy-nine  being  under 
cultivation.  He  carries  on  extensive  farming  .nnd 
stock  raising  business,  dealing  largely  in  hogs, 
wlieat  and  corn. 

In  1879  Mr.  Scarborough  was  married  to  Miss 
i^Iary  J.  Schuler,  daughter  of  David  and  .Melvina 
Schuler,  natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Illinois 
res[)eetively.  They  are  hot li  deceased,  but  three  of 
their  six  children  are  nowliving:  Lucinda,wifc  of  F. 
Gobl)le;  Maria,  Mrs.  L.  Sneeden;  and  Mrs.  Scarbor- 
ough. The  last- mentioned  was  born  in  September, 
1857,and  received  a  good  common-school  education. 


708 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


She  and  her  husband  are  the  liappj'  parents  of  four 
children,  named  respect! veli':  Virgil  Leroy,  Lena, 
Irao  and  Grace.  Mr.  Scarborough  is  a  member  of 
tiie  Democratic  party  and  is  actively  interested  in 
National  and  local  politics.  He  is  a  thorough-go- 
ing business  man  who  makes  money  rapidly' 
through  every  season  of  the  j'ear  and  manages  his 
estate  in  the  most  intelligent  manner.  His  scien- 
tific knowledge  is  an  aid  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  giving  him  a  better  understanding  of  the 
chemical  properties  of  various  earths  and  the  needs 
of  tlie  crops,  and  enabling  him  to  use  the  most 
suitable  fertiliziug  agents  each  season.  His  gen- 
eral intelligence,  affable  manners  and  honorable 
conduct  give  him  wide  populuritj',  in  which  his  wor- 
thy companion  lias  full  share. 


•m^ 


'J_^ENRY  METZ,  whose  sketch  is  presented 
''^^  in  our  Alhum,  is  a  genial  courteous  gentle- 
man to  whom  friendships  are  as  numerous 
as  "the  leaves  that  strew  the  plains  of  Val- 
ombrosa."  The  Melz  family  came  originall}^  from 
Germany  and  trace  their  ancestors  back  through 
many  generations.  Our  subject's  grandfather  was 
most  likely  a  native  of  Maryland,  though  his  death 
occurred  in  Virginia.  He  married  an  American 
lady  who  survived  him  and  came  to  Illinois  and 
died  in  Pike  Count}'  after  attaining  her  eightieth 
year. 

Our  subject's  father,  Benjamin  Metz  was  born  in 
Maryland,  and  as  his  father's  death  occurred  -while 
he  was  quite  young,  it  fell  to  him  to  assist  his 
mother  in  caring  for  the  other  children.  He  reached 
his  maturity  in  Harrison  County,  Va.,  and  there 
married  Miss  Jane  Lawson,  daughter  of  Jolm  Law- 
son,  a  Virginian  and  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  Immediately  after  their  marriage  they  came 
West  reaching  Illinois  in  1833,  and  secured  some 
Government  land  surrounding  McGee's  Creek,  a 
part  of  which  lies  in  Chambersburg,  and  here  they 
commenced  life  as  comparatively  poor  people.  The 
father  died  at  the  old  homestead  in  1867  beino-  a 
little  more  than  sixty-three  years  of  age.  He  was 
one  of  tlie  most  widely  known  and  popular  men  in 


the  county.  He  had  been  very  active  in  promoting 
the  welfare  of  tliose  about  him,  and  was  also  a 
prominent  local  politician  of  the  Republican  partj', 
and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  His  wife 
died  in  Chambersburg  in  1889,  being  in  her  seventy- 
third  year.  To  them  were  born  thirteen  children; 
four  sons  and  four  daughters  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing. 

The  subject  of  oiw  sketch  was  born  in  the  home 
wliere  he  now  lives,  May  4,  lts42,  and  received  a 
fairly  good  education.  When  nineteen  years  old 
he  enlisted  in  the  Tenth  Illinois  Cavalry,  Company 
L,  under  Col.  Barrett  and  Capt.  Wilson.  The 
regiment  was  sent  first  to  St.  Louis  after  organizing 
in  September,  18C1,  and  in  the  spring  went  throuoh 
different  parts  of  Missouri  on  detached  duty  as 
scouts  and  after  capturing  the  guerrillas  they  did 
faithful  service  in  that  State,  and  were  afterward 
sent  into  Arkansas  where  they  captured  Little 
Rock.  Our  subject  and  others  of  his  company'  were 
captured  by  old  Gen.  Joe  Shelby  and  after  being 
held  as  prisoners  for  several  days  were  sent  to  Ben- 
ton Barracks,  and  were  finally  exchanged  and  fought 
bravely  until  the  close  of  the  wai  in  1865.  Though 
in  the  arm}'  four  years  and  three  months,  Mr. 
Metz  escaped  injury  but  was  on  the  sick  list  for  a 
few  months.  He  had  the  confidence  of  his  superior 
officers  and  was  made  Corporal  at  one  time. 

Our  subject,  after  peace  was  once  more  restored 
throughout  the  countr}-,  returned  to  Illinois  and 
devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  farming.  Three 
years  later  he  married,  in  this  township.  Miss  Al- 
vira  Morrison,  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  and  Sarah 
( Woods)  Morrison,  natives  of  Ohio.  She  was  born 
in  Cliambersburg  Township  in  1855,  and  after  her 
father's  death  her  mother  married  William  Gillis, 
whose  biography  appears  in  another  part  of  our 
Album. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metz  have  been  born  five  ciiil- 
dren,  of  whom  Ruth  is  deceased  and  those  now 
living  are  as  follows:  Vianna,  Murlie,  Ray  and  Kos- 
coe.  Mrs.  Metz  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Our  subject  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Republican  party  and  much  interested 
in  public  matters.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order,  belonging  to  Blue  Lodge  No.  373  of  Cham- 
bersburg. He  owns  an  estate  that  comprises   four 


J 


PORTRAIT  AND  UIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


709 


I      hundred  acres  of    very  fine  land,  keeps   it  in  a 

I      state  of  perfect  cultivation  and  meets    witli    good 

liicic  in  every  undertaking,  nuicb  to  the  pleasure  of 

tlie  thousand  friends    who  watch    his    career    with 

happy  eyes. 


i^ 


'OHN  w.  Mclaughlin.     Among  the 

practical  farmers  and  stock-raisers  of  Fair- 
mount  Township,  Pike  County,  may  be  num- 
bered the  gentleman  above  named,  whose 
comfortable  home  is  located  on  section  27.  Tlie 
liumestead  consists  of  three  luindrcd  and  forty-five 
acres  u|)on  which  fine  improvements  have  been 
made  in  the  vva}'  of  farm  biiililings,  etc.  A  son  of 
oursubjectis  interested  willi  him  in  the  homestead, 
which  has  been  the  place  of  residence  of  John  W. 
I     McLaughlin  since  1855. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio 
near  the  City  of  Xenia,  Jul}'  17,  1829.  In  the  fall 
of  1837  his  father's  family  came  to  Illinois,  via  the 
Ohio,  Jlississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Phillip's 
P'erry,  and  thence  overland  to  their  new  home. 
They  located  in  New  Salem  Township,  this  county, 
j  and  after  the  lapse  of  about  si.Ktoen  jears  took 
possession  of  the  farm  now  under  the  control  of 
our  subject.  Having  been  reared  to  agricultural 
pinsuits  the  present  owner  of  the  estate  is  thor- 
oughly competent  to  successfully  prosecute  his 
affairs.  He  has  helped  to  improve  a  large  amount 
of  land  in  the  two  townships,  and  is  luimbered 
among  those  to  whom  credit  is  due  for  the  present 
coiiilition  of  this  region. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mar}-  B.    Medaris    and    is  a  native  of  New  .Salem 
Township,  in  which  her  marriage  was  celebrated  on 
'    March  22,  1855.      She  w.as  born   in    1835,  her  par- 
ents being  Roi)erlson  and  Felicia  (McLean)    Meda- 
ris, under  whose  care  she  grew  to  womanhood,  and 
developed    the    rcflnoment  and    virtues  of  a  noble 
woman.     She    has    manj-  friends    in    the   tovvnshi|) 
where    she  resides,  as   well  as  in  that  wherein  her 
early  years  were  spent.     She  is  the  mother  of  eight 
j    children,  of  whom  the  following  arc  deceased:  Klla, 
!|     Charles  W.,  Anna,  and   an  infant.     The  surviving 


members  of  the  family  are  Robinson  0.,  Lulu  0.. 
Felicia  and  John  A.  Robinson  lielps  to  carry  on 
tlie  farm,  and  all  brighten  the  home  by  their 
l)resence. 

Our  subject  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  in  the  pa- 
ternal line  and  the  son  of  jjarents  born  in  Virginia 
and  Ohio  respectively.  His  father,  William  Mc- 
Laughlin, was  but  a  small  boy  when  his  father 
died,  and  was  still  a  single  man  wlien  his  mother 
removed  with  her  children  to(;reenc  County,  Ohio. 
There  Grandmother  McLaughlin  died  at  an  .id- 
vanced  age,  and  her  son  ^^'illiam  married  Miss 
Anna  Bogus,  a  lady  of  Dutch  ancestry.  William 
McLaughlin  and  his  wife  continued  to  reside  in 
Ohio  for  some  years,  then  came  to  this  state  and 
lived  to  an  advanced  age,  both  being  upwards  of 
f(jur-score  when  called  hence.  They  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Chuicli,  active  in  leligious  work, 
and  were  classed  among  the  prominent  and  worthy 
citizens.  Mr.  McLaughlin  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics.  Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  five  children 
now  living. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  McL.aughlin  of  this  notice 
were  born  in  the  P.luc  Grass  State,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood  and  womanhood.  There  their  wedded 
life  began,  and  after  a  time  they  came  to  this  State 
where  they  became  quite  well  known,  and  died  at  a 
goodh'  age. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  is  a  sound 
Democrat  in  politics.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
tlie  iMethodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  wliich  the  hus- 
band is  now  holding  the  office  of  Trustee.  Mr. 
McLauglilin  is  a  peaceful  and  law-aliiding  citizen, 
and  one  of  the  solid  members  of  the  communit}'. 


ARDEN  J.  WESTLAKE,  one  of  the  m(st 

Ji  prosperous  gentlemen  who  make  their  hoiue 
;r     /Jr/ 
1^  '<'     in  Newburg  Township,  Pike  County,  is  the 

•))  son  of  Benjamin  F.  and  Charlotte  (God- 
win) Westlake,  natives  of  New  York  and  Tennessee 
respectively.  His  parents  both  came  to  this  county 
when  young  and  after  their  marriage  settled  on 
section  29,  in  Newburg  Township.  The  father  en- 
gaged extensively  in  agricultural   pursuits  and    at 


710 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  time  of  his  death  owned  about  seven  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Ncwburg  Township  and  nineteen 
hundred  in  the  State  of  Missouri.  His  death  oc- 
curred at  his  residence  on  June  9,  1882.  He  was  a 
very  public-spirited  man  and  had  at  different  times 
held  offices  of  trust,  and  was  atone  time  the  Re- 
publican candidate  for  Congress,  but  was  defeated 
becanse  of  the  large  Democratic  majority  in  the 
county.  His  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
county,  State  and  country  was  very  pronounced 
and  he  was  at  all  times  an  advocate  of  right  and 
justice. 

To  our  subject's  parents  were  born  eleven  chil- 
dren, viz:  George  W.,  who  is  a  farmer  in  New- 
burg  Township;  Fannie,  Susan,  Hardin  J.,  Ann, 
who  is  the  wife  of  George  Webster,  of  Montezuma 
Township;  Catherine,  wife  of  Charles  Graves; 
Henry;  Benjamin,  a  farmer  of  this  township;  Char- 
lotte, who  married  Albert  Crawford  of  Pittsfield; 
Charles,  a  farmer  of  Xewburg  Township  and 
Thomas. 

Mr.  Westlake  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  in 
Newburg  Tovrnship,  April  14,  1846,  and  passed  his 
youth  on  the  farm.  His  education  was  received  in 
the  common  schools  and  he  continued  to  live  witli 
his  father  up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage,  at  which 
time  he  settled  on  section  29.  He  was  married  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  February  25,  1868,  to  Miss  Mary 
A.  PuUiam,  daughter  of  Thompson  G.  and  Rachel 
(Willvin)  PuUiam.  Her  birth  occurred  in  Oliio 
October  24,  1848. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, viz:  Vinnic,  Clara,  Franklin  P.,  Luella  and 
Cassias  H.  Mr.  Westlake  is  the  owner  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  fine  land  all  of  .vhich  is  in 
an  excellent  state  of  cultivation,  and  being  engaged 
in  general  farming  he  has  an  opportunit}'  to  appre- 
ciate the  freedom  and  happiness  attached  to  farm 
life,  where  tlie  busy  din  and  confusion  of  the  citj- 
is  not  lieard,  and  where  man  is  surrounded  on 
every  side  by  the  calm  and  refreshing  landscapes 
tliat  constantly  bespeak  the  artistic  taste  of  Mother 
Nature. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  has  had  many  honors 
shown  him.  He  was  elected  Supervisor  in  1883,  but 
resigned  before  his  term  was  out  in  order  to  move 
to  Louisiana  where  he  owned    a  cotton  plantation. 


After  about  three  j-ears  spent  there  he  returned  to 
Newburg  Township  and  was  again  elected  .Super- 
visor in  1890.  He  has  also  served  as  School  Di- 
rector. In  political  belief,  he  is  a  strong  advocate 
of  Republican  sentiments  and  is  a  strong  supporter 
of  that  part3'.  He  and  his  wife  and  their  three 
daughters  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church. 
Indeed  in  every  respect  our  subject  ranks  high  in 
the  community  in  which  he  resides  and  is  generally 
thouglit  to  be  an  extra  good  business  man. 


^URNER  LUMLEY,  a  farmer  residing  on  sec- 
ff(^^^  tion  IG,  Carlin  Precinct,  Calhoun  County, 
was  born  on  his  father's  farm  in  this  county 
on  the  30th  of  August,  185G.  His  parents,  Turner 
and  Nancy  Lumlej',  are  numbered  among  the  early 
pioneers  of  the  community  and  were  among  those 
who  aided  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  county.  Our 
subject  shared  with  the  famil3'  in  the  hardships  and 
trials  which  come  to  those  who  make  liomcs  on  the 
frontier  and  the  advantages  of  his  youth  were  nec- 
essaril3'  limited.  His  education  was  acquired  in 
the  district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  but  com- 
prises only  the  common  English  branches  which  he 
pursued  during  the  winter  months,  while  in  the 
summer  season  he  aided  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm. 

Leaving  the  parental  roof,  Mr.  Lumley  made  a 
home  for  himself,  and  for  a  helpmate  on  life's  jour- 
ney won  Miss  Sarah  E.  Thomas,  their  union  being 
celebrated  on  the  25th  of  January,  1 880.  The  l.idy 
was  born  in  this  county,  October  10,  1858,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Levi  Thomas,  one  of  the  prominent 
farmers  of  this  community'  who  is  represented  on 
another  page  of  this  Album.  The  children  born  of 
this  marri.age  are  AVilliam  T.,  born  September  II, 
1881;  George  A.,  October  27,  1883;  and  Jesse  E., 
October  14,  1889.  The  famih'  circle  yet  remains 
unbroken  and  the  children  are  still  under  the  par- 
ental roof. 

In  the  autumn  of  1880  Mr.  Lumley-  removed  to 
his  present  farm  which  has  now  been  his  home  for 
ten  years.     It  comprises  three  hundred  and  twenty 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


11 


acres  of  arable  liinrl,  the  greater  part  of  whieli  is 
under  cultivation  and  furnished  with  good  buil<l- 
ings  and  other  improvements.  lie  understantls  his 
business  in  all  its  details  and  as  the  result  of  good 
management  has  one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  cora- 
munitv.  Mr.  Lumle3'  began  life  a  poor  boy,  having 
neither  capital  nor  influential  friends  to  aid  lilm, 
but  a  determined  will  and  industr3'  have  been  the 
stepping  stones  b\"  which  he  has  risen  to  his  pres- 
ent rank  among  the  substantial  farmers  of  Calhoun 
County.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  having  sup- 
ported that  i)art_v  since  attaining  his  majority.  He 
is  now  serving  as  Treasurer  of  the  school  district 
of  township  8.  range  2.  In  the  social  world,  Mr. 
I.iiraley  and  his  wife  who  is  a  most  estimable  lad}-, 
hold  a  high  position  and  have  a  wide  circle  of  friends 
anil  acquaintances.  Their  home  is  the  abode  of 
hospitality  and  the  warm  welcome  given  to  their 
guests  makes  it  a  favorite  resort  with  the  people  of 
the  community. 


HARLIE  B.  TURNER  is  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Turner  Bros.,  editors  and 
V  proprietors  of  the  Old  Flag,  a  paper  pub- 
lished in  Pittsfield,  Pike  County.  The  journal  was 
started  in  1842  and  passed  through  different  hands 
until  purchased  Iiy  the  present  owners  in  1883.  It 
is  a  six-column,  eight-page  paper,  neatl}-  and  well 
printed  by  a  steam  power  press,  and  is  issued  on 
Thursday  of  each  week.  The  Old  Flag  is  pub- 
lished under  the  Republican  banner,  its  local  col- 
umns are  well  filled  with  facts  of  interest  to  the 
members  of  the  community,  its  editorials  are  terne 
and  to  the  point,  and  its  items  of  general  news  well 
selected.  The  publishing  firm  does  a  large  business 
in  the  way  of  job  work  as  well  as  in  advertising,  and 
altogether  their  business  affairs  are  in  a  satisfactorj- 
condition. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  is  the  ejdest  son  of 
the  Rev.  P.  L.  Turner,  who  was  born  in  North 
Carolina  in  1831  and  is  the  son  of  James  J.  Turner. 
He  has  spent  many  years  in  the  ministry  connected 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  now  be- 
longs to  the  Illinois  Conference.     During   the  war 


he  spent  a  short  time  in  Missouri,  removing  from 
that  State  to  Michigan  and  being  connected  with 
the  Detroit  Conference  until  1872,  when  transferred 
to  that  of  this  State.  The  wife  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tur- 
ner was  born  in  the  eastern  part  of  New  York,  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Adeline  E.  Green  and  is- the 
daughter  of  Ebenezer  and  Prudence  Green.  Her 
father  was  a  native  of  the  Green  ^Mountain  Stale. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  have  three  children  living — 
Charlie  Burchard.  Frank  G.  and  Nettie  R.  The 
latter  is  still  an  inmate  of    the  parental   household. 

Charlie  B.  Turner  was  born  January  23,  18.57, 
in  HornersviUe,  Dunklin  County,  Mo.  He  received 
his  education  in  the  different  places  in  which  his 
father  was  located  during  his  boyhood, leaving  school 
at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years  to  take  up  the  study 
of  telegraphy.  He  soon  became  an  .assistant  opera- 
tor at  Philo,  this  Slate,  discharging  the  duties  of 
that  position  thei-e  and  in  other  places  until  1871). 
His  brother,  Frank  G.,  was  publishing  a  paper 
called  the  Enterpriae  at  Cl.ayton  and  our  subject  be- 
came connected  with  him  in  journalistic  work. 

The  brothers  conducted  the  Enterprise  \intil  June, 
1880,  when  the}-  sold  out.  went  to  iMt.  Sterling  and 
started  the  Brown  County  Gazette,  a  Republican 
sheet  which  they  disposed  of  in  May,  18R3.  They 
then  removed  to  Pittsfield  and  in  October  pur- 
chased the  Old  Flag,  to  whose  eflicienc}'  as  a  jHib. 
lie  educator  thej-  have  added  and  whose  circulation 
has  increased  since  they  took  charge. 

Our  subject  is  Secretnry  of  the  Pittsfield  Sav- 
ing A  Loan  Association  and  has  served  in  that  ca- 
pacit3' siuce  the  inslitution  was  organized.  He  is 
President  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion and  Steward  and  Treasurer  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  He  is  very  much  interested  in 
all  matters  which  will  conduce  to  the  moral  and 
material  elevation  of  society  and  particular!}'  anx- 
ious to  surround  young  men  with  good  influences. 
He  belongs  to  the  social  orde:-  of  Modern  Wood- 
men. 

The  cozy  home  of  Mr.  Turner  is  under  the  charge  . 
of  a  capable  housekeeper,  an  intelligent  CHiristian 
woman  who,  prior  to  M.ay  28,  1884,  was  known  as 
Miss  Mattie  G.  I'utman.  She  is  the  oldest  daughter 
of  John  and  Martha  (Sackett)  Putraan,  natives  of 
Ohio  and  New  York,  was  born  in  Beardstown,  this 


712 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Slatfi,  and  there  celebraterl  her  marriage  to  Mr. 
Turner.  His  iiome  is  further  brightened  b}"  the 
presence  of  two  children — Ethel  May  and  Charlie 
Grant..  Mrs.  Turner  belongs  to  the  same  church 
as  her  husband  and,  like  him,  endeavors  to  make 
her  life  useful  to  those  about  her,  both  in  example 
and  in  lending  a  helping  hand  in  various  ways. 


"-"^'i'l'S'^"*- — 

/^^  REED  8TRAWN,  whose  biography  Jiow 
[1(1  claims  attention,  is  numl)ered  among  the 
^^J  prominent  citizens  of  Detroit  Township, 
Pike  Countj',  and  he  and  his  charming  wife  are 
recognized  social  leaders  of  the  place  and  are  much 
admired  and  respected  by  all  who  know  them. 
Indeed,  their  friends  are  as  numerous  as  '"the 
leaves  that  strew  the  plains  of  Valombrosa,"  and 
being  wealthy  they  are  able  to  enjo^'  popularit}' 
to  the  fullest  extent. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Montezuma  Townsiilp. 
September  9,  1833,  being  the  son  of  Edmund  and 
Dorcas  (Morton)  Strawn,  natives  of  ]S'orth  Caro- 
lina. His  father  was  born  in  180.5,  and  was  a  far- 
mer and  stockman.  Ills  parents  married  in  North 
Carolina  and  lived  there  until  if!30,  at  which  time 
tliey  moved  to  Illinois  and  settled  south  of  Milton 
on  Franklin  Prairie,  crossing  the  Illinois  River  at 
Montezuma,  December  25th,  1830.  They  were 
poor  at  the  lime  and  settled  on  uncultivated  land, 
surrounded  on  every  side  bj-  Indians.  The}' 
next  moved  to  the  farm  now  owned  by  the  Bauer 
l)oys  and  after  remaining  there  a  number  of  years 
settled  on  a  farm  just  east  of  Milton,  and  after- 
ward moved  to  section  33.  Our  subject's  mother 
died  in  1838  and  Lis  father  married  Miss  Mahala 
Tucker,  who  now  lives  in  Brown  County.  The 
father  died  in  1863.  Of  the  seven  children  born 
to  the  first  wife  but  two  beside  our  subject  are 
living:  Pearlina  is  the  widow  of  Robert  Phillips 
and  lives  in  Missouri,  her  family  consisting  of 
seven  children;  Ann  married  G.  W.  Farringlon, 
lives  in  Gl.asgow,  Scott  County,  and  has  five  chil- 
dren. Grant  Strawn,  the  son  born  to  the  second 
wife,  lives  in  Brown  County.  The  father  was  al- 
ways an  active  politician  and  belonged   to   the  old 


line  Whig  party.  Our  subject's  grandfather.  .Tolin 
Morton,  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  a 
successful  farmer. 

Mr.  Strawn  sustained  the  sad  loss  of  his  mother 
when  only  five  years  of  age,  and  though  he  re- 
mained at  home,  often  passed  his  childish  hours  cn- 
tirel}'  alone.  He  received  few  educational  advan- 
tages, but  attended  the  log  schoolhouse  in  Milton 
for  a  short  time.  He  commenced  supporting  him- 
self at  the  age  of  twentj'-tliree,  and  for  two  years 
ran  a  threshing  machine  on  the  home  farm. 

Our  subject  was  married  July  12.  1857.  to 
Miss  Helen  M.  Ownby,  daughter  of  Zachariah  and 
JIartlia  (Baker)  Ownby,  natives  of  Adair  County, 
Ky.  Her  father  w.as  born  in  1815,  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful farmer,  and  her  mother  was  born  in  1821. 
They  had  each  removed  to  Illinois  previous  to  their 
marriage.  Thomas  Ownby,  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Strawn,  moved  to  Illinois  in  1827,  settled  in  De- 
troit  Township,  Pike  County,  and  died  at  that 
place;  and  her  grandfather  Samuel  Baker,  came 
from  Kentucky  to  Pike  County  in  1831,  settling 
on  section  33,  Detroit  Township,  and  died  there. 
Her  parents  were  married  in  May.  1839,  and 
occupied  the  farm  now  owned  by  .T.  D.  Ileavner  in 
Montezuma  Township.  In  a  short  time  they  removed 
to  tlie  Samuel  Baker  farm  on  section  33,  Detroit 
Township,  and  afterwards  moved  to  section  31. 
Her  fatiier  made  a  trip  across  the  plains  to  Califor- 
nia in  1849.  and  one  week  after  reaching  that  State 
he  died  and  was  buried  where  Sacramento  now 
stands.  Her  mother  died  in  1884.  The  foiiiier 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  the  latter  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the 
father  was  an  old  line  Whig.  They  were  the  |i;ir- 
ents  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing: viz.,  Mrs.  Strawn ;  Adelia,  now  Mrs.  Frant'is 
i\I.  Farriugton,  who  lives  in  Newton,  Kan.,  and  has 
one  child;  Sarah  E.  who  is  now  Mrs.  Reubenult. 
lives  at  Newton,  Kan.,  and  has  two  children: 
Thomas  1'.  who  married  Miss  Irene  Heavner, 
lives  at  San  Jose,  Cal.,  and  has  three  children; 
James  M,  who  married  Miss  Alice  Gant  lives  in 
Walton,  Kan.,  and  has  two  children. 

Our  subject  after  his  marriage  settled  on  his 
present  farm.  It  was  decidedly  uncullirated  at 
that  time,  and    it  has  been   by  his   own   exertions 


ri 


^^!Ut^^^^:X^ 


^^^^?^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


715 


tliat  his  homo  has  been  made  so  attractive.  His 
iiandsorae  residence  was  built  in  1880,  one  barn  in 
1880,  and  the  other  twenty  years  ai^o.  lie  owns 
sixty  acres  of  highly  improved  land,  carries  on 
a  successful  farmino;  business,  and  is  also  much  in- 
terested in  stock  raising  keeping  only  standard 
grades. 

Mrs.  Strawn  was  born  on  section  33,  Detroit 
Townshi[),  May  13,  1840,  and  receivod  an  excellent 
education  at  Milton.  She  was  the  niotlier  of  two 
children,  Martha  and  Adelia,  both  now  deceased. 
Martha  was  born  August  9,  1860,  and  died  No- 
vember 4,  18G2;  Adelia  was  born  June  26,  1867, 
and  died  April  21,  1875.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Strawn  aie  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and 
she  has  been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school  for 
some  time.  Our  subject  takes  an  active  interest 
in  all  affairs  pertaining  to  the  benefit  of  his 
country  State  and  county,  and  has  always  voted 
with  the  Republican  [larty.  They  are  both  strong 
advocates  of  temperance  and  devote  their  inlluence 
to  the  suppression  of  the  temptation  t'.iat  has  power 
to  ruin  the  manhood  of  America.  Mr.  Strawn  has 
served  as  School  Director  and  Road  Overseer  for 
Detroit  Township,  and  is  a  genial  courteous  gentle- 
man who  has  hosts  of  warm  personal  friends 
thvoughout  Pike  County. 


£  RS.  ALZINA  C.  (LEGGETT)  WIKE.  An 
honored  place  among  the  pioneers  of  Pike 
Countj'  is  held  by  this  ladj',  who  came  to 
the  city  of  Barry  when  a  child  of  eleven 
years  and  has  witnessed  the  development  of  the 
count}'  from  a  barren  wilderness  to  a  front  rank 
among  the  counties  of  Illinois.  She  can  relate  in 
a  ver}'  interesting  manner  reminiscences  of  their 
journey  hither  and  of  the  pioneer  life  they  led  for 
many  years  after  their  arriral.  She  is  an  interest- 
ing conversationalist  and  in  her  company  the  hours 
quickly  pass.  She  recalls  the  uncultivated  condi- 
tion of  the  country  when  wild  game  abounded,  and 
there  were  only  a  few  scr.ttering  settlements. 

A  native  of  Greene  County,  Ohio,    Mrs.    Wike 
was  born  December  19,  1826,  to  David  and  Jennie 


Leggelt,  natives  of  Ohio.  Grandfather  William 
Lcggett  is  tliought  to  have  been  born  in  Scotland, 
and  after  cf)niing  to  this  country  became  a  pioneer 
in  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  last  years.  David  Leg- 
gett  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  and  remained 
in  Ohio  until  1837,  when  accompanied  by  his  four 
daughters  and  one  son,  he  came  to  Illinois  with  a 
team,  cooking  and  camping  by  the  wayside.  He 
arrived  in  Pike  County  in  the  fall  of  the  year  and 
located  in  the  village  of  AVorcester,  ns  Barry  was 
then  called.  There  were  but  few  houses  here  at 
that  time  and  these  were  usually  made  of  logs  and 
their  surroundings  were  wild  and  primitive  in  the 
extreme. 

In  this  county  Mr.  Leggctt  rented  land  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  his  death  in  1861,  when  a 
busy  life  and  honorable  career  were  brought  to  a 
close.  His  wife  died  in  Ohio  in  1829.  Our  subject 
remained  with  her  father,  assisting  to  look  after  the 
comfort  of  the  household  until  her  first  marriage 
February  22,  1845,  when  she  became  the  wife  of 
Isaac  McDaniel.  Mr.  McDanicl  was  born  in  South 
Carolina  and  was  a  son  of  Patrick  McDaniel.  He 
was  a  i)ractical  farmer  and  assisted  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Pike  Count}-,  of  which  he  was  a  pioneei'. 
In  1852  Mrs.  McDaniel  became  the  wife  of  George 
Wike,  to  whom  she  was  a  devoted  hel|)mate  and  a 
faithful  counselor  during  tlieir  long  and  happy  wed- 
ded life. 

In  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  George  Wike  was 
born,  a  son  of  George  and  Mary  Wike.  For 
further  history  of  the  Wike  family,  see  sketch  of 
William  Guss.  Mr.  Wike  learned  the  trade  of  a 
woolen  manufacturer,  acquiring  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  it  in  all  its  details,  and  becoming  a  well- 
known  manufacturer  of  that  class  of  goods.  At  an 
early  date  he  came  to  Illinois  and  operated  a  woolen 
mill  in  Quincy,  and  later,  with  his  brothers,  erected 
and  operated  the  Barry  woolen  mills.  He  also  had 
a  grist-mill,  deriving  therefrom  an  excellent  income. 
His  connection  with  the  woolen  mills  was  main- 
tained until  his  death  ended  his  career  as  a  success- 
ful business  man.  He  died  February  28,  1880,  and 
left  behind  him  the  rec(U(l  of  a  useful  and  honor- 
able life. 

,  Mr.  Wike  was  married  three  times.  He  hail  three 
cliildren  l)y  his  lirst  marriage,  one  of   whom  is  still 


716 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArillCAL  ALBUM. 


li  vino;.  Scott,  a  resident  of  PittsfieM  and  a  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress  from  this  district,  being  very 
prominent  and  influential  in  the  political  history  of 
Pike  County.  Of  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Wike 
four  children  were  born — George,  Sarah,  Geddes 
and  Laura.  Mr.  Wike  was  just  in  his  dealings  with 
all  and  at  the  same  time  considerate  and  merciful. 
He  was  in  every  respect  a  good  neighbor,  a  kind 
friend,  a  tender  husband  and  devoted  father. 
Thrifty  and  industrious,  he  understood  thoroughly 
how  to  manage  his  affairs  so  as  to  make  the  great- 
est profit  with  the  least  expenditure.  As  one  of  tlic 
leading  manufacturers  of  this  section  of  Illinois,  he 
was  held  in  high  regard  and  in  social  circles  was 
equally  prominent,  being  an  influential  Mason  for 
more  than  forty  years  prior  to  his  death. 

Deeds  of  kindness  and  benevolence  have  en- 
deared Mrs.  Wike  to  a  large  circle  of  friends.  She 
is  a  woman  of  pronounced  opinions,  and  a  strong 
supporter  of  the  Univcrsalist  faith.  Bj'  her  first 
marriage  she  has  one  daughter,  Epsy  J.,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  S.  B.  Brouken  and  the  mother  of  one 
son,  Charles  R.  On  another  page  of  this  volume 
will  be  found  a  lithographic  |)ortrait  of  Mr.  Wike, 
who  will  long  be  remembered  as  a  valued  citizen 
of  Pike  Count}^ 


-^-^■^^ 


'OHN  A.  LINKOGEL,  Superintendent  of 
the  Infirmary  of  Calhoun  Count}',  is  the  sub- 
ject of  our  present  sketch,  and  is  a  gentle- 
man who  ranks  among  the  most  highly 
respected  citizens  in  his  county.  Mr.  Linkogel 
was  i)orn  in  Hanover,  Germany,  November  1, 
1830.  He  attended  school  in  his  native  countrj- 
and  was  busily  employed  through  the  vacations 
and  the  long  winter  evenings  wiien  he  would 
spin  flax.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  America,  but  remembers  dis- 
tinctly every  incident  connected  with  his  life  in  the 
old  country  and  the  trip  to  the  new  home.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  commenced  to  learn  the  black- 
smith's trade,  serving  three  years  in  St.  Charles, 
Mo.  He  worked  there  until  1852,  at  which  time 
he  removed  to  Grafton,  .Terse}-  County,  III.,  where 


he  opened  a  shop  and  continued  to  work  at  his 
trade  in  Grafton  and  Olterville  until  ihe  year 
1862. 

Mr.  Linkogel  enlisted  in  the  Civil  War  in  1862, 
joining  Company  C,  Fourteenth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
and  served  in  Kentucky  &nd  Tennessee  where  his 
regiment  acted  with  Gen.  Morgan's  forces.  He 
served  up  to  May  30,  1863,  at  which  date  he  was 
honorably  discharged  owing  to  physical  disability. 
He  at  once  returned  to  Jersey  County  and  resumed 
his  business  in  Otterville  for  a  time.  He  afterward 
removed  to  Grafton,  remaining  there  three  years 
and  then  returned  to  Otterville.  In  1880  he  re- 
moved to  Hardin.  He  worked  at  his  trade  until 
1886,  at  which  time  he  was  elected  Superintendent 
of  the  County  Infirmar}-.  He  fills  this  position 
most  creditably  both  to  himself  and  others  and 
has  gained  a  vast  amount  of  influence  in  this  com- 
munity by  his  regular  habits  and  progressive 
spirit. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1852  to  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Lehiiikuhl,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Missouri. 
Their  marriage  has  been  blessed  with  nine  children, 
viz:  Francis  M.,  AUie,  John  T.,  Joseph  E..  James 
A.,  Frail  E.,  Eva  L.,  Clarence  and  Annie.  Allie 
and  Annie  are  deceased.  Mr.  Linkogel  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Calhoun  Post,  No.  448,  G.  A.  R.,  and  also 
of  Calhoun  Lodge,  No.  792,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

Our  subject's  father,  Francis  Linkogel,  w.as  boin 
in  Hnnover,  Germany,  and  was  a  tailor  by  trade. 
He  pursued  this  occupation  until  1844,  at  which 
time  he  formed  a  colony  and  emigrated  to  America, 
bringing  his  wife  and  three  of  his  four  children 
with  him.  They  set  sail  from  Bremen  in  October 
and  landed  at  New  Orleans.  Texas  w.is  the  desti- 
nation the  colony  had  in  view,  consequently  they 
embarked  on  a  steamer  and  sailed  up  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Red  Rivers  as  far  as  Alexandria.  At 
tiiat  point  they  were  detained  on  account  of  low 
water.  The  colony  selected  three  members,  of 
which  our  subject's  father  was  one,  to  proceed  with 
the  trip  in  order  to  ascertain  the  local  facilities  and 
desirability  of  Texas.  Two  of  the  number  did  not 
like  the  Lone  Star  State,  so  Francis  Linkogel  and 
others  of  the  party  went  to  St.  Louis  and  then  to 
St.  Charles  County.  Mo.  He  bought  a  tract  of 
land  there  with  the  intention  of  farming,  but  died 


i 


II 


i/J/mr 

i,." 


*,.. 


r"^- 


Ji^^f^   J^-^i/^u 


C<2^in^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  one  3'ear  after  settling  on  his  new  propertj'.  His 

I     widow  continuerl   to  reside  there  with  her  children 

'     up  to  tlic  time  of  her  death.     She  was  the  motlier 

of  four    children,   viz:  Joseph,   .lolin   A.,  Theresn 

and  Frank. 

Nearly  every  known  country  has  contributed  to 
the  population  of  the  United  Slates,  and  bringing 
with  them  habits  of  indusUy  and  activity  as  a  rule 
they  make  valuable  citizens.  Germany  has  at  all 
times  been  noted  for  the  industr}-  and  strength  of 
character  of  her  citizens,  and  Mr.  Linkogel  has  in- 
herited from  his  ancestors  the  habits  of  persever- 
ance and  consistency  that  are  sure  to  win  success 
in  the  long  run  whatever  obstacles  ma}'  intervene 
between  the  beginning  and  the  desired  goal.  Mrs. 
Linkogel  had  one  child  by  her  former  husband, 
William  IT.,  who  resides  in  Jersey  County.  111. 


'■5'j^j't^ 


>^i«f-»<fi5*-~ 


Vy|UDGE  ANDREW  C.  WILSON,  the  subject 
of  our  sketch,  was  born  in  Irving  Township, 
Venango  Countj-,  Pennsylvania.  November 
(©/  6,  181G,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
place.  He  began  to  work  on  tlie  farm  at  an  early  age 
and  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  reached 
his  lifteenth  year.  He  then  commenced  rafting  on 
the  Alkghany  River,  continuing  in  tliat  business 
up  to  his  twenty-second  birthday.  He  removed  to 
Indiana  in  1838  an<l  in  tiie  following  year  came  to 
Calhoun  County.  At  that  date  Calhoun  County 
was  in  a  detddedly  primitive  state,  with  timber 
land  OP  every  side  and  deer  and  wild  turkoj-s  roam- 
ing at  will  witli  little  fear  of  being  disturbed.  He 
located  on  the  Illinois  River  where  he  e8tal)lished 
a  wood  yaril,  the  lumber  business  being  the  chief 
industry  of  tliose  times.  His  place  was  at  Blooms 
Landing,  formerly  known  as  Wilson's  AVoodyard, 
just  above  the  head  of  a  sis-mile  island  and  he  was 
occupied  in  supplying  steamers  with  wood  until 
184G.  He  next  removed  to  Riclnvoods  where  the 
land  was  known  as  patent  land  or  ^Military  Tract, 
and  people  cut  timber  wherever  they  chose.  Our 
I  subject  did  the  same,  preparing  staves,  sawlogs  and 
!  cordwood  to  be  sent  to  St.  Louis  for  sale. 

Mr.  AVilson  in  1849  made  his   first  purchase   of 


;  land,  buying  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 8,  for  which  he  paid  *325.  He  continued  to 
add  to  his  estate  from  time  to  time  until  at  the 
present  writing  he  owns  one  thousand  acres  of  val- 
uable land  in  Illinois  and  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
two  acres  in  Missouri.  He  formerly  owned  the 
ground  upon  which  Batchtown  is  situated,  and 
cleared  and  cultivated  the  ground  upon  which  the 
buildings  of  that  village  now  stand. 

Our  subject  was  married  May  1,  1848,  to  Miss 
Sarah  Turner,  who  was  born  in  Ralls  County,  .AIo. 
Of  the  eight  children  born  of  this  union  six  are 
living — Rebecca,  James,  Abigail,  John  F.,  Jane 
and  Frances.  Mr.  Wilson  sustained  the  sad  loss  of 
his  wife  in  1872  and  in  the  same  year  was  married 

I   to  airs.  Jane  (Geeding)   McCoy.     This    marriage 

!   has  been  blessed  with  one  child — Robert  N.     Mrs. 

:  Wilson's  parents,  John  and  Livina  (Smith)  Geed- 
ing, are  natives  of  Maiyland  and  Ohio,  respec- 
tively, and  upon  coming  to  Calhoun  County 
settled  in  Point  Precinct.     He   became    a  member 

!  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  year  1854 
and  manifests  great  interest  in  Sunday-schools.  He 
was  a  Free-soiler  in  politics  and  voted  for  Martin 
Van  Buren.  He  was  a  Democrat  until  1884  at 
which  time  he  joined  tiie  Prohibition  [lartj-,  con- 
tinuing to  vote  with  that  party  up  to  the  present 
time.  He  is  a  man  of  groat  influence  and  has  at 
different  times  been  called  upon  to  fill  oflices  of 
public  trust,  serving  as  County  Judge  for  three 
years,  as  a  member  of  the  District  School  Board 
for  a  number  of  years  and  has  served  as  Township 
Trustee. 

Mr.  Wilson's  father,  John  Wilson,  was  born  in 
Marj'land  and  in  that  State  passed  his  youth  and 
received  his  education.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a 
cooper  which  he  followed  a  few  years.  He  next  re- 
moved to  Pennsylvania  where  he  married  and 
bought  land  in  Irving  Township.  Here  he  built 
the  log  house  in  which  our  subject  was  born;  he 
made  his  home  there  until  the  year  1838,  at 
which  time  he  sold  his  properly  and  removed 
to  Ohio,  settling  in  Columbiana  Count}'  and 
remained  there  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
married  Miss  Rebecca  Cook,  a  native  of  Hunting 
don  Count}',  Pennsylvania.  Her  father,  Andrew 
Cook,  was  born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  America 


718 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


when  a  young  man,  settling  in  Pennsylvania  where 
lie  married  Miss  Mary  McLaughlin,  lie  was  a 
teacher  by  profession  and  was  educated  for  the 
ministry.  Our  subject's  mother  after  her  husband's 
deatii  came  to  Illinois  and  bought  a  home  in  Jo 
Daviess  County,  where  she  died  in  1871  after  at- 
taining her  eighty-third  year.  She  reared  nine 
children-  Andrew  C,  John,  Mary,  Margaret,  James, 
William,  Robert,  Jane  and  Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Wilson's  g)-andfather,  John  Wilson,  lived  in 
Ireland,  being  of  Scotch  descent  however.  When 
sixeeen  years  old  he  commenced  to  follow  the  life 
of  a  sailor  but  after  being  on  the  sea  four  years  he 
settled  in  Pennsylvania  and  in  that  State  married 
Margaret  Kdd}'  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
was  of  C^erman  descent.  Our  subject  is  decidedly 
a  self-made  man,  having  come  to  Calhoun  Count}' 
with  only  thirteen  cents  in  the  way  of  worldly 
goods  and  iiis  oi)[)ortunities  for  educational  training 
were  very  indifferent.  But  he  lias  achieved  marked 
success  in  public  life  and  is  a  first-class  speaker. 
He  is  generally  held  in  high  esteem  and  is  one  of 
the  most  inlliiential  citizens  of  Richwoods  Precinct. 
He  is  a  constant  reader  ami  the  happy  possessor  of 
an  excellent  memory  which  enables  him  to  store 
away  information  for  future  use  and  generally  fits 
him  for  the  high  positions  to  which   he   is  elected. 


Vf/OHN  R.  REED  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of 
a  fine  and  well-stocked  farm  in  Kinderhook 
Township,  Pike  County.  He  was  born  in 
Marion  County,  Mo.,  May  10,  1837,  and 
comes  of  good  Revolutionary  stock.  His  father, 
Robert  Reed,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  was 
the  son  of  a  Revolutionary  soldier  who  was  killed 
during  the  great  struggle  of  the  Colonists  for  free- 
dom from  British  tyranny.  On  the  same  day  that 
the  grandfather  of  our  subject  thus  yielded  up  his 
life  for  the  cause  of  freedom,  the  grandmother  of 
our  subject  died  in  her  Kentucky  home  and  two 
sons  were  thus  left  orphaned. 

After  his  sad  bereavement  Robert  Reed  was  taken 
to  Missouri  by  strangers  when  about  ten  years  old. 
He   there  grew  to   maturity   and   was   married  in 


Marion  County  to  Harriet  Iladen  who  was  born  in 
Virginia  and  went  with  her  parents  to  Missouri 
when  she  was  thirteen  years  old.  The  parents  of 
our  subject  resided  on  a  farm  and  engaged  in  the 
culture  of  tobacco  and  hemp,  until  the  death  of  the 
father  in  1845.  The  mother  survived  until  186.5, 
when  she  too  passed  away.  These  worthy-  people 
hid  five  children,  three  daughters  and  two  sous: 
John,  Addison,  Martha,  Francis  J.,  and  one  who 
died  young. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  son  and  second  child  of 
the  family.  He  passed  his  early  life  in  Missouri, 
living  in  his  native  State  until  the  fall  of  1852, 
when  he  made  his  way  to  Hannibal  and  from  there 
he  crossed  the  Mississippi  to  Pike  County  in  1853. 
He  worked  out  by  the  month  or  d.aj-  in  sawmills  on 
the  river  in  summer  and  for  three  years  had  charge 
of  a  sawmill  on  the  Mississippi.  After  his  marriage 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Kinderhook  Township 
on  a  leased  farm  on  which  he  built  a  dwelling  and 
remained  there  three  3-ears.  He  next  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land  on  section  17,  and  entered  upon  the 
pioneer  work  of  developing  a  farm  in  the  wilder- 
ness. He  erected  a  good  house  and  busily  en- 
gaged in  the  improvement  of  the  place  the  ensuing 
seven  years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  ti'me  he 
came  to  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  This 
comprises  one  hundred  and  five  acres  on  section  7, 
and  he  has  eighty  acres  on  section  17.  His  farm 
is  supplied  with  neat  buildings  and  everything 
necessary  for  carrying  on  general  farming  success- 
fidly  and  he  lias  it  well  stocked. 

Mr.  Reed  and  Miss  Malvina,  daughter  of  Lewis 
and  Sarah  Chandler,  were  united  in  marriage  Sep- 
tembei-  8,  1857.  Mrs.  Heed  was  born  in  JIadison 
Count}',  III.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine  children, 
live  daughters  and  four  sons  of  whom  four  are 
living:  Charles  W.,  Sarah,  Lillie  M.,  and  Floyd. 
The  names  of  the  deceased  children  are  Thomas  A., 
John,  Yaddie,  Brick  Pomroy  and  Kstella. 

Our  subject  is  a  good  and  worthy  man  and  is 
held  in  much  esteem  by  the  people  among  whom 
he  lives.  He  is  a  Democrat,  cast  his  first  Presi- 
dential vote  for  James  Buchanan,  and  has  alw.ays 
supported  the  Democratic  ticket  with  the  exception 
of  once  when  he  voted  the  Greenback  ticket.  He 
has  servecl  his  township  as  Road  Commissioner  and 


i 


POrU'RAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


719 


has  been  School  Director  ten  years.  He  is  one  of 
the  prominent  members  of  the  Mctlioilist  Episccjpal 
Church  of  which  lie  is  Steward  and  Class-Leader, 
his  wife  also  belonging  to  that  churcli.  Mr.  Reed 
has  had  rather  a  singular  exijcrience  in  his  religious 
life,  lie  was  a  sinner  for  forty-five  years,  but  ten 
years  ago  he  became  convinced  of  the  error  of  his 
ways  and  was  converted  to  Methodism.  At  tiie 
time  he  vvcighed  but  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
pounds,  but  three  months  after  his  change  of  heart 
his  weight  increased  to  two  hundred  and  thirt}^- 
eight  pounds  which  he  carries  yet.  Before  con- 
version he  used  tobacco  but  has  since  corrected 
that  liad  habit.  Ere  he  met  with  tlie  great  change 
of  his  life  he  could  neither  read  nor  write,  but 
since  tiien  he  lias  read  the  Bible  tlirougli  tiuee 
times.  As  soon  as  he  became  a  convert  he  went 
into  the  Sunday-school  and  has  risen  to  be  its 
iiupcrintendeut. 


-^^ 


WILLIAJI  DUCY.  Among  the  men  who  are 
cultivating  a  portion  of  the  soil  of  Pike 
^  ^  County  with  satisfactory  results  and  whose 
homes  are  an  ornament  to  the  countr}'  is  William 
Ducy,  a  prominent  agriculturist  of  Pittsfleld  Town- 
ship. He  owns  and  occupies  two  hundred  and  ten 
acres  on  section  32,  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  supplied  with  such  buildings  and  other  im- 
provements as  are  expected  of  a  man  of  enterprise 
and  intelligence.  Mr.  Ducy  pays  considerable  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  stock  but  also  cultivates 
various  crops  quite  extensively.  The  lovers  of 
iiors. flesh  will  see  some  good  animals  upon  his 
estate  and  stockmen  will,  by  even  a  passing  glance, 
note  that  all  the  animals  he  keeps  arc  of  a  good 
grade. 

Mr.  Ducy  w.is  born  in  the  Emerald  Isle  July  16, 
1845,  his  parents  being  Michael  and  Margaret 
(Timlan)  Ducy.  Both  were  born  in  Ireland,  whence 
they  emigrated  to  America  in  1851.  Their  first 
settlement  in  the  New  World  was  made  in  Newburg 
Township,  this  county,  on  rented  land,  he  having 
been  reared  to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He 
died  there  in  1853  at  the  age  of  sixty  years,  while 


his  widow  survived  until  June,  1876,  reaching  liie 
age  of  sixty-six  years.  Both  belonged  to  the 
Catholic  Ciiurcli  and  in  that  failii  reared  their  chil- 
dren. Their  family  included  twelve  sons  and 
daughters,  nine  of  whom  lived  to  mature  years 
though  three  only  now  survive.  These  are  Mrs. 
Mary  Riley,  Mrs.  Barbara  Harris,  and  he  of  whom 
we  write. 

William  Ducy  was  a  child  some  five  years  old 
^Yhen  the  family  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  he  grew 
to  man's  estate  in  the  count}'  in  which  he  still  re- 
sides. He  attended  the  district  school  and  in  the 
intervals  of  study  worked  on  the  farm  as  his  in- 
creasing strength  would  [jcrmit.  Ho  was  twciit}-- 
two  years  of  age  when  he  began  to  labor  for  himself 
and  established  his  own  home  on  rented  land  which 
he  operated  until  1873.  He  then  bovight  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  in  Pittsfleld  Township,  but 
sold  it  in  1879.  The  following  spring  he  pur- 
chased the  nucleus  of  his  present  estate,  to  which 
he  added  from  time  to  time  as  his  means  would 
permit  and  upon  which  he  has  made  considerable 
improvement. 

In  November,  1867,  the  gentleman  of  whom  we 
write  contracted  a  matrimonial  alliance,  leading  to 
the  altar  Miss  Sarah  McEIro}-.  This  lady  shared 
his  joys  and  sorrows  until  1887,  when  she  was 
called  hence  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years.  She 
had  proved  her  worth  as  a  helpmate  and  companion, 
as  a  loving  mother  and  wise  counselor  and  was 
mourned  by  many  true  friends.  The  marriage  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  6f  seven  children  of  whom  the 
following  survive:  James,  Margaret  E.,  Jane,  Wil- 
liam M.  and  Charles  P.  Mi.  Ducy  exercises  the 
right  of  suffrage  in  behalf  of  the  [irinciplcs  of 
Democracy  and  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Church  at 
Pittsfleld. 


<&  &ILLIAM  A.  McLAIN.  This  gentleman  is 
\rJ//  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Pleasant 
V\^  Hill  Townsiiip,  Pike  County,  in  which  he 
was  born  January  27,  1829.  His  parents,  Absalom 
and  Cynthia  (Sapp)  McLain,  were  natives  of  Mis- 
souri and  Tennessee  respectively  and  had  become 


r2o 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


residents  of  this  county  in  1827.  Their  first  home 
here  was  on  Six  Mile  Creek,  whence  tliey  removed 
to  Martinshiirg.  but  a  year  later  returned  to  Pleas- 
ant Hill  Townshi)).  Mr.  McLaiu  died  in  1864  at 
bis  liome  on  section  14,  where  he  had  entered  his 
first  fort}-  acres  of  land.  He  had  served  in  the 
Black  Ha v\k  War.  , 

The  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
John  Sapp  who  removed  from  Tennessee  to  Ken- 
tucky, thence  to  Missouri,  and  finally  to  Illinois, 
continuing  to  reside  in  Pike  County  until  bis  death. 
He  was  a  farmer  and  at  the  time  of  bis  decease  was 
a  member  of  the  Baptist  Cliurch.  His  daughter 
Cyntbia  bore  her  husband  seven  children,  William 
A.,  Nancy,  John,  Elizabeth,  IMelinda,  Rutb  and 
Murraj',  all  of  whom  lived  to  establish  homes  of 
their  own. 

Our  subject  first  attended  school  iu  the  log  cabin 
in  which  he  was  born.  The  seats  were  of  split 
poles  and  light  was  .admitted  through  a  hole  cut  in 
a  log,  the  opening  covered  at  nigbt  or  during  cold 
weather  by  a  board  fastened  on  with  wooden  liing- 
es.  Tlie  first  plow  used  by  the  lad  had  a  wooden 
mold-board  and  the  first  fork  was  split  out  of  wood. 
He  remained  with  bis  father    until    the    spring    of 

1849  when,  having  passed  his  twentieth  year,  he 
began  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith.  Tiiis  he 
has  followed  from  that  time,  formerly  having  the 
entire  trade  of  bis  community.     In  the    winter  of 

1850  he  established  himself  on  section  14,  where  he 
lived  until  Apiil,  1865,  when  he  went  to  Colorado. 
His  wife  died  and  in  the  fall  be  returned  hither, 
purchasing  land  where  be  now  resides  on  section 
22.  He  bought  sixty  acres  of  prairie  land  to- 
gether with  thirty-three  acres  on  the  Mississippi 
bottoms,  has  made  improvements  thereon  and  also 
carried  on    bis  shop. 

Mr.  McLain  has  been  three  times  married.  His 
first  wife  was  Nancj',  daughter  of  Steele  Turnbaugh. 
Tiiat  ladj-  bore  him  five  children,  tliree  of  whom 
were  reared  to  womanhood,  although  but  two  are 
now  living.  The  survivors  are  Melinda  and  Leafey, 
and  Ann  is  deceased.  Mrs.  Nancy  McLain  died  in 
Denver.  The  widower  subsequently  married  JIar}' 
Wells,  daughter  of  James  Wells,  of  Iowa.  This 
lady  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Cburcb,  as  was 
also  Mr.  McLain's  third  wife,  FAiza.  Cooper.     The 


last  named  lady  was  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and 
Jane  E.  Cooper.  She  l)reatbed  her  last  in  the  win- 
ter of  1884.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  children — 
Hettie  B.,  Lula  M.  and  Dais}',  the  second  of  whom 
is  now  deceased. 

Since  his  boyhood  days  Mr.  McLain  has  seen 
many  changes  iu  this  section  of  the  country  and  is 
probably  as  well  acquainted  with  the  development 
of  the  agricultural  and  commercial  resources  of  the 
county  as  any  gentleman  living  therein.  It  affords 
him  great  pleasure  to  look  about  him  and  see  the 
well  developed  land,  the  thriving  towns  and  the 
beautiful  homes  which  meet  the  view  on  all  sides, 
and  to  realize  the  wealth  and  civilization  of  the  citi- 
zens. In  his  own  life  he  has  manifested  the  sturdj^ 
virtues  characteristic  of  the  Scotch  race  from  which 
be  derives  his  origin  and  has  won  respect  from  bis 
fellow-men.  lie  has  been  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  since  1868. 


iIIOMAS  LUMLEY.  deceased,  was  born  in 
Calhoun  County  March  15,  1853,  and  died 
at  bis  home  iu  Carlin  Precinct,  that 
county,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1889,  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  lived  an  upright  life,  win- 
ning the  confidence  of  the  entire  community  and 
bis  loss  was  deeply  mourned.  His  parents.  Turner 
and  Nancy  Lumley,  are  numbered  among  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  this  county  and  upon  the  old 
homestead  farm  Thomas  was  reared  to  manhood. 
He  received  such  educational  advantages  as  tbe 
common  schools  of  tbat  day  afforded  and  being 
studious  by  nature  he  added  not  a  little  to  his  store 
of  knowledge  by  extensive  reading  in  after  life. 
He  kept  himself  well  informed  on  all  the  leading 
issues  of  the  day  and  could  converse  intelligently 
upon  almost  ever}-  subject  of  general  interest. 
Under  the  parental  roof,  he  was  reared  to  farm  life 
and  on  attaining  to  mature  years  be  followed  tbe 
same  pursuit,  making  it  tbe  means  whereby  to 
provide  for  the  wants  and  comforts  of  his  family. 
On  November  25,  1880,  lie  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Jliss  Martha  Tliarp  who  was  born  in 
tbis  county,  October  4,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter   of 


M 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


721 


I  Charles  C.  and  Louisa  Tharp,  early  settlers  of  the 
county.  Further  mention  of  her  family  is  made  in 
the  sketch  of  her  brother,  James  C.  Tharp,  on  an- 
other page  of  tiiis  volume. 

The  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  upon 
tlie  Lumley  homestead  where  Mr.  Luraley  followed 
farming  until  bis  death  which,  as  before  slated, 
occurred  September  3,  1889.  He  had  served  as 
Township  Treasurer  with  credit  to  himself  and    his 

i  constituents  and  was  a  valued  citizen  of  the  com- 
munity, who  on  all  possible  occasions  aided  in  the 
promotion  of  its  best  interests  or  the  advancement 
of  any  enterprise  calculated  to  promote  the  general 
wclfave.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  took 
an  active    interest    in    local    political    affairs.     So 

I  successful  had  he  beei;  in  his  business  enterprises 
that  at  his  deatli  ho  left  to  his  family  a  fine  farm 
of  two  hundred  acres,  well  cultivated  and  improved. 
To  the  poor  and  needy  he  was  a  warm  friend  and 
faithful  helper  but  it  was  in  the  home  that  his 
true  life  shown  out.  A  loving  husband  and  father 
he  could  not  do  too  much  to  enhance  the  happiness 
and  welfare  of  his  family. 

Two  chihlren  were  left  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a 
loved  father — Zoda  D.,  born  September  18,  1882, 
and  INIarie.  born  October  24,  1884.  The  family  is 
well  and  favorably  known  throughout  the  com- 
munity and  Mrs.  Lumley,  a  most  estimable  lady  is 
j   a  faithful  member  of  the    Baptist  Church.     While 

■I  Mr.  Luraley  was  not  a  member  of  anj-  church  he 
.'ihvays  led  a  consistent  life  and  helped  in  many 
ways  the  different  denominations  in  his  neighbor- 
hood. 


^^= 


RANCIS  M.  IIARLO^A^  whose  biography  is 

here  presented,  resides  on  section  7,   Carlin 
_^  Precinf^t,    Calhoun    County,    and   is    both 

:   prosperous  and  popular.     He  devotes  his  attention 
I   to  agriculture,  fully  appreciating  the  freedom    and 
independence  found    in   farm   life      His  birth  oc- 
curred in  Pike  County,  December  7,  1839,  he  being 
thes'in  of  Martin  and  Eunice  (Lyles)  Harlow,  na- 
I  lives   of   Maryland    and    Iowa    respectively.     His 
I  mother  is  dead.     His  paternal    ancestors   were    of 


English-German  origin,  and  ids  father  removed  to 
Pike  Count}'  while  quite  a  young  man.  being  one 
of  the  pioneers  tliere.  Whi'e  our  subject  was  a 
boy  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Calhoun  County, 
settling  in  the  neighborhood  of  what  is  now  known 
as  Bay  post-office,  on  the  .Mississippi  side  of  the 
county,  and  at  a  later  date  moved  to  Carlin  Pre- 
cinct. 

Mr.  Harlow  was  rearel  in  Calhoun  Count}-,  and 
the  remembrances  of  his  youth  are  fraught  with 
incidents  pertaining  to  the  pioneer  days  of  this 
prosperous  State  of  Illinois.  He  was  forced  to  un- 
dergo the  usual  hardships  attending  life  in  a  new 
country  where  Nature  reigns  supreme  on  every 
side,  and  he  watched  the  transformation  of  the  wild- 
erness into  fertile  and  valuable  farms.  He  received 
practically  no  educational  advantages,  except  what 
were  afforded  by  the  district  schools  of  Calhoun 
County  at  a  time  when  things  were  as  rude  as  rude 
could  be,  and  when  progress  had  made  short  strides 
in  that  section  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  He  was 
married  in  1866  to  Nancy  White,  daughter  of  John 
White,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Calhoun  County  and 
a  neighbor  of  our  subject.  This  marriage  was 
blessed  with  nine  children,  eight  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing at  the  present  writing:  Sarah,  wife  of  Henry 
Maynard;  Elmira,  Viola,  Eunice,  Luanna,  Mellie, 
Emily  and  Olive.     Elizabeth  is  dead. 

Mr.  Harlow  settled  on  his  present  farm  in  the 
spring  of  1872  and  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land.  He  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  having 
achieved  both  fortune  and  popularity  by  his  no- 
bility of  character  and  enterprise.  He  is  an  Inde- 
pendent in  politics,  voting  in  all  cases  for  the  man 
he  considers  most  competent  to  fill  the  desired 
office.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  of  which  he  has  been  Deacon  for  some 
time.  He  is  a  public  spirited  gentleman  who  ad- 
vocated all  causes  which  tend  to  improve  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resides. 

Our  subject  enlisted  in  March,  1863,  in  Company 
I,  Eighteenth  Missouri  Infantry,  and  his  regiment 
afterward  became  part  of  Sherman's  army.  He 
|)articipated  in  many  of  the  important  battles  of 
the  Civil  War,  remaining  in  service  nearly  tliree 
years.  He  was  wounded  at  the  siege  of  Atlanta  in 
consequence  of  which  he  lost  his    left   arm    which 


(•22 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  amputated  a  few  inches  below  the  elbow.  He 
receives  a  pension  of  $30  per  month.  He  was 
honorabl\-  discharged  in  Jul}-,  18G'),  and  returned 
immediately  to  Calhoun  Couiit3'  where  he  has  con- 
tinued to  reside  up  to  the  present  time. 


ff, 


<if|OSEPH  P.  VAN  ZANDT.  The  Van  Zandt 
family  came  originally  from  (ierinany,  and 
the  first  of  them  found  in  this  country  lived 
in  the  State  of  Penns3'lvania.  though  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject,  John  Van  Zandt,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  where  he  became  a  farmer  and  carpen- 
ter. While  there  he  married  Miss  Neice  whose 
birth  occurred  in  Pennsylvania  and  who  died  in  her 
native  State,  leaving  three  children  all  of  whom 
are  now  dead.  After  her  death,  John  Van  Zandt 
married  Miss  Lydia  Uttley  in  Pennsylvania.  Her 
parents  were  Englisli  and  came  to  America  after 
their  marriage  and  upon  reaching  tliis  country 
settled  in  MifHin  County-,  Pa.,  where  they  died  in 
old  age.  After  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Van  Zandt 
made  his  iiome  in  Pennsylvania  and  there  passed 
to  his  final  resting  place  at  a  goodly  age. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Mifflin  County,  Pa., 
in  June,  1831,  grew  to  man's  estate  in  his  native 
place  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  a  millwright 
and  carpenter.  In  June,  1858,  he  removed  to  Illi- 
nois, settling  in  Pike  Count3-,and  has  continued  to 
make  his  home  in  F.iirmount  Township  up  to  the 
present  date,  following  his  trade  until  1880,  at 
which  date  his  health  failed  and  he  has  since  de- 
voted his  attention  to  the  management  of  his  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  His  home  is  on 
section  23,  and  he  has  accumulated  quite  an  amount 
of  money  since  his  arrival  in  Pike  County. 

In  August,  18C2,  our  subject  enlisted  in  the 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Col.  Bailey 
and  Capt.  Mathews  in  Company  B,  and  was  at  a 
later  date  transferred  to  Company  H,  under  Cipt. 
Hill,  going  with  his  regiment  to  the  battleof  Harts- 
ford,  but  was  thrown  from  a  wagon  receiving  se- 
vere injuries  and  because  of  ill  health  was  honoraldy 
discharged. 

Mr.  Van  Zandt  married    in    Mt.    Sterling,   111., 


Miss  Caroline  Brower,  daughter  of  John  and  De- 
light (Smith)  Brower,  natives  of  New  York  but  of 
Holland  descent.  She  was  born  in  Madison  County, 
N.  Y,,  Februarj'  10,  1837.  Her  parents  continued 
to  live  in  Madison  County  until  all  their  children 
were  born,  and  came  West  in  1839,  settling  first  in 
Missouri  and  afterward  in  Fairmount  Township, 
Pike  County,  where  they  purchased  a  small  farm  on 
section  14,  and  where  they  both  died.  They  were 
members  of  the  Church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Zandt  have  been  born  seven 
children;  Adnah  and  Mark  are  deceased,  and  those 
living  are  as  follows:  Eudora,  wife  of  N.  F.  Se- 
ciist  of  Fairmount  Township;  John,  who  married 
Miss  M.ay  McKinney  and  lives  in  this  township; 
JIaggie,  at  home  with  her  parents;  Doyle  and 
Charles  P.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  ranks  high  in  the  community  in 
which  he  resides. 


"if)OHN  BICKERDIKE  owns  and  occupies  an 
improved  tract  of  land  in  Griggsville  Town- 
ship, Pike  County,  and  is  successfully  pur- 
suing the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  The  home 
farm  consists  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  on 
section  36,  and  Mr.  Bickerdike  also  owns  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Flint  and  eighty  in 
Newburg  Township.  His  entire  landed  estate  is 
well  improved,  well  stocked  with  good  breeds  of 
domestic  animals  and  such  farm  implements  and 
machines  as  are  necessary,  and  furnished  with  all 
needful  buildings.  Mr.  Bickerdike  has  spent  the 
most  of  his  active  life  in  the  township  and  has  from 
boyhood  been  accustomed  to  farm  work  and  ex- 
tremely successful  therein. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  August  18, 
1835,  and  his  birthplace  the  vicinity  of  Leeds, 
Yorkshire,  England.  His  father,  John  Bickeniike, 
Sr.,  was  born  in  the  same  shire  and  came  of  good 
old  English  stock.  The  mother  of  our  subject, 
formerly  Hannah  Briggs,  was  also  horn  and  reared 
in  Yorkshire  and  began  her  wedded  life  on  a  farm 
there.     John  Bickerdike,  Sr.,  set  sail  from    Liver- 


fl 


^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


725 


pool  in  1843,  biipg-iiig  with  him  a  family  of  eight 
children.  After  eight  weeks  of  sailing  the  fa^nily 
disembarked  at  New  Tork  and  gladly  began  a  land 
journey  toward  the  West.  .Some  weeks  later  the^' 
reached  Pike  County  and  establishing  tliemselves 
in  Griggsville  Township  labored  together  to  make 
a  home.  By  careful  management  and  well-directed 
industry-  they  succeeded  in  surrounding  themselves 
with  many  comforts.  Mr.  Bickerdike  and  his  wife 
(lied  near  where  they  first  settled,  at  the  respective 
ages  of  seventy  and  seventy-four  years.  The  former 
breathed  his  last  March  4,  1867,  and  the  latter 
survived  until  March  22,  1876.  Both  were  devout 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
Bickerdike  was  an  Abolitionist  as  long  as  human 
slaves  were  held  in  this  countr)'.  Me  had  ten  chil- 
dren, one  born  in  this  country,  and  all  but  one  of 
the  eight  who  are  now  living  are  married. 

Our  subject  was  but  a  child  when  his  parents 
came  hither,  and  as  his  strength  increased  he 
assisted  in  the  development  of  the  home,  ere  long 
beeoniing  a  full-fledged  farmer.  Following  the 
example  of  his  father,  who  was  quite  poor  when  he 
came  here  but  gaineil  a  competence  by  his  well- 
directed  efforts,  he  has  won  a  position  among  the 
most  practical  agriculturists  in  this  section.  In 
Detroit  Township  the  marriage  rites  were  solemnized 
between  our  subject  and  Miss  Rebecca  J.  Percj', 
with  whom  he  lived  happily  until  January  8,  1867, 
when  the  faithful  wife  breathed  her  last.  She  was 
born  in  this  county  of  American  parents  who  had 
settled  here  in  an  early  day  and  are  now  deceased. 
When  called  hence  she  was  but  Iwentj'-seven  years 
of  age.  She  left  one  son,  William  A.,  who  is  now 
farming  in  Newburg  Township  and  making  his 
liome  under  his  father's  roof. 

Mr.  Bickerdike  contracted  a  second  mat)-imonial 
alliance  in  the  township  in  which  he  lives,  his  bride 
being  Miss  Elizabeth  R.  Perry.  This  lady  was 
born  October  ',),  1845  in  this  count}',  educated  here, 
and  well  equipped  for  her  position  at  the  head  of  a 
household.  She  is  one  of  those  true  women  who 
believe  in  making  home  comfortable  and  find  in 
the  family  circle  their  greatest  enjoyment,  although 
Uiej'  do  not  neglect  neighborly  duties.  Jonathan 
Perry,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Bickerdike,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  came  hither  when  a  3'oung  man  and  in  this 


county  married  Nancy  Percy,  an  American  who 
was  from  near  Springfield,  III.,  and  in  her  early  life 
had  become  a  resident  in  this  county.  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Perry  died  here,  he  when  fifty  anil  she  when 
thirty-eight  years  of  age. 

To  our  subject  and  his  present  wife  five  children 
have  been  born,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Those  who  still  gladden  the  home  by  their  presence 
are  George  F.,  Charles  E.  J..  Mary  H..  and  Nancy 
E.  The  parents  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  the  father  is  a  sound  Democrat  in 
politics. 


;  LFRI':D  W.  PARKIiR  owns  and  occupies 
one  of  the  fine  farms  of  Fairmount  Town- 
(i  ship.  Pike  County.  It  consists  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  fine  land,  well 
improved,  and  is  pleasantl}^  located  on  section  35. 
The  owner  of  this  estate  has  been  practically  an  in- 
valid for  many  years  on  acJbuntof  injuries  received 
by  being  thrown  from  a  vicious  horse  when  twenty- 
three  j'ears  of  age.  Although  he  has  never  per- 
fectly regained  his  physical  strength  his  mental 
activity  is  unimpaired,  as  will  readily  be  seen  by  a 
visitor  to  his  home  as  in  every  detail  of  its  manage- 
ment the  master  mind  has  been  shown. 

The  Parker  family  is  an  old  one  in  the  Empire 
State  and  of  F.nglish  and  Dutcli  lineage.  The  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject  was  born  in  England, 
but  emigrated  therefrom  to  the  Empire  State  where 
his  son  Lemuel  grew  to  manhood  and  labored  as  a 
farmer.  The  latter  married  a  Miss  Niles,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  that  State,  and  is  supposed  to 
liave  been  of  American  parentage.  Some  time  af- 
ter their  marriage  they  crossed  into  Canada  on  ac- 
count of  the  better  prices  received  for  work  there, 
and  made  the  Dominion  their  home  for  several 
J'ears.  There  their  son,  Samuel  B.  Parker,  father 
of  our  subject,  w.as  born  and  spent  a  portion  of  his 
youth. 

When  the  Warof  1812  broke  out  Lemuel  Parker 
wished  to  return  to  the  Slates.  l)ut  was  prevented 
from  doing  so  and  kept  on  a  revenue  cutter.  Sam- 
uel, then  but  a   small  boy.   managed   to  get  their 


I 


726 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


movable  goods  across  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and 
after  some  watc-liinsi:  and  waiting,  the  father  made 
good  his  escape  from  the  Canadian  officers  and 
joined  bis  family  in  New  York.  He  was  soon  to 
be  found  tr3ing  as  hard  as  he  could  to  helj*  sup- 
press British  tyranny  in  the  second  struggle  of  the 
Americans  for  independence.  After  the  war  he 
lived  on  a  farm  in  Cayuga  County  until  his  death 
in  1837,  when  he  was  quite  an  old  man.  His  wife 
died  about  the  same  time,  both  being  stricken  by 
what  was  then  called  the  sinking  typhus  fever. 
They  were  adherents  to  the  faith  of  the  Free-Will 
Baptist  Church. 

Samuel  B.  Parker  became  of  age  in  Cayuga  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  began  his  career  as  a  farmer  there. 
He  married  Phebe  Wing,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  her  parents.  Joseph  and  Anna  (Pettis)  AVing, 
being  farmers  there.  The  Wing  family  was  of  En- 
glish descent,  and  the  Pettis  family  came  originally 
from  Holland.  Mrs.  Parker  was  reared  by  parents 
wlio  were  lifelong  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
After  the  birth  of  two  children.  Philander  M.  and 
Anna,  Samuel  Parker  and  his  wife  removed  to 
Ohio,  settling  in  Trumbull  County,  which  was  then 
sparsely  settled  and  mostly  in  a  wild  condition. 
They  improved  a  farm,  remaining  upon  it  for  some 
vears  and  then  with  their  family,  now  increased  to 
four  children,  came  overland  to  Illinois.  They 
made  a  new  home  in  Newburg  Township,  Pike 
County,  developing  an  unbroken  farm. 

After  residing  thereon  a  decade,  Mr.  Parker  re- 
moved to  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi  River,  and 
still  later  to  Barry  Township,  where  the  wife  and 
mother  died  in  1858  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years. 
After  remaining  a  widower  some  eight  years,  Mr. 
Parker  married  a  widow  lady,  afterward  settling  in 
ISedford,  where  he  passed  away  in  1866,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-six  years.  In  his  early  life  he  belonged  to 
the  Baptist  Cliurch,  but  after  he  came  to  this  State 
he  identilied  himself  with  the  United  Brethren  and 
during  the  last  "fifteen  years  of  his  life  was  a  rainis- 
U'v  of  that  denomination. 

Alfred  W.  ParkeT,  the  subject  of  this  biographi- 
cal record,  is  the  second  of  the  three  sons  and  one 
daughter  born  to  his  parents.  His  brothers  are  yet 
livin",  while  his  sister  died,  leaving  three  children. 
Our  subject  was  born  April  27,  1827,  in  Trumbull 


County,  Ohio,  and  was  nine  years  old  when  became 
to  Illinois  in  a  covered  wagon.  He  received  the 
education  which  could  be  gained  in  the  schools  of 
that  time,  and  was  guided  by  his  parents  in  habits 
of  industry  and  high  moral  principle.  His  natural 
inclination  and  early  training  led  him  to  adopt 
farming  as  bis  work  in  life,  and  in  it  be  finds  both 
pleasure  and  profit. 

In  the  township  in  which  he  now  lives,  Mr. 
Parker  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Stacy 
Parker,  who  was  born  in  Cayuga  Countj^  N.  Y.. 
October  11,  1832.  She  was  tbe  daughter  of  John 
I.  and  Lydia  (Phillips)  Parker,  who  came  to  this 
State  and  county  in  May,  1838,  settling  in  Fair- 
mount  Township.  Her  father  died  here  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1871,  and  her  mother  at  the  home  of  our 
subject,  December  15,  1875.  The  good  couple  had 
been  members  of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church  in 
New  York,  but  died  in  the  faith  of  the  United 
Brethren  Cluircli  with  which  they  had  united  after 
coming  hither. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  one  of  a  large  fam- 
ily, and  herself  became  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  died  in  infancj-.  From  the  lime 
she  was  six  years  old  her  life  was  spent  in  Fair- 
mount  Township,  where  she  gained  man}-  friends 
by  her  Christian  character  and  womanly  usefulness. 
She  died  at  her  home  there  in  June  23,  1890,  her 
dying  hours  cheered  by  the  Christian's  hope,  she 
having  been  a  member  of  the  Jlethodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  adopted  a 
boy  who  was  christened  Frank,  and  who  now  car- 
ries on  the  farm  of  his  foster  father.  He  married 
Maggie  Britt,  of  Adams  County,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Stacy  E.  and  Clara  R.  A  lithogra[)bic  portrait 
of  Mr.  Parker  is  shown  on  another  page. 


■^y* 


-i^^' 


-<j-»._. 


m 


I  AMES  A.  POOL.  The  Pool  family  has  a 
history  closely  connected  with  the  Carolinas 
and  the  South  for  many  yeaijs,  and  there  is 
scarcely  a  chance  that  the  reader  will  not 
be  greatl}-  interested  in  learning  any  facts  about 
this  family. 

Our  subject  first  beheld  the  light  of  d.a^-  in  Posey 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


727 


County,  Ind.,  October  10,  1814,  bein^  the  son  of 
Stephen  and  Sallie  (Bryant)  Pool.  Soon  aTter 
tlieir  marriage  bis  parents  removed  to  Georgia  and 
from  that  State  to  Tennessee,  and  at  a  later  date 
to  Posey  County,  Ind.  In  the  j'ear  1818  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Macoupin  County,  111.,  wliile  that 
section  of  the  countrj'  was  a  barren  tract  of  land 
and  where  Nature  reigned  supreme  without  any 
traces  of  civilization  to  mar  her  primeval  charms. 
One  year  later  the  family  moved  to  Sangamon 
County,  settling  three  miles  west  of  what  is  now 
known  as  Springfield.  At  that  time  the  capital  of 
the  State  was  nothing  more  imposing  than  a  small 
camping  place.  The  father  entered  Government 
land  and  improved  the  same  rapidly  and  most  suc- 
cessfully. They  continued  to  make  their  home  there 
until  1832  at  which  time  thej'  removed  to  Pike 
County,  settling  on  a  piece  of  laud  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Chanibersburg  Township.  They  were 
among  the  early  pioneers  of  this  county.  The  father 
(lied  here  when  about  eighty -five  years  of  age.  He 
was  a  strong  Democrat.  The  mother  lived  to  be 
four  score  years  of  age.  Both  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  old  school  Baptist  Church. 

Mr.  Pool  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  the 
hirire  family  of  children  born  to  his  parents.  He 
reached  his  twenty-first  birthday  after  coming  to 
this  pLaee.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  that  embraces  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  ground  and  has  his 
farm  in  a  splendid  state  of  cultivation.  He  was 
married  in  this  township  to  Miss  Delila  Carpenter, 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  wliose  birth  occurred  in 
Smith  County  in  1818.  She  vvas  a  daughter  of 
Ilarbcrt  and  Nancy  (Hersh)  Carpenter,  natives  of 
North  Carolina.  Her  parents  soon  after  their  mar- 
ringe  moved  to  Georgia,  then  to  Smith  County, 
Tenn.,  and  in  1835  came  to  Pike  County,  settling 
ill  C'hambersburg  Township  on  section  7,  on  some 
Cdvernment  land.  And  at  this  place  both  JMr. 
and  Mrs.  Carpenter  died,  he  being  at  the  time  of 
his  death  about  eighty  years  of  age,  and  his  wife 
lieing  only  slightly  younger.  Mrs.  Pool  was  quite 
young  when  she  came  with  her  parents  to  Pike 
County,  and  she  was  a  loving  and  faithful  wife  and 
died  at  her  home  in  1877,  having  attained  her 
lifly-first  year.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.     To  her  marriage  were  horn  five  children, 


three  of  whom  are  dead,  viz.:  William,  Nancy  and 
Sallie.  Those  living  are,  Henry,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  this  township  December  24,  1842,  and 
who  owns  a  good  farm  in  Perry  Township,  but  lives 
with  his  father  on  the  old  homestead.  He  married 
Miss  Susan  Dozier,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  came 
with  her  parents  to  Pike  Count}-  at  an  early  age. 
To  this  union  has  been  born  four  children,  viz. : 
James,  Lizzie,  Edward  and  Gertrude.  The  other 
son,  Andrew  J.,  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Ham  who  is 
dead.  He  afterward  married  Miss  America  Walker. 
They  reside  on  a  farm  in  Brown  County. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  member  of  the 
old  school  Baptist  Church,  and  both  he  and  his 
sons  are  strong  Democrats.  He  is  highly  respected 
and  lias  a  host  of  friends,  who  esteem  him  both  for 
his  superior  judgment  and  also  for  his  kindness  of 
heart. 


\|}AMES  W.  WALKKU.  This  gentleman 
holds  an  honorable  position  among  llie  i  r.ac- 
tical  farmers  and  stockmen  of  Fairiiii  luit 
_  Township,  Pike  County,  his  special. y  be- 
ing the  breeding  of  the  higher  grades  of  hir-es. 
cattle  and  swine.  His  home  is  on  section  '24,  wIk  re 
he  owns  a  fine  farm  consisting  of  two  hundri-l 
broad  acres  upon  which  excellent  farm  buildings 
of  various  kinds  have  been  erected.  .Mr.  Walk  r 
has  carried  off  a  good  share  of  the  premiums  wiica 
his  stock  has  been  exhibited.  He  raises  Poland- 
China  swine.  PoUed-Angus  cattle  and  Cleve- 
land Bay  and  draft  horses.  He  has  a  registered 
horse  of  each  breed  at  the  head  of  the  respective 
herds  and  the  cattle  are  also  registered. 

In  order  to  understand  the  tastes  and  reasons  for 
the  success  of  our  subject,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
mention  the  surroundings  of  his  early  life.  His 
father,  Robert  Walker,  was  born  in  Lincolnshire, 
England,  descending  from  a  good  family  of  pure 
English  blood.  When  sixteen  years  of  age  he  bade 
adieu  to  his  native  land  pnd  crossing  the  briny 
deep  began  his  career  in  the  Prairie  State.  He 
occupied  a  farm  in  Scott  County  for  a  time  and 
later  coming  to  Pike  County  purchased  land  in 
Gijo-o-sville    Township.       This     he   improved   and 


i 


I 


728 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


flnall}'  sold,  buying  in  its  stead  a  large  tract  near 
Perry.  After  making  considerable  improvement 
on  that  tract  he  sold  it  and  bought  a  large  farm 
consisting  of  eight  iuunlred  acres  Ijing  in  the 
western  inirt  of  Perry  and  eastern  part  of  Fair- 
mount  Townsliii)s.  There  helive^l  and  labored  for 
some  years,  then  retiring  from  active  life  bought 
a  home  in  Perry  and  resided  there  until  called 
hence  in  1861  when  sixty-live  years  old.  He  was 
a  truly  reiiresentative  farmer,  hard  working  and 
honest.  His  political  adherence  was  given  to  the 
Republican  party  and  his  religious  faith  to  tiic 
Christian  Cliurch. 

Robert  Walker  was  married  three  times.  His 
first  wife  died  six  months  after  marriage.  He  sub- 
sequently married  a  Miss  AVade  who  bore  him 
three  children,  all  now  living.  His  last  union  was 
celebrated  near  Wincliester,  Scott  County,  his  bride 
being  Mrs.  Hannah  Gratton.  nee  Scott.  This  lady 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Scott  County 
when  quite  3'oung.  There  she  married  Isaac  Grat- 
ton, who  died  after  two  children  had  been  born  to 
tlieni.  She  bore  her  second  husband  three  children 
of  whom  our  subject  is  the  second.  Like  her  hus- 
band, Mrs.  Hannah  Walker  belonged  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  She  died  at  her  home  in  Griggsville 
Township  in  1874,  having  then  passed  her  sixty- 
fifth  year.  Of  her  children  there  now  survive  our 
subject  and  John  II.,  who  is  also  a  farmer  in  Fair- 
mount  Township. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  occuired  near  Perry, 
October  28,  1850.  He  grew  to  manhood  on  a 
farm  amid  the  surroundings  which  developed  in 
him  a  love  for  stock  and  an  understanding  of  their 
qualities  and  needs.  He  received  agood  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  learned  to  apply  his 
book  knowledge  to  practical  life.  Having  deter- 
mined to  devote  himself  to  agriculture  and  particu- 
larly to  the  branch  of  stock-raising,  he  has  been 
careful  to    select  good  breeds  and  the  best  grades. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  AValker  was  solemnized  in 
this  county,  his  bride  being  Miss  Ellen  Batley,  who 
was  born  in  Scott  County  near  Bluffs,  Septem- 
ber 28,  1855.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thornton  and 
Mary  (Canegar)  Batley,  both  now  deceased.  Thev 
were  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion  and  after  their 
marriage  came  to  Illinois,  settling   on  a  new   farm 


((^  tendent 
'^^  stands  a: 


which  tliey  brought  under  cultivation.  They  were 
the  parents  of  Ave  sons  and  five  daugliters.  four  of 
the  latter  being  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Walker  who 
is  the  youngest  child,  was  reared  in  her  native 
county,  there  receiving  her  education.  She 
is  a  thoughtful,  earnest  woman,  active  in  the 
social  circles  of  the  communiti'  and  devoted  to  the 
welfare  of  her  husband  and  offspring.  She  is  the 
mother  of  four  children — John  D.,  May,  Gertrude 
and  Russell.  Mr.  Walker  is  likewise  a  prominent 
member  of  society.  He  has  never  sought  office, 
l)ut  is  content  to  hold  his  place  as  an  humble  but 
earnest  individual  in  the  ranks  of  the  Republican 
party. 

k. 

HRISTOPHER  IRVING  SWAN,  Superin-j 
it  of  the  schools  of  Pike  County,! 
among  the  foremost  educators  of  Illi* 
nois.  He  is  a  man  of  ripe  intellect  and  of  progres- 
sive and  enlightened  views.  He  is  a  native-born! 
citizen  of  Pike  County,  the  place  of  his  birth  in.lj 
Cbambersburg,  and  the  date  thereof  February  11, 
1850.  His  father.  Burr  H.  Swan,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tuck}-,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county  to 
which  he  came  in  earl}'  manhood.  He  here  met  and 
married  Mrs.  Sophia  Loer  whose  maiden  name  was 
Hickman,  and  after  marriage  he  located  in  Cham- 
bersburg  where  ho  carried  on  his  trade  as  a  carpen- 
ter and  joiner  for  many  years.  He  died  there  in 
1869,  leaving  behind  him  the  record  of  a  life  well 
spent  and  is  hold  in  remembrance  as  a  pioneer  who 
aided  in  building  up  the  count}'.  His  wife,  the 
mother  of  our  subject  died  in  1856,  when  our  sub- 
ject and  his  twin  brother  were  but  six  years  old. 
Mr.  Swan  had  been  twice  married  and  was  the  father 
of  six  children,  all  boys. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  received 
the  greater  part  of  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Cbambersburg,  where  he  acquired  a 
good  practical  knowledge  of  the  common  branches. 
He  subsequently  entered  the  State  Normal  Univer- 
sit}-  at  Normal,  111.,  where  he  pursued  a  fine  course 
of  study  with  the  view  of  preparing  himself  for  a 
teacher.  In  1869  he  entered  upon  the  work  of 
that  profession  in  Northwestern  Missouri  but  suhae- 


1 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


729 


quenll.v  leUirned  to  Chambersburg  and  tauglit  there 
for  eight  years,  witli  an  interim  of  two  years.  He 
was  rrincipal  of  Perry  public  schools  in  1882, 
wjien  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  by  the  Demo- 
cratic party  for  a  term  of  four  years.  Ke  served 
in  that  office  with  great  efficiency  .and  in  1886  wns 
elected  to  his  present  position  as  .Superintendent  of 
the  schools  of  Pike  County  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  He  brings  to  his  labors  a  keen,  well  trained, 
vigorous  intellect,  and  under  his  able  administra- 
tion the  educational  interests  of  this  section  of 
Illinois  have  been  so  promoted  that  our  schools 
stand  foremost  among  the  public  institutions  of 
learning  in  this  .State.  Among  other  means  of 
advancing  education  and  of  making  the  teachers 
more  interested  in  their  work  and  better  prepared 
for  it  Jlr.  Swan  is  greatly  in  favor  of  institutes 
"here  the  teachers  of  ihe  county  are  gathered  to- 
gether for  the  purpose  of  discussing  various  topics 
connected  with  educati(>n  and  he  is  often  instrumen- 
tal in  calling  such  meetings.  August  1,  1890,  he  be- 
came the  editor  of  the  Pike  County  Banner,  one  of 
the  Deraociatie  papers  of  the  county. 

Mr.  .Swan  w.as  married  to  Miss  Caroline  C.  Dun- 
ham, August  1,  1875,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  living. 


»r^^os:- 


:-'  — »-?°4;^^ — -es*^'-; 


^^EGRGE  \Y.  G.  SMITH  is  a  tine  representa- 
|[  ,=,  live  of  the  native  born  citizens  of  Pike 
^^Jl  Countj-  who  are  prominent  in  its  agricul- 
tural life.  He  occupies  a  leading  place  among  its 
farmers  and  growers  of  standard  stock,  and  has  a 
large  and  valuable  farm  in  Pearl  Township.  He  is 
the  son  of  a  former  well-known  citizen  who  was 
prominent  in  public  life  and  was  an  honored  pio- 
neer of  this  section  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  at  Ree  Creek,  Pearl  Town- 
I  ship,  April  26,  1852.  His  parents,  Constantine  and 
Sarah  (Camerer)  Smith,  were  born  respectively  in 
1809  in  Clermont  Count}',  Ohio.  His  father  was  the 
youngest  of  thirteen  children.  He  came  to  Pike 
County  with  a  wagon  from  Ohio  about  1836  and 
settled  in  Pearl  Township,  on  section  35,  where  he 


entered  a  tract  of  land,  which  lie  improved.  He 
was  a  man  of  marked  enterprise  and  built  the 
first  mill  in  the  township,  erectiug  it  on  the  banks  of 
I5ce  Creek,  and  the  first  steam  mill  in  the  county. 
He  lived  here  until  his  death  in  1872  at  the  nge  of 
sixty-two  years.  He  was  active  in  public  life, 
served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  several  terms  and 
was  Supervisor  of  the  township.  He  was  a  Demo- 
crat all  his  life.  Financially  he  was  successful  and 
accumulated  a  good  estate.  He  was  an  active  and 
influential  member  of  the  Christian  Church  in  whicli 
he  was  alcacierand  Elder,  and  he  gave  more  liber- 
ally than  any  one  else  to  build  the  church  of  that 
denomination  in  old  Pearl.  His  wife  died  about 
1886.  They  had  reared  the  following  children: 
Ilenr}',  who  died  in  the  hospital  at  .St.  Louis  while 
serving  as  a  Lieutenant  in  the  army  during  the 
war;  James;  Minerva,  the  deceased  wife  of  William 
Hess;  William;  Belinda,  now  Mrs.  B.  Mitchell,  of 
Nebr.aska;  and  George  W. 

The  latter,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
p.assed  his  boyhood  and  3-outh  on  a  farm  and 
gleaned  his  education  in  the  common  schools.  After 
he  arrived  at  years  of  discretion  he  chose  the  hon- 
orable calling  to  which  he  had  been  l)red  and  has 
ever  since  pursued  it  very  prosperously.  He  con- 
tinued to  live  on  the  home  farm  until  after  his 
mother's  death  and  in  1886  located  on  a  quarter  of 
section  22.  By  the  steady  and  unremitting  atten- 
tion he  paid  to  his  labors  which  have  been 
directed  by  wise  judgment,  he  has  acquireil  ralu."- 
ble  property,  and  now  owns  as  fine  a  farm  as  may 
be  found  for  many  miles  around,  comprising  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  rich,  well-tilled  soil, 
and  he  also  has  two  houses  and  lots  situated  in  a 
desirable  part  of  the  resident  portion    of  Pearl. 

Mr.  Smith  vras  married  to  I<ancy  E.,  a  daughter 
of  Ransom  and  Sarah  J.  (Peacock)  Kessinger, 
March  20,  1874.  Their  felicitous  wedded  life  has 
been  abundantly  blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of 
eleven  children,  of  whom  ten  are  still  living:  Al- 
bert R.,  Delia,  William  Henry,  Iva,  Ora,  Francis, 
Jesse,  J.  B.  Weaver,  Virgil,  Edith  and  .Sarah  B.  Mr. 
Smith  is  held  in  high  regard  as  a  straightforward, 
honest,  honorable  man  whose  career  in  life  has  thus 
far  reflected  credit  on  the  county  of  his  nativity. 
He  and  his  (vife  are  warm,  o[)en  hearted  people  who 


rao 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


freely  aid  their  neighbors  or  friends  when  in  distress 
and  tliej'  are  among  the  most  esteemed  members  of 
the  Ciiristian  Church,  he  having  belonged  since  he 
was  twenty  years  old  and  she  since  she  was  eight- 
een years  of  age. 

\f:  OHN  H.  COOPER.  Among  the  native-born 
citizens  of  Pike  County  who  have  secured 
a  prominent    position    in    the   agricultural 

JJ  community  and  won  abundant  success  in 
tlu^  vocation  of  a  farmer,  should  be  mentioned 
.]..|iii  II.  Cooper,  of  Martinsburg  Township.  lie 
was  born  October  10,  1836.  and  reared  by  devoted 
Christian  parents  whose  aim  it  was  to  thoroughly 
equip  their  children  for  the  battle  of  life.  He  at- 
tended the  pioneer  schools  which  were  supported 
by  subscription  and  held  in  the  primitive  log 
schoolhousc  with  llie  open  fireplace  and  writing 
desk  around  the  wall  wiiich  has  been  so  often  pie- 
tuied  to  our  minds.  In  those  days  the  teacher 
•■boarded  round"  and  his  coming  was  an  event 
in  an}'  family-.  Mr.  Cooper  well  remembers  seeing 
deer  and  turkey  in  considerable  numbers  during  his 
bojliood. 

In  the  interval  of  study  during  the  summer 
moutlis  our  subject  assisted  in  farm  labor  and  at 
the  early  age  of  eighteen  years  began  doing  for 
himself.  He  was  married  when  he  became  of  age 
and  rented  land  for  the  ensuing  ten  years.  He 
then  purchased  one  hundred  and  eightj-  acres  on 
section  23,  where  he  now  resides,  the  so-called  im- 
[trovements  consisting  of  a  stiiall  house  and  twenty- 
acres  under  culliyation.  The  buildings,  fences 
and  thorough  tillage  of  the  soil  which  now  mark 
this  farm  are  due  to  the  exertions  of  our  sub- 
ject, whose  years  have  been  spent  in  industrious, 
well-directed  labors.  From  time. to  time  as  he  was 
prospered  he  purchased  other  lands,  until  his  pos- 
sessions amounted  to  four  hundred  and  sixt}-  acres. 
His  farming  operations  have  been  quite  extensive 
and  he  has  iiandled  large  numbers  of  cattle  and 
other  stock.  He  had  but  little  capital  to  start  with, 
receiving  but  §829  from  his  father's  estate,  and 
his  present  possessions  are  therefore  the  more  cred- 


itable to  himself.  The  residence  he  now  occupies 
was  erected  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  $2,000  and  is  an  at- 
tractive and  comfortable  home. 

February  1,  1857,  the  rites  of  wedlock  were  cel- 
ebrated between  our  subject  and  Miss  Mary  Moo- 
maw.  The  bride  was  born  October  29,  1839,  in  i' 
the  Buckeye  State,  but  was  reared  in  this  county, 
whither  her  parents  had  removed  in  1843.  She  is 
a  fine  housekeeper,  a  devoted  mother  and  to  her 
husband  a  wise  counselor  and  sympathizing  friend. 
The  happy  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
four  children — George  D.,  Mary  E.,  (now  Mrs. 
Walston),  William  H.  and  Charles  H. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooper  belong  to  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  of  which  they  have  been  members 
tliirty-five  years.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  believer  in  and 
a  supporter  of  the  principles  laid  down  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic platform.  He  was  Township  Collector  in 
1873  and  has  also  served  as  Road  Commissioner. 
His  Christian  character,  intelligent  mind  and  enter- 
prising habits  have  secured  for  him  a  high  standing 
as  a  farmer  and  citizen,  and  won  for  liim  the  re- 
spect of  all  to  whom  he  is  known.  « 

George  W.  Cooper,  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
is  believed  to  have  been  born  in  Georgia  as  he  re- 
moved from  that  State  to  Tennessee  antl  after  a 
time  changed  his  residence  to  Kentucky.  He  finally 
came  to  this  State,  locating  in  Morgan  County,  af- 
ward  lived  in  Southwestern  Missouri,  thence  came 
to  this  county  and  still  later  removed  to  Macon 
County,  where  he  died.  He  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  this  Slate  in  the  agricultural  develop- 
roent  of  which  he  bore  a  worthy  part.  He  was  a 
man  of  deep  religious  convictions,  in  early  life  a 
Methodist  and  a  later  a  firm  believer  in  the  iloc- 
trines  promulgated  by  the  Christian  Church.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Democrat. 

Asa  D.  Cooper,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Kentuck}'  and  reared  in  that  Slate  and 
Tennessee.  He  cume  to  Illinois  in  the  early  "Ms, 
making  his  first  settlement  in  Morgan  County,  '  " 
where  he  remained  several  years.  He  then  came  to 
Pike  County,  making  Pittsfield  his  home  for  a  time 
and  then  buying  eight}'  acres  of  land  in  Martins- 
burg  Townshi|),  upon  which  there  were  no  im- 
provements. Disposing  of  that  properly  he,  with 
his  brother  became  joint  purchasers  of  one    hun- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


;5l 


dred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  14,  wliitdi  the  two 
improved.  Asa  Cooper  finally  bougbt  out  his 
brother's  interest  and  continued  to  make  the  place 
his  home  until  called  from  time  to  eternity  in  De- 
cember, 1858,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  At 
that  time  he  owned  two  hundred  acres  of  hunl. 
His  political  adherence  was  given  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  bis  religious  membership  was  in 
the  Christian  Church,  witli  which  he  had  been 
identified  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Elinor  Gooding.  She  was  born  in  Saline 
County,  IMo..  in  1818  and  died  here  in  1855.  She 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and 
earnestly  endeavored  to  make  her  ever}'  act  cor- 
respond with  her  profession.  She  was  the  motlier 
of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to  maturity. 
They  are  John  II..  Mrs.  Mary  Butler,  Mrs.  Susan 
Roberts,  Robert,  Mrs.  Nancy  J.  Adams,  James  and 
Mrs.  Sarah  Johnson.  The  deceased  is  a  sou  George, 
who  was  the  fifth  member  of  the  band. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Cooper  was  Jacob  Moomaw, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1796.  He  went  to 
Ohio  when  a  young  man  and  there  in  1821  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Elizaljetb  Ohmart.  That 
lady  was  born  in  Virginia  December  16,  1798.  and 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  Mr. 
Moomaw  lived  on  a  farm.  His  reinoval  to  tiiis 
State  was  made  by  a  wagon  drawn  by  a  four-liorse 
team  and  six  weeks  vvas  consumed  in  the  journey, 
during  which  the  family  camped  at  nigiitfall.  Mr. 
Moomaw  bought  a  farm  on  section  11,  Martins- 
burg  TovTnship,  and  finally  became  an  extensive 
agriculturist.  He  died  November  1 6,  1847.  Po- 
litically he  was  a  Democrat.  He  belonged  to  the 
Germar-Baptist  Church  and  was  elected  to  tlie 
I  ministry  and  labored  earnestly  for  the  promulga- 
tion of  Christianity.  His  children,  all  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity  are,  Joel,  Adam.  (Jeorge,  John, 
Mrs.  Anna  Johnson,  Mrs.  Sarah  Ward,  Jacob, 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Schock,  Charlotte  (now  deceased), 
and  tiie  wife  of  our  subject. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Cooper  was 
John  Moomaw,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  was 
brought  to  America  by  his  parents  in  infancy.  His 
mother  died  on  shipboard  during  the  passage.  He 
became  a  farmer,  living  in  Virginia  for  many  years, 


but  died  in  Ross  County.  Ohio,  at  a  ripe  old  .age. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Cooper  "as 
Adam  Ohmart,  who  was  born  in  Maryland  of 
German  parents.  He  also  was  a  farmer.  He  was 
married  in  Pennsylvania,  lived  for  a  time  in  Vir- 
ginia and  made  his  final  settlement  in  Logan 
County.  Ohio.  His  wife,  Anna  Weaver,  w.is  boi'n 
in  the  Keystone  Slate,  anil  was  of  German  descent. 
her  parents  having  emigrated  to  this  country.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ohmart  had  fifteen  children,  thirteen  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity.  The  mother  lived  to  an 
advanced  age,  dj-ing  in  the  same  county  as  her 
husband. 


m 


TfOHN  W.  KLAAS.  This  gentleman  is  the 
proprietor  of  a  general  merchandise  estab- 
lishment in  Meppen,  Calhoun  County,  and 
is  also  Postmaster  in  that  village.  He 
keeps  a  well  selected  stock  of  such  goods  as  suit 
the  needs  of  the  residents  in  the  town  and  sur- 
rounding country,  displaj-.s  them  invitingly  and 
disposes  of  them  at  reasonable  rates,  thus  securing 
a  good  share  of  the  trade  of  the  i)eople  in  this 
vicinitj-.  Mr.  Klaas  is  well  known  in  this  section, 
having  resided  in  Meppen  for  several  years  during 
the  last  fi\fe  of  which  he  has  been  holding  the  po- 
sition of  Postmaster.  He  is  a  popular  member  of 
the  communit}'  and  is  held  in  good  repute  as  a 
citizen  and  business  man. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  as 
were  Barney  and  Lukas  Klaas,  his  father  and  grand- 
father. The  latter  was  a  merchant  and  spent  his 
entile  life  in  his  native  land,  'i'he  father  of  our 
subject  received  a  thorough  education  and  began 
leaching  when  quite  young.  He  followed  the  pro- 
fession until  he  was  incap.acitated  for  its  duties  bj' 
reason  of  blindness.  In  1864  he  came  to  Amerir'a. 
settling  in  Calhoun  County,  III.,  where  his  last 
years  were  spent.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Thekala  Goessling.  Thej'  reareil  a  f.imily  of 
ten  children,  eight  of  whom  came  to  America. 

The  natal  day  of  our  subject  was  April  25,  1854. 
He  was  therefore  ten  years  old  when  he  accompan- 
ied his  parents  to  America  and  soon  after  his 
arrival  he  took  up  his  residence  with  a  half-brother 


732 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  was  apprenticed  to  the  St. 
Louis  Stamping  Company  to  learn  the  trade  of  a 
tinsmith  and  served  thereat  four  _years.  He  contin- 
ued in  the  employ  of  the  company  as  a  journeyman 
four  years  and  then  opened  a  tinshop  at  Meppen. 
Four  years  later  he  engaged  in  business  as  a  mer- 
chant, putting  in  a  stock  of  general  merchandise, 
in  the  sale  of  which  he  is  still  interested. 

In  1884  Mr.  Klaas  established  bis  own  home, 
having  won  for  his  wife  Miss  Mary  E.  AVahofif,  a 
lady  of  housewifely  skill,  amiability  and  intelli- 
gence. The  congenial  union  has  been  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  two  children,  bright  boj-s  bearing  the 
names  of  John  and  Barney.  The  family  are  mem- 
bers of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  and  are  held 
in  good  repute  by  their  fellow-citizens. 


^^ 


<|  I^ILLIAM  S.  JENNINGS  is  a  fine  type  of 
\/\l/  the  intelligent,  progressive  j'oung  farmers 
*^^^  and  stock-raisers  of  this  section  of  the  State, 
who  have  stepped  to  tiie  front  within  a  few  years, 
to  bear  their  part  in  sustaining  and  advancing  its 
large  agricultural  interests.  lie  has  already  ob- 
tained a  good  start  in  life  and  has  a  very  desirable 
farm  in  Belleview  Precinct,  Calhoun  County.  He 
cimiesof  a  well-known  pioneer  famil3'  of  this  region, 
his  father  having  been  quite  prominent  in  the  early 
days  of  the  settlement  of  Belleview  Precinct.  He 
is  the  son  of  Thomas  S.  and  Mary  A.  (Galloway) 
Jennings,  natives  respectively  of  Ohio  and  Mis- 
souri. 

The  parents  came  to  Calhoun  County  after  their 
marriage  and  settled  on  the  farm  now  occujiied  by 
their  son  Joseph  in  Belleview  Precinct.  This  was 
then  timber  land  and  it  was  the  father's  pioneer 
task  to  clear  it  and  prepare  it  for  cultivation.  He 
performed  his  work  well,  and  in  the  course  of  years 
developed  a  farm  that  compared  favorably  in  point 
of  cultivation  and  improvement  with  any  other  in 
the  precinct.  He  closed  his  honorable  career 
March  17,  1879,  in  the  comfortable  home  that  he 
had  built  up  here.  His  wife  had  preceded  him  in 
death,  passing  away  in  1874.  He  was  pr.acticallj' 
a  self-made  man  and  by  unremitting  toil,  sagacious 


judgment  and  good  business  capacity,  accumulated 
a  handsome  property.  Possessing  true  public  spirit 
he  never  hesitated  to  use  his  influence  in  behalf  of 
all  schemes  tending  to  promote  the  growth  of  his 
adopted  count}'.  He  served  his  township  well  as 
School  Director  and  School  Treasurer  and  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  its  best  citizens,  his  true  upright 
life  having  early  gained  him  the  confidence  of  the 
entire  community.  In  politics  he  was  a  sound  Re- 
publican and  never  failed  to  give  his  party  due 
support  when  occasion  offered. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jennings  reared  a  large  family  of 
children  of  whom  the  following  six  survive:  Mer- 
cena,  wife  of  G.  AV.  Long,  of  Calhoun  County;  B. 
S.,  a  resident  of  Pittsfield;  Charles  A.,  living  in 
Pike  County;  John  W.,  a  resident  of  Calhoun 
County;  Joseph  E.,  and  William  S. 

William  S.  Jennings,  of  whom  this  biographical 
sketch  is  written  was  born  in  Calhoun  County 
April  28,  1866,  and  has  passed  nearly  all  his  life 
here.  He  is  well  educated,  having  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  his  book  learning  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  county  and  subsequently  entering  Chaddock 
College  at  Quincy  where  he  pursued  a  good  course 
of  study.  He  was  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer,  re- 
ceiving a  good  practical  training  in  that  calling, 
and  as  he  had  a  natural  taste  for  it  took  it  up  for 
his  life  work  after  leaving  college.  He  has  one 
hundred  and  fifty-nine  acres  of  exceedingly  fertile 
land  in  Belleview  Precinct  and  is  carrying  forward 
its  cultivation  with  marked  success.  Though  lie  is 
one  of  the  youngest  members  of  the  farming  com- 
munity of  this  county,  yet  he  displays  great  sagacity 
in  the  prosecution  of  his  calling  and  has  a  bright 
and  promising  future  befoie  him,  being  well 
equipped  for  his  vocation  and  considered  one  of 
the  rising  young  men  of  this  section.  In  his 
political  views  he  casts  his  ballot  and  influence  on 
the  side  of  the  Republicans  and  gives  his  party 
enthusiastic  support  whenever  occasion  offers. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  with  Ida  A.  Sidwell 
was  duly  solemnized  in  the  month  of  January, 
1886.  Mrs.  Jennings  is  a  daughter  of  John  Sidwell, 
whose  biography  will  be  found  on  another  page  of 
this  work.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  established 
a  home  where  coziness  and  comfort  abound  and  in 
their  pleasant  wedded  life  they  have   been   blessed 


Od Jennings  Homestead.  RE5.orVy.5,JENNiNG5.SEc.i.BELLEviEwPRECT. Calhoun  Co, III. 


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Residence  OF  Hon.  John  M^.Donald.Sec.^S.HardinPrect.CalhounCo.Ill. 


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PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


735 


l)V  the  birtli  of  three  chilrlren  of  whom  two  are 
living — Clora  D.  and  Cuma.  Under  the  vigorous 
rann.ngenient  of  our  subject  liis  farm  is  being  rapidly 
and  constantly  imiiroved,  and  the  reader  will  notice 
on  another  page  a  view  of  his  commodious  residence 
and  rural  surroundings.  He  is  considered  a  ver}' 
valuable  citizen  of  Belleview  Precinct  and  takes  a 
I  deep  interest  in  all  that  concerns  his  native  county, 
I  never  hesitating  to  assist  in  any  enterprise  that 
will  be  to  its  benefit. 

Joseph  E.  Jennings  the  elder  brother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  this  county  March  8,  1863,  and 
I  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  place  of  his  birth. 
He  early  adopted  the  calling  of  ci  farmer  to  which 
he  had  been  bred,  and  owns  two  hundred  and  forty- 
nine  acres  of  choice  farming  land  in  Belleview 
Precinct.  He  is  an  ardent  Republican  in  politics, 
and  is  now  serving  his  township  well  as  School 
Director.  He  owes  much  of  the  comfort  that  sur- 
rounds his  cozy  home  to  his  excellent  wife,  to 
whom  he  was  wedded  February'  22,  1883.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Harlow,  and  she  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  H.  D.  Harlow,  of  whom  a  sketch  appears  in 
this  volume.  Three  children  have  been  born  of 
their  union,  wliom  they  have  named  Harry  L., 
.lessie  M.  and  Delia. 


lUGENE  SMITH,  Manager  of  the  Exchange 
Bank  in  Barry,  Pike  County,  of  which 
Smith,  Brown  <fe  Co.  are  proprietors,  is  a 
native  of  this  township  and  represents  a  pioneer 
family.  He  opened  his  eyes  to  the  light  September 
30,  1839,  on  a  farm  two  miles  southeast  of  the 
town  in  which  he  now  lives.  He  attended  the  (jioneer 
schools,  the  first  which  he  can  recall  having  been 
taught  in  a  log  house  which  was  supplied  with 
homemade  furniture.  The  seats  were  made  by 
splitting  small  logs,  hewing  one  side  smooth  and 
inserting  wooden  pins  for  legs.  There  were  no 
desks  except  a  slab  which  extended  around  the 
the  walls  for  the  convenience  of  those  who  were 
learning  to  write. 

As  soon  as  he  was  large  enough  our  subject  be- 
gan to  make  himself  useful   in   the  store  which  his 


father  was  then  keeping  in  El  Dara,  and  when  six- 
teen years  old  became  a  clerk  in  the  eslablishinent 
of  J.  B.  Chamberlin  at  Rockport.  After  labor- 
ing tiiere  a  few  months  he  entered  llie  employ  of 
M.  Blair  &  Co.,  dealers  in  general  merchandise  in 
Barr}'.  In  the  employ  of  this  firm  and  its  succes- 
sors he  remained  until  1873,  a  period  of  seventeen 
years,  appl3-ing  himself  so  closely  to  his  duties  that 
he  drew  his  salary  for  the  entire  time.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  C.  and  S.  Davis  and  L.  Angle,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Davis,  Angle  &  Smith,  and  began  a  gen- 
eral banking  business. 

Mr.  Smith  accepted  the  position  of  manager  and 
has  held  it  through  the  various  changes  in  tlic  firm 
until  the  present  time.     The  correspondents  of  the 
establishment  are  the  First  National  Bank  of  Chi- 
cago, Ninth  National   Bank  of  New  York,  and  the 
National   Bank  of    Commerce  at  St.  Louis.     The 
Exchange  Bank  has  been  connected  with  the  first 
two   named  since  the   organization   in     1873.     In 
1876  IMr.  Smith    formed  a  partnership  with  E.  A. 
Crandall,   under  the  firm    name    of    Crandall    & 
Smith,  in  the  grocery  business,  it   being  managed 
by  Mr.  Crandall.     In   1884  he  was   one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Barry  Milling  Company   and   has 
since  been  its  Treasurer.     Our   subject  owns  con- 
siderable farm  property  both  in  this  State  and   in 
Missouri  and  is  engaged   in  agricultural  pursuits. 
It   will    thus  be  seen    that    Mr.    Smith    possesses 
abounding  energy  in  business  affairs  and   has  his 
eyes    open   to  the  possibilities  of  success    in  vari- 
ous ways.  He  is  strictly  honorable  in  all  his  trans- 
actions, prudent  in  outlay,  yet  not  unduly  cautious, 
fully  realizing  that  nothing  venture,  nothing  have. 
Mr.  Smith  was  fortunate  in  his   choice  of  a    life 
companion,  winning  for  his  wife  Miss  Helen   Bon- 
nell,  with  whom  he  was  united   in  October,    1879. 
The    happy    couple     have  one    child — Stanley  E. 
Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  Batavia.  Clermont  County, 
Ohio,  her   parents  being   Henry  and    Amelia  (Mat- 
tox)  Bonnell.     Her  father  was  born    in  Washing- 
ton County,  Pa.,  and  was  but  four  years  old  when 
his  father,  Moses  Bonnell,  removed  to  Ohio.     The 
latter  bought  a  tract  of  timber   land   in    Hamilton 
County,  twelve  miles  from  the  Ohio  River  and  be- 
gan to  clear  a  farm.     His  pioneer  labors  were  con- 


736 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


tinued  but  four  or  Ave  years  wlien  lie  was  called 
hence.  His  widow  remained  on  the  place,  her  sons 
assisting  to  clear  the  land. 

Henry  Bonnell  remained  with  his  mother  until 
he  bad  entered  his  teens,  when  he  began  to  learn 
the  trade  of  a  barnessmaker,  finally  engaging  in 
business  at  Batavia,  Clermont  County.  He  re- 
sided there  until  November,  1850,  when  he  re- 
moved to  GriggsvilJe,  Pike  County,  111.,  where  he 
carried  on  the  same  business  until  1854.  He  then 
bought  a  farm  near  b}'  and  gave  his  attention  to 
agriculture  until  1863  then  resumed  his  former  oc- 
cupation in  Griggsville,  continuing  it  until  his 
death  in  1870.  His  widow,  who  was  born  in  Cler- 
mont County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  daughter  of  P^lijah 
Mattox  is  now  living  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
Smith. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  the  former  being  Treasurer,  and 
Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee.  Mr.  Sgaitb 
belongs  to  Barry  Lodge,'No.  33G,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
to  Protection  Camp,  M.  W.  A.  He  is  a  Democrat 
but  takes  no  active  part  in  political  affairs  other 
than  to  do  his  duty  at  the  polls.  He  has  held  the 
oftiee  of  City  Treasurer.  He  and  his  wife  are  prom- 
inent members  of  the  community,  active  in  society 
and  every  good  work. 

The  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  Daniel 
and  So[)hronia  (Simmons)  Smith,  residents  of 
Dutchess  Countv,  N.  Y.,  whence  they  removed  to 
Schenectady  Countj^,  locating  at  Duanesburg.  Mr 
Smith  died  at  Oak  Hill  and  his  widow,  coming  to 
the  Prairie  State,  spent  her  last  days  with  her  chil- 
dren. Their  son  Nathaniel  was  born  in  Schenec- 
tady County,  N.  Y.,  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native 
State  and  after  his  marriage  settled  on  an  estate 
in  Berkshire  County,  Mass.  There  he  lived  until 
1837  when  he  came  to  this  State,  traveling  with  a 
team  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  thence  by  the  Erie  Canal 
to  Buffalo,  via  Lake  Erie  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
on  the  Ohio  Canal  to  Portsmouth  and  by  the 
Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Florence. 
Pike  County. 

After  a  short  sojourn  there  Mr.  Smith  removed 
to  what  is  now  Barry  Township,  the  village  of  that 
name  being  then  but  a  hamlet.  The  county  -was 
sparsely  settled,    a  few    clearings  being   scattered 


through  the  timber,  the  inhabitants  living  in  log 
houses.  Mr.  Smith  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  near 
Barry,  built  a  hewed  log  housri  with  an  earth  and 
stick  chimney,  covered  the  roof  with  boards  that 
he  rived  by  hand  and  established  his  home.  In 
that  humble  abode  his  son,  of  whom  we  write,  was 
born.  The  father  lived  there  about  ten  years  then 
sold  out  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
El  Dara  in  partnership  with  N.  V.  Iladsell.  A  few 
years  later  the  establishment  was  destroyed  by  fire 
and  Mr.  Smith  sustained  a  heavy  loss.  Going  to 
Barry  he  pursued  business  there  a  few  years,  then 
retired  and  makes  his  home  with  bis  son  Eugene. 
The  wife  of  Nathaniel  Smith  and  the  mother  of 
our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sylvania 
Sweet  and  was  the  daughter  of  Ira  and  Sarah  (Ilad- 
sell) Sweet.  She  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  breathed  her  last  in  Barry,  Pike  County, 
111.,  in  1879.  She  reared  eight  children — .Sarah, 
Eugene,  Sophia,  Daniel,  Jenny,  Emma,  Aldo  and 
Ruel. 


i^'"" 


(^  IjfelLLIAM  ROBINSON,  an  intelligent  aiul 
\/iJ/l  enterprising  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of 
W^  Hardin  Township,  Pike  County,  residing 
on  section  36,  was  born  in  County  Ti'rone,  Ireland, 
October  11,  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Jane 
(Keys)  Robinson,  whose  family  numbered  twelve 
children,  six  of  whom  are  ^-et  living.  The  parents 
were  also  natives  of  Count}-  Tyrone,  where  they 
were  married.  Bidding  goodby  to  the  Emerald 
Isle  in  1833,  they  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to 
America,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Tuscarawas 
Count}^  Ohio,  where  they  spent  their  remaining 
days. 

Our  subject  was  but  two  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  the  emigration  of  his  family  to  the  United  States. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  Ohio,  which  he  attended  during  the  winter 
season,  while  the  summer  months  were  devoted  to 
farm  work.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  he  bad  attained  bis  majoritj',  after  which  he 
worked  for  a  year  on  the  Pan  Handle  Railroad  in 
Ohio.  Other  occupations  then  occupied  his  time 
until  1853,  when  with  a  desire  to  try  his  fortune  in 


PORTRAIT  AMD  lilUURAinilCAL  ALBUM. 


.57 


the  West,  he  came  to  Pike  County,  where  for  a 
year  he  worked  as  a  farm  hand  for  John  Evans  in 
Xewburg  Township.  After  spending  a  year  with 
his  uncle  Francis  Keys  in  the  same  township,  he 
returned  to  Ohio,  but  after  twelve  months  he  once 
more  came  to  this  county.  lie  abandoned  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  followed  carpentering  in  Ilardin 
Township. 

On  August  ].'),  1858,  William  Robinson  was 
joini'd  in  wedlock  with  Jane  Parks,  daughter  of 
Hubert  and  Mary  Ann  (Little)  Parks,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  County  Tyrone,  where  Mrs. 
Robinson  was  horn  January  1,  18.39.  AVilli  one 
exception  all  of  their  nine  children  are  yet  living. 
The  mother  died  January  14,  1885,  and  Mr.  Parks, 
who  was  a  farmer,  died  January  2,  1889.  A  brother 
of  Mrs.  Robinson,  Francis  K.,  was  struck  by  light- 
ning ill  18GG  and  instantly  killed. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Kobinson  took  his  young 
bride  to  Time,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  car- 
penteiing  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 
when  feeling  that  his  country  needed  his  services 
he  enlisted  in  1861  in  Company  G,  Eighth  Illinois 
Infantry  and  did  faithful  service  until  his  disclurrge 
December  4,  1863,  on  account  of  disabilit3-. 
Twenty-seven  years  have  passed  since  then,  but  he 
lias  never  yet  recovered  his  health,  the  effects  of 
hard  service  still  remaining  with  him. 

On  receiving  his  discharge  Mr.  Robinson  re- 
turned and  settled  in  Spring  Creek  Township,  where 
he  operated  a  rented  farm  for  two  years,  when  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  on  section  36,  Hardin 
Townshii>,  that  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century 
has  been  his  home.  It  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  and  with  the  exception  of  forty 
acres  the  entire  amount  is  under  cultivation.  It  is 
supplied  with  good  buildings  including  a  tasty 
residence  which  was  erected  in  1888,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,500.  The  home  with  its  entire  surroundings 
indicates  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner, 
who  is  accounted  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  the 
township. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson  have  been  born 
nine  children:  James  A.  who  married  Susan  Folks, 
and  has  one  child:  John  William  is  single;  Robert 
K.  married  Minnie  Gheen,  by  whom  he  has  one 
child    and    he   is    engaged    in    farming  in   Hardin 


Township;  Francis  A.  of  Bedford,  wedded  Maggie 
Pennock;  Thomas  E.,  who  assists  his  father  in  tlie 
cultivation  of  the  farm,  married  Florence  J.  Sitlen; 
LucUa  Belle,  Ida  May,  Omri  Guy,  and  Chiirles 
-Sumner  are  at  home.  The  children  have  all  been 
liberally  educated  and  Robert  K.  and  Francis  A. 
are  successful  teachers  in  the  iniblic  schools  of  the 
count3-.  Charlie  is  a  bright  little  lad,  who  although 
only  twelve  years  of  age  has  nearly  mastered  the 
tliiril  p.art  of  Arithmetic.  The  daughters,  Luella 
and  Ida  May,  are  able  to  perform  quite  nicely  upon 
the  organ.  Mr.  Robinson  and  his  wife  may  well 
feel  proud  of  their  intelligent  and  interesting  fam- 
ily who  do  credit  to  the  training  of  their  worth}' 
parents. 

Mr.  Robinson  luas  taken  considerable  interest  m 
political  affairs,  was  first  r,  Re|*ublican,  later  sup- 
ported the  Greenback  partj',  and  now  afliliatcs  with 
the  Union  Labor  party.  He  has  served  as  School 
Director  for  nine  years,  and  for  six'yearsjw.as  Road 
Commissioner,  the  length  of  service  in  both  posi- 
tions showing'that  he  discharged  the  duties  devolv- 
ing upjn  him  with  promptness  and  fidelity. 
Socially,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Detroit  Post,  G. 
A.  R.  Although  of  foreign  birth  there  is  no  better 
American  citizen  to  be  found  in  the  county  than 
Mr.  Robinson,  who  by  an  upright  life  and  honest 
dealing  has  won  universal  regard. 


L^ 


,SCAR  D.  CRENSHAW,  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  who  owns  and  manages  a  grocery 
store  in  Rockport,  is  one  of  the  intel- 
ligent and  progressive  business  men  of  Pike 
County.  He  is  the  son  of  one  of  the  t'arly  pioneers 
of  the  county,  Nicholas  Crenshaw,  who  was  well- 
known  in  these  parts  and  was  a  factor  in  advancing 
the  growth  of  the  county. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Rockport,  Pike  Count}-! 
November  4,  1844.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  where  he  was  born  in  1826.  The  Cren- 
shaw family  in  America  is  descended  from  two 
brothers  who  came  here  from  England  previous  to 
the  Revolution,  one  of  whom  was  the  great  granc'- 
fathcr  of  our  subject.  They  settled  in  the  Southern 


q 


738 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


States.  Mr.  Crenshaw  was  reared  amid  the  pioneer 
scenes  of  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  removed  from  there  with  his  parents  to 
Jaclison  County,  Mo.,  when  a  young  man.  He  did 
nut  remain  in  that  State  long,  however,  but  a  short 
time  after  came  to  Illinois,  and  located  in  Rockport 
where  he  followed  his  trade  of  a  cooper 
a  good  many  years,  and  tended  to  the  shipping  at 
Scott's  Landing  for  about  seven  years.  He  subse- 
quently went  into  the  mercantile  business  here  and 
sold  general  merchandise.  He  built  up  a  large 
traoe  and  carried  it  on  till  his  death,  March  16, 
1882.  He  was  regarded  very  highly  in  the  com- 
munity and,  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  count}- 
his  name  will  ever  be  held  in  esteem.  He  was  an 
unswerving  Republican  in  politics  and  during  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  captain  of  a  company  of 
soldiers.  He  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  a  great 
many  3'ears,  and  filled  that  position  witii  abilit}'. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was,  in  her  maiden 
days,  Elizabeth  De  Witt,  and  she  was  also  of  Ken- 
tucky birth.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  and  in  her  death,  in  the  month  of 
.lanuarj',  18G4,  it  sustained  the  loss  of  a  useful 
worker.  Her  family  was  of  French  descent.  She 
is  now  sleeping  hsrlast  sleep  at  Summer  Hill,  while 
her  husband  lies  in  the  cemeter)-  at  Rockport.  They 
were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  the 
following  six  grew  to  maturity:  Oscar,  Ella,  Flora, 
Fannie,  Nicholas  and  James. 

Oscar  Crenshaw  was  reared  in  this  town  and  ob- 
tained his  education  in  the  district  school  when  it 
was  furnished  in  the  primitive  fashion  of  pioneer 
days  with  puncheon  benches.  lie  entered  upon 
the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life  on  his  own 
account  as  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and  he  subsequentl}' 
learned  the  vocation  of  a  pilot  on  a  steamboat  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  and  was  engaged  at  that  call- 
ing two  years.  He  followed  fishing  in  the  Jlissis- 
sippi  River  afterwards  for  fifteen  years,  using  nets, 
and  shipped  the  Bsli  that  he  obtained  to  St.  Louis. 
He  finally  established  himself  in  his  present  mer- 
cantile business  as  a  grocer  in  1882,  after  the  death 
of  his  father.  He  is  doing  well  at  it,  having  iiere 
a  neat  and  well-stocked  store  and  supplying  his 
customers  with  tirst-class  groceries  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Crenshaw  took  unto  himself  a  wife  June  1, 


1864,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Narcissia  Henrtryx. 
Mrs.  Crenshaw  was  born  in  loAa,  March  8,  184.5. 
She  is  a  good  housewife  and  makes  her  home  an 
abiding  place  of  comfort  and  peace.  She  is  possessed 
of  many  fine  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  and  in 
religion  is  a  true  Methodist,  belonging  to  the  church 
of  that  denomination.  The  fruit  of  her  marriage 
with  our  subject  is  four  children,  of  whom  three 
are  living,  namely:  Frank,  Flora  and  Maud;  Mabel 
being  the  name  of  the  one  who  is  dead. 

Our  subject  is  a  sagacious,  shrewd  and  far-sighted 
man  of  business,  and  stands  well  in  his  community 
both  as  a  man  and  as  a  citizen  and  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life  that  he  bears  to  those  about  him.  He 
is  a  member  of  Ambrosia  Lodge,  No.  778,1.0.  O.  F. 
In  politics  he  siiles  with  the  Republican  party.  He 
is  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  is  Notary  Pul)lic  and 
discharges  the  duties  thus  devolving  ujion  him 
with  excellent  judgment  and  wise  imparlialit}'. 


AMUEL  TURNER.  There  is  much  of  in- 
terest in  every  life,  and  it  is  with  pleasure 
that,  we  present  a  copy  of  our  Album  con- 
taining Ijiugraphical  sketches  of  those  men 
who  by  their  natural  ability  and  excellent  habits 
have  advanced  both  their  own  interests  and  those 
of  the  commuuit}'  in  when  they  reside.  The  sub- 
ject of  our  present  sketch  is  one  of  the  represen- 
tative citizens  of  Richwoods  Precinct,  Calhoun 
County,  a  man  highly  honored  by  all  who  know 
him,  and  one  who  at  an  early  age  realized  the  full 
import  of  the  fact  that  life  is  real,  and  consequently 
acted  bravely  his  part  in  it. 

Mr.  Turner's  father,  Samuel  Turner,  was  born  in 
Kentucky  in  which  State  he  received  his  education 
and  married.  He  then  removed  to  Illinois,  num- 
bering among  the  pioneers  of  Calhoun  Count}',  and 
located  in  what  is  now  Richwoods  Precinct.  He 
bought  a  tract  of  land  that  was  covered  with  heavy 
timber,  and  upon  this  property  built  the  log  house 
in  which  our  subject's  birth  occurred.  This  house 
was  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  south  of 
Batchtown  post-office.  It  was  a  diflicult  task  to 
clear  the  land  and  prepare  the  ground  for  cultiva- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


739 


tion,  and  required  liotli  skill  and  energy,  since  the 
country  was  very  wild,  and  the  necessary  means  for 
bringing  about  improvements  were  exceedingly 
scarce  in  those  days.  However,  in  a  short  time  he 
succeeded  in  cultivating  his  soil,  and  from  time  to 
time  added  to  his  estate.  He  bought  another  tract 
I  of  land  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  east  of  the 
'  vill.age,  and  there  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Our  subject's  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Miss  Dicey  Bell,  was  born  in  Kentuck}'  and  died  at 
the  home  of  her  son,  our  subject.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children,  and  was  a  lovely  Christian 
woman,  kindly  and  charitableTto  an  extreme  de- 
gree. Mr.  Turner  was  born  in  Richwoods  Precinct, 
August  22,  1850,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  farm. 
His  early  recollections  of  Callioun  County  are  of 
deer,  wild  turkeys,  etc.  His  mother  used  to  spin 
and  weave  and  work  very  hard  to  supply  the  needed 
articles  for  household  use.  It  seems  strange  to 
think  that  tliis  prosperous  and  flourishing  precinct 
only  a  few  short  years  ago  was  scarcely  more  than 
j  a  forest  primeval.  Our  subject  lived  with  his  [lar- 
I  ents  until  he  reached  man's  estate,  and  worked  on 
the  home  farm  up  to  the  3'ear  1875.  lie  then  bought 
ihe  projierty  that  he  now  owns  and  occupies,  but 
which  at  that  time  gave  little  evidence  of  the  cul- 
tivation it  novv  displays. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  in  1876, 
to  Miss  Delia  Dixon,  wliose  birth  occurred  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct.  Her  father,  ^Hiram  Dixon,  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Callioun  County.  Our  sub- 
ject's marriage  has  been  blessed  with  four  children, 
viz:   Hiram  Carl,  pjtta,  Oscar  and  Isuac. 


ORRISON  J.  NICHOL  A.S,  whose  biography 
now  invites  attention,  resides  on  section  15^ 
Belleview  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  sur- 
rounded by  the  fruits'of  faithful  laljor  and 
uprightness  of  purpose  through  the  course  of  his 
life.  His  birth  occurred  in  Washington  Count}', 
I'a.,  June  22,  1825,  and  he  is  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  Calhoun  County  who,  b}-  means  of  tlieir 
industry  and  good  management   transformed  the 


wilderness  into  a  blooming  landscape  in  a  few  siiort 
years.  His  parents.  William  and  Cassandra  (Bod- 
kin) Nicholas,  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
his  paternal  ancestors  are  reputed  to  have  been  En- 
glishmen. His  grandfather  was  stolen  Iiy  Indians 
wiien  a  boy  of  seven  summers,  and  remained  with 
them  until  lie  reached  his  seventeenth  birthday,  at 
which  time  he  was  found  by  friends  of  the  family 
and  reclaimed  by  his  parents. 

Mr.  Nicholas  removed  with  his  parents  from 
Pennsylvania  in  1837,  settling  in  Lincoln  County, 
Mo.,  where  they  resided  until  1843,  at  which  date 
they  removed  to  Calhoun  County  locating  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct.  They  were  numbered  among  the 
earlv  settlers  of  that  place,  and  there  tiie  father  died 
in  1859  and  the  mother  in  1864.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  only  two  are 
now  living,  viz:  Morrison  and  Mary,  wife  of  Peter 
Hoots,  of  Illinois.  The  father  was  a  i)opular  and 
highly  res|)ected  citizen,  and  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  a  number  of  years.  Like  all  pioneers 
he  suffered  many  hardships  while  laboring  to  clear 
up  his  estate  and  cultivate  the  soil,  but  success 
crowned  his  elforts  and  he  died  surrounded  by  tlie 
comforts  of  a  prosperous  and  happy  home,  and 
venerated  as  one  of  the  most  prominent  educators 
in  Calhoun  County  at  one  time. 

Our  subject  has  been  a  resident  of  Calhoun 
County  since  1843,  and  after  coming  to  this  place 
with  his  father,  engaged  for  a  time  in  the  lumber 
business,  but  subsequently  devoted  his  attention 
entirely  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His  earl}'  youth 
was  spent  ot.  a  farm;  and  he  received  an  excellent 
education  for  the  days  in  which  he  studied,  but 
naturally  none  of  the  educational  advantages 
offered  young  men  of  the  present  day.  He  was 
married  May  20,  1852,  to  Mrs.  Sarah  (Mcl^aughlin) 
Beatty,  and  after  his  marriage  settled  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct,  where  he  continued  to  reside  up  to 
the  j'ear  1883.  At  that  date  he  took  possession  of 
his  present  estate  which  embraces  one  hundred  and 
seventy  acres  of  valuable  land.  His  marriage  w.as 
blessed  witii  sixteen  children,  nine  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing, viz:  Sarah  A.,  William,  John,  Maggie  (wife  of 
C.  A.  Twichell.  of  Calhoun  County),  Blanche  mar- 
ried Vern  Long;  Abigail,  Nellie,  Walter  and  Iva. 
Mr.  Nicholas  is  a  self-m.ade  man,  and   inclines  to 


740 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


support  every  measure  that  has  for  its  object  the 
advancement  of  Calhoun  County'.  He  is  identified 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  parly.  There  are  few  men  who  liave 
seen  more  of  pioneer  life  than  he,  and  few  who 
have  so  consistently  followed  the  dictates  of  duty 
under  any  and  all  circumstances.  Mrs.  Nicholas 
1)3'  her  former  marriage  had  one  son,  Robert  C. 
Beatty,  who  has  just  been  elected  .Sheriff  of  Cal- 
houn County. 


LFRED  B.  ALLEN.  The  home  of  this 
worthy  farmer  and  citizen  is  ]oeate<l  in 
Fairmount  Township,  Pike  County,  and 
consists  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
broad  acres  bearing  excellent  improvements.  The 
land  is  mostly'  under  the  plow  and  produces  crops 
of  good  qualitj',  while  the  quantity  per  acre  is  sat- 
isfactory to  the  enterprising  owner.  A  comfortable 
thvelling  in  which  good  cheer  abounds  occupies  a 
pleasant  situation  on  sections  20  and  29,  and 
grouped  about  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  conven- 
ient for  their  purposes  are  the  outbuildings,  whi(;h 
are  also  well-built  and  commodious. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Theopiiilus 
Allen  who  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  his  parents 
likewise  being  natives  of  that  State  and  of  German 
lineage.  lie  was  a  cooper  by  trade  and  also  carried 
on  farming.  After  his  marriage  to  a  lady  of  his 
own  native  State,  he  removed  to  Sumner  County, 
Tenn.,  where  his  wife  died  after  a  few^  years'  resi- 
dence, and  before  she  had  passed  middle  age.  After 
some  years  Grandfather  Allen  changed  his  abc)de  to 
Ohio  County,  K)'.,  beginning  his  life  there  when 
the  country  was  undeveloped.  He  aided  in  clear- 
ing and  cultivating  the  land  and  breathed  his  last 
after  an  honorable  career  among  the  frontiersmen. 
When  called  hence  he  was  about  three-score  and 
ten  j-earsold.  His  second  wife  also  died  in  that 
county  at  a  ripe  old  age.  Both  were  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  as  had  been  the  first 
wife.  Several  of  their  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  War 
of  1812. 

One  of  tl:o  youngest  children  bom  to  Theopiii- 


lus Allen  and  his  first  wife,  was  Asa  whose  birth-' 
place  was  Sumner  County,  Tenn.  He  became  of 
age  after  his  father  removed  to  Kentuckj-  and  fol- 
lowed  the  trade  of  cooper  and  mechanic  for  some 
3'ears.  He  married  Abigail  Campbell,  a  lady  of 
genuine  worth  of  character  and  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Church.  Her  father,  William 
Campbell,  was  born  in  Maryland  and  was  of  Scotch 
ancestry.  While  yet  a  young  man  he  entered  the 
Revolutionary  Armj'  and  fought  throughout  the  war 
with  credit.  .Some  years  after  the  treat}' of  peace 
he  went  to  Ohio  County,  Ky.,  and  later  to  Tennes- 
1^  see  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  years 
or  more.  He  had  been  married  three  times  but  had 
children  only  by  his  first  wife,  Mrs.  Allen  being 
one  of  the  youngest. 

Asa  Allen  and  his  wife  lived  in  Kentucky  some 
j'cars  after  their  marriage  and  all  their  children  but 
one  were  born  there.  In  1844  the  family  came  to 
Pike  County,  111.,  performing  the  journey  with 
teams,  according  to  the  common  custom.  They 
settled  on  unbroken  land  in  Fairmount  Township 
and  began  to  open  up  and  develop  a  new  home,  al- 
though the  father  was  then  about  fiftj'  years  of  age. 
Mrs.  Allen  passed  away  in  1852  when  nearly  three- 
score and  ten  jears  old;  her  husband  survived  until 
187G,  he  also  reaching  an  advanced  age.  He  was  a 
kind-hearted,  worthy  man,  who  gained  the  respect 
of  his  acquaintances.  In  politics  he  was  a  Jackson 
Democrat  and  in  religion  a  Methodist. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  but  one  in  a  family  of 
twelve  children  born  to  Asa  and  Abigail  Allen,  and 
has  three  brothers  and  three  sisters  now  living.  His 
natal  day  was  September  14,  1825,  and  his  birth- 
place Ohio  County,  Ky.  He  w.as  about  eighteen 
years  old  when  he  came  to  this  State,  wherein  he 
grew  to  manhood,  assisting  in  the  development  of 
the  new  farm  and  gaining  such  knowledge  as  the 
schools  of  the  time  warranted,  together  with  the 
useful  habits  and  firm  principles  that  have  marked 
his  course  through  life.  He  has  held  various  towu- 
shi[)  otiices,  efficiently  discharging  the  duties  be- 
longing thereto.  His  vote  and  that  of  his  sons  is 
cast  in  suijport  of  the  princii)les  and  candidates  of 
Deraocrac3'. 

The  good  woman  who  has  charge  of  the  home  of 
our  subject   was  formerly   known  as   Miss   Emil}' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


741 


Askew.  She  was  born  in  Sumner  County,  Tenn., 
in  Autjust,  1828,  hut  w.".s  bi'ouglit  to  this  Stale  in 
her  giilliood,  grew  to  a  noble  womanhood  here  and 
.Taniiar}'  15.  1846,  became  the  wife  of  Alfred  Allen. 
Iler  parents,  Isaac  ami  Mahala  Askew,  were  n.a'„ives 
of  Tennessee  and  were  there  reared  and  married. 
In  1837  they  came  to  this  State,  and  settling 
in  Pike  County  spent  the  remnant  of  their  days 
here  dying  when  quite  old.  Botii  were  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Askew 
iiad  been  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 

The  family  of  our  subject  and  his  wife  includes 
eight  living  children  and  they  have  lost  three  by 
death.  The  deceased  are:  Cornelia  A.,  George  W.  and 
John  B.  The  record  of  the  survivors  is  as  follows: 
Benjamin  D.,  married  Melissa  Curffman  and  is 
farming  in  Custer  County,  Neb.;  AVilliam  W.,  a 
widower,  lives  in  Fairmount  Township;  Alice  is  the 
wife  of  Isaac  Askew  and  lives  on  a  farm  in  Kinder- 
hook  Township;  Nathan  N.  married  Mar\-  B.  Ew- 
ing  and  lives  on  and  operates  the  Allen  homestead; 
Asa  married  Dora  Witt  and  operates  a  farm  in 
Fairmount  Township;  Richard  H.  married  Delia 
W:ilker  and  lives  in  New  Salem  Township;  J.  T. 
married  Mar}'  Askew  and  their  home  is  in  Fair- 
mount  Township:  Charles  F.  is  unmarried  and  lives 
with  his  parents. 


f 


^f  ACOB  K.  MOORE.  This  gentleman  has 
long  been  numbered  among  the  agriculturists 
of  Pike  County,  his  home  being  ou  section 
(i^//  22,  Griggsville  Township,  just  outside  the 
corporate  limits  of  Griggsville.  He  has  here  one 
of  the  finest  farms  in  the  township,  consisting  of 
t«-o  hundred  and  forty-three  acres  of  productive 
land,  complete  in  all  its  appointments  as  a  well- 
regulated  estate.  It  is  well  stocked  with  good 
breeds  of  domestic  animals  and  the  various  imple- 
ments and  machines  by  which  the  work  carried  on 
there  can  be  furthered  and  the  value  of  the  place 
increased. 

The  ancestr.d  line  of  our  subject  on  the  paternal 
siile  sprang  from  Scotland,  and  the  family  resided 
in   New   Hampshire  for  a  number  of   years.     The 


first  of  tJK  name  to  come  to  this  country  are  be- 
lieved to  have  located  there  some  time  prior  to  the 
Revolution.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  set- 
tled in  the  neighborhood  of  Canterbury  and  be- 
came a  successful  farmer  and  large  landowner.  He 
was  well  known  in  the  part  of  the  State  in  which 
he  lived  and  had  borne  an  active  part  in  suppress- 
ing the  Indian  outbreaks.  He  was  twice  married, 
his  first  wife  being  Miss  Mooney,  a  native  of  the 
Granite  State  and  probably  of  Irish  parentage.  She 
died  in  middle  life  leaving  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren. The  second  wife  of  Grandfather  Moore 
was  Susan  Webster,  a  prominent  lady  in  that  sec- 
tion and  a  cousin  of  the  father  of  Daniel  Webster. 
She  survived  Mr.  ^Moore,  marrying  for  her  second 
husband  Col.  David  MeCrillis.  She  lived  to  the 
.age  of  four-score.  She  bore  her  first  husband  two 
sons  and  a  daughter.  The  second  son,  Stephen,  was 
the  father  of  our  subject. 

Reuben  Moore,  the  brother  of  Stephen  Moore, 
spent  his  entire  life  in  the  Granite  State,  laboring 
as  a  farmer  and  living  to  a  ripe  old  age.  He  mar- 
ried Sally  Hall  and  left  a  family.  Susan  Moore, 
sister  of  Stephen  ]Moore.  married  Abiel  Foster,  of 
Canterbury,  N.  IL,  whose  father  was  the  first  Con- 
gressman sent  from  that  place  and  served  durin"- 
one  of  the  first  sessions  of  tiie  National  Legislature. 
jNIr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  were  farmers  who  lived  to  be 
quite  old  and  reared  a  large  familv.  Mr.  Foster 
was  a  Selectman  for  years,  filled  the  offices  of  Town- 
ship Clerk,  Treasurer,  etc.,  and  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Legislature. 

Stephen  Moore,  the  fathei'  of  our  subject,  did 
not  see  the  light  of  cbiy  until  after  his  father's 
death  and  he  was  reared  by  his  mother  and  his 
stepfather.  He  was  born  a  free  man,  as  his  natal 
day  was  Juij'  5,  1776,  the  day  after  the  announce- 
ment of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  His 
death  occurred  when  he  was  seventy  years  and 
twent}'  d,ays  old.  A  hanly,  hard-workiug  and  up- 
right man,  he  became  prominent  in  local  affairs, 
l)arlicularly  in  the  militia,  j-eceiving  the  title  of 
Colonel  for  services  rendered.  He  was*a  Whig  in 
pulitics,  as  were  all  the  old  stock  of  the  Moores. 
He  married  Phebe  Kimball,  a  native  of  Sutton, 
N.  H.,  who  was  reared  by  Christian  parents  with 
whom  she  lived  until  her  marriage.     She  survived 


742 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


her  husband  a  number  of  years,  dj'lng  at  the  home 
of  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Coggswell,  near  M.anchester. 
N.  U.,  when  about  eighty-one  years  ohl,  liaving 
been  born  in  1781.  She  and  her  husband  belonged 
to  the  Congregational  Church  nearly  all  their  lives. 

The  maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Caleb  and  Sarah  (Sawyer)  Kimball,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man.  He  first  settled  in  London- 
derry', N.  H.,  but  after  his  marriage  occupied  a  hill 
farm  in  the  town  of  Suttou,  which  is  now  known 
as  Kimball  Hill,  and  is  a  summer  resort  for  the 
descendants. 

The  family  circle  of  which  our  subject  makes 
one  included  six  brothers  and  six  sisters  that  lived 
to  maturity.  Those  who  are  now  living  are: 
Charles,  a  merchant  in  IJoston,  Mass.,  now  about 
sixty-five  j'ears  old;  Mrs.  Sarah  Heath,  whose 
home  is  in  Franklin,  N.  H.,  and  whose  age  is  nearly 
four-score;  Mrs.  Martha  Coggswell,  living  in  Man- 
chester, N.  H.,  and  about  three-score  years  old; 
and  our  subject.  The  last-named  was  born  in 
Canterbury,  N.  H.,  January  27,  1808,  and  grew  to 
manhood  near  his  birthplace.  He  became  a  peddler 
of  books  and  Yankee  notions  and  after  following 
that  occupation  seven  years  engaged  in  selling 
cloth.  In  1839  with  his  wife  and  two  children  he 
started  for  the  West,  determined  to  establish  a  new 
home  in  the  much-talked-of  Prairie  State. 

The  little  party  made  an  overland  journey  of 
forty-two  days,  camping  out  at  nightfall  and  not 
only  journeyed  through  the  wilderness  but  made 
their  home  in  it.  They  found  a  location  in  Brown 
County,  put  up  a  log  house  on  new  land,  and  little 
by  little  drew  around  them  the  comforts  of  civili- 
zation. They  made  various  improvements,  but 
after  some  years  determined  to  change  their  loca- 
tion and  in  May  16,  1849,  took  possession  of  their 
present  farm.  Mr.  Moore  has  owned  other  large 
tracts  of  land  in  this  county.  His  financial  pros- 
perit}'  is  due  to  unflagging  industry,  determination 
and  zeal,  and  all  his  efforts  have  been  ably  seconded 
by  his  faithful  wife,  who  has  worked  with  him 
more  than  flfty-flve  years.  Together  the  two  are 
now  enjoying  the  pleasures  suited  to  their  jears 
and  the  happiness  of  association  with  the  best  and 
most  intelligent  people  in  the  community. 


The  solemn  rites  which  united  the  lives  and  for- 
tunes of  Jacob  K.  Moore  and  Cynthia  A.  Gerrish 
took  place  in  Northtield,  now  Franklin.  N.  H., 
where  the  bride  was  born  February  8,  1813.  Her 
father,  Joseph  Gerrish,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  and 
her  mother,  Susan  (Hancock)  Gerrish,  in  North- 
field.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  the  latter 
place  where  Mr.  Gerrish  was  engaged  as  a  farmer 
and  a  distiller  of  potato  whisky.  He  carried  on 
farming  extensively  and  dealt  in  real  estate,  work- 
ing up  a  good  business  in  that  line.  His  land, 
now  a  part  of  Franklin,  bordered  on  the  Merrimac 
River,  and  was  opposite  Daniel  Webster's  residence. 
Mr.  Gerrish  was  prominent  in  local  affairs,  being  a 
Selectman  many  years.  In  politics  he  was  a  Whig, 
and  in  religion  aCongrcgationalist,  his  wife  belong- 
ing to  the  same  church.  Mr.  Gerrish  was  born 
March  25,  1785,  and  died  May  25,  1851.  Mrs. 
Gerrish  was  born  July  13,  1791,  and  died  Novem- 
ber 26,  1846.  The  good  couple  reared  thirteen 
children,  several  of  whom  are  still  living. 

Mrs.  Moore  was  one  of  the  older  members  of  this 
large  family.  She  was  well  reared  and  educated 
in  her  native  town,  remaining  with  her  parents 
until  her  marriage.  Her  hajiijy  union  with  our 
subject  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  we  note  the  following:  Frances 
married  George  S.  Russell,  and  died  at  her  home 
in  Jacksonville  in  October,  1879,  in  the  prime  of 
life,  leaving  five  children;  Joseph  G.  married 
Sabina  Ensniinger  and  now  lives  in  DeWitt  Count}', 
in  Farmer's  City,  extensively  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising;  Pliebe  K.  is  the  wife  of  J.ickie 
Ilitt,  a  farmer  near  Blackburn,  Mo.;  George  H. 
married  Mary  Clark,  and  after  her  demise  Mary  V. 
Burdick,  and  now  lives  in  Bentonville,  Ark.,  where 
he  is  speculating  in  land;  Albert  H.  married  JIartlia 
E.  Wade,  of  Griggsville,  and  operates  the  old 
homestead,  being  a  successful  stock-dealer  and 
good  business  man;  George  was  a  soldier  during 
the  late  Civil  War. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  have  supported  all  local 
enterprises  that  would  tend  to  elevate  the  status  of 
the  community,  and  when  in  Brown  County  Wr. 
Moore  paid  for  the  services  of  the  first  teacher  in 
his  district.  The  first  Fourth  of  July  celebration 
in  that  county  was  held  in  their  barn,  and    many  a 


f;;-  VIS 


6x^ 


cjz.ox.'y-i^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


745 


tale  can  they  tell  of  their  earl3'  experiences,  wliich 
are  vividly  recalled  and  afford  them  much  pleas- 
ure in  the  recitid.  I\Ir.  Jloore  has  never  been  an 
offlce-sei'ker,  but-  lias  been  content  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  a  private  citizen  in  a  worthy  manner. 
His  first  vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Jackson,  but  he 
soon  bolted  from  that  party,  became  a  Whig  and 
upon  the  organization  of  the  new  party  a  Repub- 
lican. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  belong  to  the 
Congregational  Church  and  are  consistent  members 
thereof.  While  growing  old  they  are  bright  and 
active  in  mind  and  bod^',  and  have  by  no  means 
lost  their  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  county  and 
nation,  or  in  the  welfare  of  those  about  them. 


^S^  LISHA  SOWERS 

fe      on  the  opposite 

/*' — -^  wealthy  farmers 


^jY^  LISHA  SOWERS.  The  lithographic  portrait 
page  represents  one  of  the 
lers  of  Pike  Count}-,  residing  on 
section  201.  Montezuma  Township.  A  native  of 
New  Jerse}',  he  was  born  in  November,  1813,  being 
the  fourth  in  a  family  of  five  children,  whose  par- 
ents were  Hen  r}-  nd  Anna  (Potter)  Sowers.  They 
were  also  natives  of  that  State,  where  their  marriage 
was  celebrated  and  where  they  m.ide  their  home 
many  years.  In  1817  they  emigrated  westward,  lo- 
cating in  Hamilton  Count}^  Ohio,  where  thej' spent 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.  The  occupation  of 
Mr.  Sowers  was  that  of  farming  and  thereby  he  ac- 
quired a  comfortable  competence.  He  was  a  suf- 
ferer from  asthma  nearly  all  his  life  and  died  in  1 836. 
The  bojMiood  days  of  our  subject  passed  une- 
ventfully, he  obtaining  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  remaining  at  home  until  after  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  His  labors  went  to  benefit 
his  parents  until  his  marriage,  when  he  had  a  home 
and  family  of  his  own  to  support.  In  1836.  he 
wedded  Caroline  Scoggin,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Scoggin,  of  Ohio.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  aiid 
reared  a  large  family  of  children,  most  of  whom 
were  daughters.  He  and  his  wife  have  long  since 
passed  away.  Mrs.  Sowers  was  born  in  Ohio,  in 
1 S16,  and  remained  at  home  until  her  marriage. 
Tlie  young  couple  began  their  domestic  life  on  the 
Sowers  homestcrd,  a  cultivated  farm,  in  Hamilton 


County  where  they  continued  to  reside  until  1856, 
which  year  witnessed  their  arrival  in  Pike  County, 
111,  Mr.  Sowers  brought  with  him  to  the  West,  several 
thousand  dollars,  whicn  he  had  acquired  through 
his  own  efforts  and  this  he  invested  in  land,  pur- 
chasing seven  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Monte- 
zuma Township.  It  was  all  one  tract,  but  hardly 
a  furrow  had  been  turned,  while  a  'og  cabin  con- 
stituted the  sole  improvements. 

Mr.  Sowers  cleared  and  developed  the  land  and 
with  the  aid  of  his  sons  has  transformed  it  into  one 
of  the  best  farms  in  this  section  of  the  count}'. 
Many  improvements,  both  useful  and  ornamental, 
add  to  its  value  and  three  hundred  acres  have  been 
placed  under  the  plow,  the  greater  part  of  the  re- 
mainder being  devoted  to  p.isturage.  He  built  the 
first  frame  residence  in  this  locality  and  continued 
to  activel}'  engage  in  farming  until  since  the  late 
war,  when  placing  the  business  cares  in  the  hands  of 
his  sons  he  retired  from  the  arduous  duties  of  life. 
He  had  also,  a  few  j-ears  after  coming  to  the  county, 
opened  a  small  store  on  his  farm,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Illinois  River  and  also  a  warehouse,  continuing 
in  business  in  botli  lines  for  about  three  years.  He 
had  an  excellent  trade  and  in  that  manner  added 
not  a  little  to  his  capital. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sowers  were  the  parents  of  nine 
children — Melissa,  who  married  Joseph  Dugdell  of 
Greene  County,  111.,  has  two  children;  Henry,  who 
wedded  Mary  Wells,  b}'  whom  he  has  four  children, 
is  living  in  the  W^est;  Mary,  wife  of  Andrew  Knox 
and  the  mother  of  two  children,  resides  with  her 
family  on  a  farm  adjoining  the  old  homestead  ;  Ann 
is  the  wife  of  Albert  Brown,  by  whom  she  has  four 
children  and  their  home  is  a  part  of  the  old  farm; 
Amanda  is  the  wife  of  M.-irtin  Landess,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Pike  County,  by  whom  she  has  four  chil- 
dren; Oliver,  living  in  Montezuma  Township, 
wedded  Mary  C.  Nicol.aj',  and  unto  them  have  been 
born  four  children;  Benton,  residing  on  the  old 
homestead,  married  Jane  Garrison  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  with  two  children:  William,  vvhose 
wife  bore  the  m.aiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Evans,  re- 
sides on  the  homestead  and  thej'  have  four  chil- 
dren; Thom.as,  who  also  lives  on  the  home  farm, 
married  Mary  Chandler,  after  whose  death  he  mar- 
ried  Laura  E    B.arne}',  and  their  union   has  been 


746 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


blessed  with  one  cliild.  The  family  circle  remained 
unbroken  until  1884,  when  tlie  wife  and  mother 
passed  away,  her  remains  being  laid  to  rest  in  Green 
Pond  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Sowers  is  now  seventy-seven  years  of  age  but 
by  the  lalior  of  his  hands  in  former  years  he  pro- 
vided a  competence  whicli  supplies  all  his  wants  and 
he  is  surrounded  by  the  loving  care  of  nine  chil- 
dren and  twenty -SQven  grandchildren.  His  family 
is  one  of  which  he  may  well  be  proud.  Two  of  Lis 
sons,  Henry  and  Thomas,  were  soldiers  in  the  late 
wnr  and  all  are  respected  and  useful  citizens.  In 
political  sentiment  Mr.  Sowers  h.as  supported  the 
Democratic  party  since  casting  his  first  vote  at  the 
second  election  of  Gen.  Jackson,  and  at  each  suc- 
ceeding presidential  election  he  has  never  failed  to 
deposit  a  ballot  in  support  of  the  Democracy.  He 
is  still  blessed  with  good  health  .and  his  mental  fac- 
ulties are  yet  unimpaired.  Although  an  old  man 
he  may  yet  be  spared  for  a  number  of  years,  which 
is  the  wish  of  his  m.any  friends. 


<^  ft;ILLIAM  G.  TONER.  None  of  the  farm. 
\/\//l  ^^®  '^"'^  stock-raisers  of  Pike  County  have 
\y^  engaged  in  agriculture  more  industriou5l3' 
than  our  subject  or  with  a  better  practical  knowl- 
edge of  how  to  coriduct  their  operations  to  the  best 
advantage  and  none  bears  a  higher  reputation  as  a 
moral,  upright,  straightforward  man  than  he.  He 
is  a  pioneer  of  Kinderhook  Township,  where  he 
has  developed  a  well-improved  farm  on  sei'tion  14. 
Mr.  Toner  was  born  in  Jefferson  Count}',  Mo., 
September  14,  1817.  William  Toner,  his  father, 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  lived  there  until 
he  was  twenty  3-ears  of  age.  He  engaged  in  the 
War  of  1812  throughout  the  entire  contest,  and 
served  under  Gen.  Jackson.  After  that  he  settled 
in  Jefferson  County,  Mo.,  and  was  one  of  its  pio- 
neers, making  his  home  there  the  remainder  of  iiis 
life.  He  married  Matilda  Greer,  who  is  supposed 
ti)  iiave  been  a  native  of  Indiana.  She  went  with 
her  parents  to  Missouri  in  the  early  days  of  its  set- 
llement.  She  was  married  in  Jefferson  County, 
that  State,  and  before  her  death  came    to    Illinois 


and  died  in  Monroe  Countj'.  She  was  the  mother 
of  four  children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  the 
daughter  dying  in  infancy-.  Moses  G.  died  when 
about  fort}'  years  old  ;  our  subject  is  the  second  son 
of  the  family;  John  G.  resides  in  Oregon. 

He  of  whom  we  write  jjassed  his  earlv  days  in 
the  State  of  his  nativity  and  obtained  his  education 
in  its  pioneer  log  schoolhouses  which  liad  greased 
paper  instead  of  glass  in  the  windows,  were  fur- 
nished with  puncheon  seats  and  had  floors  of  the 
same  material.  He  can  well  remember  how  in  that 
wild  unsettled  country  deer,  wild  turkeys  and  other 
game  used  often  to  be  seen  by  the  pioneers.  Our 
subject  is  a  self-made  man,  and  very  early  in  life 
had  to  make  his  own  w.ay  in  the  world  commencing 
to  earn  his  own  living  when  he  was  a  child  of  seven 
years.  He  left  home  at  that  age  and  stopped  at 
any  and  ever}-  place  where  he  could  obtain  food 
and  shelter.  When  he  was  sixteen  years  old  he 
commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  hatter  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  but  gave  it  up  on  account  of  the  evil 
influences  to  which  he  was  subjected,  as  even  then 
his  life  was  guided  by  the  highest  principles  of 
morality  and  truth. 

He  (inally  made  his  way  to  Pike  County  in  this 
State  in  1840,  and  on  September  14,  1844.  his  raar- 
ric.gc  was  consummated  with  Mrs.  Mary  (Gose) 
Long,  widow  of  W.  W.  Long.  Her  father,  George 
Gose,  was  born  in  Grayson  County,  Va.,  whence  lie 
went  to  Russell  County  when  a  small  boy  and  there 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  married  Eliz- 
abeth Jessey  who  was  born  and  reared  and  died  in 
that  county.  Mrs.  Toner  was  born  in  Russell 
County,  Va.,  July  20,  1814,  and  lived  in  her  native 
State  until  the  age  of  twenty-two  yeai-s.  Siie  then 
married  W.  W.  Long  and  came  to  Pike  County  in 
1836  and  located  on  the  place  where  she  is  still  liv- 
ing. Mr.  Long  died  August  6,  1843,  at  the  age  of 
thiity-two  years  and  was  buried  near  his  farm. 
Mrs.  Toner's  marriage  with  our  subject  has  been 
blessed  by  four  children,  whom  they  have  named 
Joseph  C,  Louisa  J.,  Elizabeth  J.  and  Francis  E. 
They  are  all  married  and  well  settled  in  life,  living 
near  their  parents  in  Kinderhook  Township. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Toner  settled  on  the  place 
where  he  now  resides  and  by  active  labor  and  con- 
stant attention  to  his  work  has  greatly  improved  it 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


74^ 


so  that  it  is  mow  cIiissihI  among  the  best  luiliivated 
and  most  desiialjle  fanns  of  the  count}'.  He  re- 
f  modeled  the  house,  built  a  good  barn,  and  has  sup- 
plied the  jilaee  with  fine  farming  machinery.  The 
farm  comprises  two  hundred  and  eight}'  anres, 
mostly  under  tillage,  and  he  lias  it  well  stocked  as 
lie  pays  much  attention  to  that  branch  of  agricul- 
ture and  has  now  nine  head  of  horses,  thirty  cattle 
and  a  like  number  of  hogs.  Mr.  Toner  is  greatly 
inleresteil  in  bee  culture,  has  made  a  particular 
study  of  that,  and  is  one  of  the  lending  apiarists  of 
the  county,  having  a  large  number  of  fine  honey 
bees  and  securing  a  great  quantit}-  of  honey,  making 
it  profitable  business. 

Our  subject  is  a  man    of  singularly  correct  and 

upriglit  habits  and  is    a    very  strong   advocate  of 

temperance.     He  signe  1  the   first    pledge    he    ever 

saw  and  has  never  violated   it.     He  is  a  man   of 

earnest  religious  views  and  in   him  the  Methodist 

j  Ei)iscopal  Church   finds    one  of    its   most  diligent 

workers  and  one  of  its  most    faithful  members,  he 

having  been  connected  with  tint  denomination  ft>r 

over  fifty  years.   He  is  very  prominent  in  the  man- 

ao'emcnt  of  church  affairs,  is  Steward,  Class-Leader 

and  Trustee  of  the  church  and  parsonage;  he  is  also 

I  Superintendent  of    the    Crabapple    Sunday-school 

I  which  position  he  has  held   for  thirteen  years,  and 

'  he  was  an  incumbent  of  that  ofHce  in  Kinderhook 

several  years.     He  never  made  but  one  bet  in    his 

life,  which  was  for  the  sura  of  twelve  cents    on    a 

iiorse  race,  and  he  lost  that.    He  is  a  Republican  in 

politics  and  has  been  Road  Commissioner  and    was 

at  one  time  Pound  master. 


,  UFUS  M.  MURRAY,  of  Kin:lerhook  Town- 
ship,   Pike   County,    is   a  gentleman    well 
iii  ^W       known  in  the  public  and  political  life  of  the 
county  which  he  has  ably  served  in  various 
<ilTiccs.  and   lie  stands   among  its  foremost  citizens, 
lie  is  a  native  of    Pike    County,   born    in  i)ioneer 
I  limes,  and  has  been  active  in  developing    its   agri- 
I  cultural    interests,    having    two    valuable   well-im- 
proved   f.irms   on  sections  14  and  2-1,  Kinderhook 
I  Township. 

Mr.  Murrav  was  born  in   Kinderhook  Township, 


February  IG,  1837.  Ele.azer  Murray,  his  father,  :s 
supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
though  he  was  reared  in  Tennessee.  He  married 
Mdley  Kennedy,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Ken- 
tucky. They  were  married  in  Pike  County  about 
1832  and  took  up  their  residence  in  a  log  house  on 
section  14.  Kinderhook  Township.  There  the  fa- 
ther died  on  his  farm  while  scarcely  yet  past  tlie 
inime  of  life  in  18.i2  and  the  township  suffered  the 
loss  of  one  of  its  hard  working  capable  pioneers. 
His  widow  still  lives  on  the  old  homestead  and  has 
now  attained  the  venerable  age  of  eiglity-twu 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
three  daughters  and  two  sons,  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing is  recorded :  Martha  .lane  died  in  1854;  Mary 
Ann,  lives  on  the  old  homestead  with  her  mother; 
Rufus  M.  is  our  subject;  James  T.  is  a  resident  of 
Kinderhook,  and  Nanc}'  E.  lives  on  a  part  of  the 
old  homestead. 

He  of  whom  this  sketch  is  written  was  the  third 
child  of  his  parents'  family  and  their  eldest  son. 
lie  was  bred  to  the  life  of  a  farmer  in  this  countj' 
and  gleaned  his  education  in  the  local  schools.  The 
first  school  that  he  attended  was  taught  in  a  rude 
log  house  which  was  burned  and  a  stone  school- 
house  erected  in  its  place.  Our  subject  remained 
with  his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  then 
took  charge  of  the  home  farm.  He  was  successful 
in  its  management  and  continued  to  live  on  it  un- 
til the  fall  of  1877.  lie  was  then  elected  to  the 
imjjortant  otSce  of  County  Treasurer  and  moved  to 
Piltsfield  to  assume  his  position.  He  continued  to 
live  in  that  city  until  1889  when  lie  returned  to 
Kinderhook.  He  held  the  office  of  Treasurer  two 
3'ears  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  was  appointed 
one  of  the  commissioners  of  the  Sn}'  Levee  and 
Drainage  District  and  served  as  such  three  years. 
After  that  he  was  elected  Police  Magistrate  in  Pitts- 
fielil  for  a  term  of  four  years  and  discharged  the 
onerous  duties  thus  devolving  upon  him  with 
sound  discretion  and  great  sagacity.  During  all 
this  time  he  still  superintended  the  cultivation  of 
his  two  farms  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in 
Kinderhook  Township,  and  is  now  living  in  Kind- 
erhook and  managing  his  agricultural  interests. 

Mr.  Murray  was  married  in    1808   to    Elizabeth 
Wilson,  daughter  of  Esq.  W.  and  Margaret  Wilson. 


748 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mrs.  Murray  was  born  in  1839  and  was  reared  in 
Indiana.  Slic  is  a  woman  of  excellent  character 
and  of  many  pleasant  personal  attributes  and  is 
held  in  genuine  esteem  by  all  about  her. 

Mr.  Murra3'  was  only  twenty-one  years  old  when 
he  was  elected  to  liis  first  office  that  of  Town  Clerk. 
He  was  School  Treasurer  twelve  or  thirteen  years, 
was  a  member  of  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors 
seven  yeai  s,  and  has  been  a  man  of  weight  in  po- 
litical circles,  he  being  a  strong  advocate  of  the 
Democratic  party.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  among 
the  leading  members  of  tlic  Methodist  Episcopal 
Ciiurch,  of  which  he  is  Trustee  and  Steward.  He 
has  been  identified  with  the  Masonic  order  ever 
since  1867,  and  belongs  to  the  Chapter  at  Barry  and 
the  Commandery  at  Pittsficld. 


oc?o 


-«'  MLLIAM  M.  PIPER  who  resides  on  sec- 
\/\///  ^^'^^  ■"''  Carlin  Precinct,  Callioun  County, 
VW  'i"s  fo""  ^  number  of  years  been  one  of  tlie 
successful  teachers  of  tlie  county.  He  also  devotes 
himself  to  farming  and  in  both  branches  of  liis 
business  has  prospered.  His  entire  life  has  been 
passed  in  Calhoun  County.  He  was  born  on  the 
29th  of  December,  1853,  on  his  father's  farm,  his 
parents  being  Israel  and  Racliel  (Beeman)  Piper, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  this  State  and  were 
representatives  of  its  pioneer  families.  They  were 
early  settlers  of  Calhoun  County,  and  the  father 
devoted  himself  to  farming  in  this  community  un- 
til the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war  when,  believing 
it  his  duty  to  aid  his  country  in  her  struggle  to 
preserve  the  Union,  he  enlisted  and  was  killed  in 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  Mrs.  Piper  afterward  again 
married,  becoming  the  wife  of  Thomas  Nelson. 

The  early  life  of  our  subject  passed  unevent- 
fully. In  the  common  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood he  acquired  his  primary  education  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  j'ears  he  entered  Blackburn  Univer- 
sity of  Carlinville,  111.,  where  he  pursued  a  two 
terms  course.  Studious  bj'  nature,  he  easily  mas- 
tered the  lessons  assigned  to  him  and  on  leaving  the 
school  room  sought  and  obtained  a  position  as 
teacher,  which  profession  he  has  followed    for  ten 


terras.  It  is  said  that  there  is  a  pursuit  adapted  to 
the  abilities  of  every  person  and  if  tliey  engage  in 
that  work  they  will  meet  with  success.  Granting 
tliis  to  be  true  we  would  sa}'  that  Mr.  Piper  has 
found  a  vocation  suited  to  him  for  he  has  certainly 
succeeded  in  his  chosen  jsrofession,  winning  high 
encomiums  from  tliose  who  have  employed  him  or 
know  aught  of  his  methods.  He  wins  tlie  respect 
of  scholars  and  directors  and  in  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  his  duties  has  made  many  friends.  He 
also  devotes  some  attention  to  farming  and  in  that 
line  of  business  has  met  with  prosperity. 

On  November  20,  1877,  Mr.  Piper  was  united  in 
the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Miss  Appelina 
Cook,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Eliza  Cook.  Her 
father  is  now  deceased,  but  her  mother  is  still  a  res- 
ident of  Calhoun  County.  By  their  union  have 
been  born  six  children  and  the  family  circle  yet  re- 
mains unbroken.  In  order  of  birth  they  are  as 
follows:  Nina  A.,  Edgar  A.,  Cyril  A.,  Bertie,  Guy 
and  Alma  M. 

The  farm  in  Carlin  Precinct  where  Mr.  Piper 
now  resides  has  been  his  home  since  1878.  It  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  of  land 
and  the  neat  appearance  of  the  place  with  its  well 
cultivated  fields  and  well  kept  buildings,  plainly 
indicates  the  thrift  and  enterprise  of  the  owner. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  is  now  serving  his 
third  term  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church  and 
are  faithful  workers  in  the  Master's  vineyard. 


AVID  A.  WILLIAMS.  How  pleasant  as 
the  afternoon  of  life  creeps  on  apace  to 
look  back  on  a  life  well  and  profitably 
spent  and  recall  deeds  of  kindness  that 
comforted  some  dear  friend,  i>r  heroic 
deeds  in  behalf  of  some  cherislied  principle.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  and 
most  influential  citizens  in  Detroit  Town- 
ship, Pike  County,  and  has  passed  his  years  most 
creditably.  He  devoted  more  than  the  usual 
amount  of  attention    to  the  education  of  his  chil- 


il 


J 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


r-jo 


(Iren,  aiul    has    been    well  repaid  in    seeing    them 

I  achieve  success  and  populaiitj'.  He  is  the  father 
of  the  Prosecuting  Altorue}'  of  Pike  County,  and 
has  himself  wielded  a  strong  influence  in  the  politi- 
cal muvenients  of  the  community. 

"Sir.  Williams'  father,  John  A.  Williams,  was 
born  in  Nortii  Carolina  in  1798,  and  was  a  farmer 
b3'  occupation.  Ills  mother  previous  to  her  mar- 
riage was  Miss  Elizabeth  Walk,  also  a  native 
of  North  Carolina,  and  born  in  1807.  They 
were  married  in  their  native  State  about  1825.  and 
continued   to   reside    there    until    1834,    at   which 

I  time  they  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  iu  Detroit 
Township  on  section  30.  He  was  at  that 
time  very  poor,  having  reached  Illinois  with 
just  one  dollar  in  his  pocket,  and  his  earthly   pos- 

;  sessions  comprised  a  wagon  and  team.  He  secured 
eiglily  acres  uf  land,  of  which  four  was  under  cul- 
tivation, and  at  once  built  a  log  house. 

Eighteen  years  later  John  Williams  removed  to  a 
farm  near  tlie  village  of  Detroit,  and  continued  to 
make  that  his  home  until   1866,  when  be  moved  to 

'  Mississippi.     At  the    expiration    of   five    years  he 

I  went  to  Arkansas,  and  nine  months  later  located 
near  .Sedalia,  Mo.,  where  he  i)urchased  eighty  acres 
of  land  and  where  he  died  in  1876.  His  wife  died 
in  185S  and  he  contracted  a  second  marriage,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Caroline   Ciemmons, 

'  who  is  still  living.     The  parents  were  members  of 

'  the  Baptist  Church  and  were  consistent  Christian 
peo[ile.  Before  leaving  Pike  County  they  became 
very  wealth}-,  both  in  land  and  money.  He  voted 
the  Democratic  ticket  and  had  considerable  influ- 
ence in  politics  wherever  he  resided. 

Our  subject's  grandfather,  David    Williams,  was 

,  a  native  of  England,  and  a  farmer  by    occupation. 

!  He   came   to    America  in    1776,  and   was  either  a. 

j  captain    or    a  colonel   in   the  Revolutionary  War. 

'  The  Walk  family  moved  to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of 
1836,  settling  in  Detroit  Township,  where  John 
Walk  died  in  1846. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Davidson 
County,  N.  C,  July  22,  1832,  and  was  only  two 
years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Pike 
County.  He  attended  the  subscription  schools  in 
Detroit  Township,  the  first  school  built  here.  His 
first  teacher,  William  Porter,  is  now  living  in  Ore- 


gon. He  went  to  school  one  month  in  each  year 
for  a  period  of  fourteen  years,  and  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years  commenced  life  for  himself.  He 
rented  land  from  his  father,  and  farmed  upon  it 
until  he  reached  his  twenty-first  birthday,  at  which 
time  he  was  presented  by  his  father  with  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  on  section  21).  Here  he  built  a 
house  and  remained  three  years,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time  bought  forty  acres  of  his  present 
estate  and  erected  a  handsome  residence.  .Since 
1854  he  has  made  his  home  on  this  place,  and  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty-two  acres  of  well  cul- 
tivated land  that  he  farms.  He  is  also  interested 
in  stock-raising  and  owns  five  head  of  the  finest 
Short-horn  cattle  extant  and  keeps  a  pedigree  of 
them.  His  stock  consists  of  horses,  cattle  and 
hogs. 

Our  subject  was  married  May  10,  1854,  his  wife 
being  Miss  Emily  Adeline  Ilayden,  daughter  of 
Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (Bellamy)  Hayden,  natives  of 
Kentucky,  who  came  to  Illinois  about  1838,  settling 
in  Newburg  Township,  Pike  County.  The  father 
ilied  in  1880,  the  mother  in  1886,  leaving  eight 
children.  Mrs.  Williams  was  born  in  the  Blue 
Grass  State  December  5,  1836,  and  received  an  ex- 
cellent education. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  namely:  Cameline,  wife  of  Ilar- 
ve}-  Williams,  who  lives  in  Pittsfield;  William  K, 
whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  thisALUUM; 
Flora,  wife  of  David  Allen,  of  Detroit  and  the 
mother  of  three  children;  Arthur  Clay,  David  L.. 
Hugh  T.,  Lillie,  an<l  Blanche  are  at  home.  Came- 
line has  a  fine  musical  education  and  is  a  lady  of 
culture  and  refinement;  W.  E.,  is  I'losec-uting  At- 
torney and  a  j'oung  man  of  marked  ability;  Flora 
is  a  graduate  of  Pittsfield  High  Scliool,  and  also  a 
s|)k'ndid  musician;  Clay  gra<luatcd  from  the  Pitts- 
field High  School  and  will  graduati'  from  Illi- 
nois College  at  Jacksonville,  in  June,  181)1 ;  David 
L.,  is  attending  the  same  college;  Hugh  is  a  stu- 
dent in  the  High  School  at  Pittsfield,  while  Lillie 
and  Blanche  are  still  attending  the  district  school. 

Sir.  Williams  and  his  estimable  family  belong  to 
the  Baptist  Church  which  owed  its  flourisiiing  con 
dition    principally    to    his   father.       He  has    been 
School  Director  for  the  psist  twenty-five  years,  also 


750 


PORTRAIT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


served  as  Supervisor  for  Detroit  and  Iihs  been  on 
grand  and  petit  juries.  He  is  a  member  of  tlie 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Milton,  and 
is  a  Democrat  of  long  standing  and  influence,  and 
regularly  sent  as  a  delegate  to  tbe  county  conven- 
tions. A  strictly  temperate  man,  he  has  many 
warm  friends  and  is  liiglily  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him. 


gnmr 


t3531:SxiSc 


^OHN  A.  READ.  This  gentleman  is  one  of 
the  leading  business  men  of  Perrj',  Pii-e 
County,  where  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  sale 
of  hardware  and  lumber  and  in  the  under- 
taking business.  He  has  been  in  the  combined 
business  for  five  years  past,  but  as  a  lumberman 
and  the  o|)erator  of  a  sawmill  has  been  connected 
with  the  interests  of  the  town  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  For  a  considerable  period  he  was  also  occu- 
pied to  some  extent  in  mercantile  |)ursuits. 

Mr.  Read  was  born  in  Norfolkshire,  England, 
August  21,  1826.  His  father,  Robert  A.  Read,  was 
born  in  London  and  belonged  to  a  good  family, 
being  the  son  of  John  Read,  a  well-to-do  shoe- 
maker of  the  metropolis.  Robert  grew  up  iji  his 
native  city,  obtaining  his  education  there  and  after- 
ward went  to  Korfolkshire  where  he  married  Susan 
Callow,  of  that  shire.  After  the  birth  of  their 
three  children,  Robert  Read  and  his  wife  set  sail 
for  the  United  States,  taking  passage  in  Ma}',  1826, 
on  the  sailing  vessel  "Parthian."  They  landed  in 
I'hiladelphia,  Pa.,  after  a  tedious  voyage  of  sixty- 
three  days,  and  continued  tlieir  journey'  westward 
to  Baltimore,  Md.,  thence  over  the  mountains  to 
Wheeling,  W.  ^'a.,  then  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and 
via  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Na- 
ples, 111. 

The  husband  and  father  secured  land  in  Perr}' 
Township,  I'ike  County,  but  afterward  removed  to 
Perry  and  built  and  run  the  first  hotel  of  the  place, 
continuing  to  reside  in  the  village  until  his  death 
in  1854,  He  was  a  worthy  citizen  and  a  public- 
spirited  man,  who  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  up- 
building of  the  town.  His  wife  survived  him. 
living  until  1882,  and  reaching  a  good  old  age,  her 


natal  day  having  been  in  1 803.  Mrs.  Read  was  reared 
in  the  Society  of  Friends,  but  .it  the  lime  of  her 
death  belonged  to  the  Christian  Church.  Our  sub- 
ject is  the  first-born  of  the  three  children  and  the 
only  one  now  living.  His  brother,  Charles  Read, 
died  when  in  middle  life,  his  wife  breathing  lier 
last  within  a  few  days  of  his  decease.  They  left 
nine  children.  The  sister  of  our  subject  was  Helena, 
wife  of  John  Yale  who,  with  his  sis  children  now 
lives  in  Perry. 

When  twentj-  3'ears  old,  John  A.  Read  joined 
the  Fourteenth  U.  S.  Regulars,  to  fight  through  the 
Mexican  War  under  the  banner  of  his  adopted 
country.  His  enrollment  took  place  Jul}'  17,  1846, 
and  his  first  commander  was  Gen.  Smith,  but  after 
the  battle  of  Vera  Cruz  he  was  put  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gen.  Cadwallader.  His  company  was  under 
Capt.  James  Blackburn.  Mr.  Read  took  part  in 
the  memorable  battles  of  Cerro  Gordo  and  Mexico, 
as  well  as  the  one  before  mentioned,  and  aided  in 
capturing  the  cities.  He  escaped  unhurt  during 
his  army  life  but  at  the  end  of  the  two  j'ears,  re- 
turning with  his  company  to  New  Orleans,  he  was 
taken  sick  after  getting  on  board  the  vessel.  He 
was  in  a  dangerous  condition  from  cholera,  and 
after  partially  convalescing  took  the  yellovv  fever 
and  lav  in  the  hospital  for  some  time  at  the  point 
of  death.  He  received  his  discharge  September 
20,  1848,  and  was  finally  able  to  return  to  the 
North. 

For  some  time  Mr.  Read  followed  the  trade  of 
a  carpenter,  combining  with  it  the  sawmilling  bus- 
iness, and  in  1864  he  was  interested  in  establishing 
the  woolen  mills  of  Perry,  which  were  run  under 
the  style  of  Read  and  Fagin.  In  1866  our  subject 
sold  his  interest  went  to  Missouri  and  operated  a  saw- 
mill in  Bates  County,  011  the  Osage  River,  for  about 
six  years.  He  then  .sold  all  his  interests  there  and 
returned  to  Perry,  where  he  has  since  been  occupied 
as  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  biography.  He  is 
energetic,  capal)le  and  reliable,  disi-laying  good 
judgment  in  his  choice  of  the  stock  in  which  he  deals 
and  affable  in  his  manners  to  his  customers. 

The  first  marriage  of  our  subject  was  celebrated 
in  Fairmount  Township,  Pike  County,  his  bride 
being  Miss  Lucy  C.  Brower.  That  estimable 
woman  was  born  in    the  Empire    State  and  came 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


west  with  her  parents  when  quite  young.  She  tie- 
parted  this  life  in  Bates  County,  Mo.,  in  1868.  She 
was  the  motlier  of  five  cliilthen,  one  of  whom  is 
now  deceased,  William,  who  died  when  twenty-one 
years  old.  Aliva  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Johnson,  a 
farmer  in  (larfield  County,  Kan.;  Ida  married  Por- 
ter (Tlines.  a  mason  in  Perry;  Ilebo  is  the  wife  of 
Ncal  Thorp,  a  farmer  living  near  Winchester,  this 
I  Stale;  Philip  married  Alice  Hobb  and  lives  on  a 
farm  in  Fairmount  Township. 

Mr.  Read  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alli- 
ance in  Bates  County,  Mo.,  his  wife  lieing  Miss 
j  Amanda  Bennett,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  and 
I  was  quite  young  when  she  accompanied  her  parents 
to  Missouri.  She  breathed  lier  last  In  Perry  in 
KSSO.  her  dying  hours  cheered  b3'  the  faith  of  the 
Christian  Cliuich.  She  had  borne  her  husband  one 
child  who  is  still  with  his  father.  The  third  wife 
of  our  subject  was  Miss  Nancy  Bradbury,  whose 
demise  .also  took  pLace  in  Perry,  where  her  entire 
life  was  spent.  She  was  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren-.Tohn,  Ruth  .and  Gilbert  G.  The  present  Mrs. 
Read  was  born  in  Peoria  County,  but  reared  and 
educated  at  Perry,  where  her  marriage  to  our  sub- 
ject took  |)lace.  Prior  to  that  event  she  was  known 
as  Mrs.  Lucy  V.  Burch  neeLangley.  She  is  a  capa- 
ble housewife,  an  enterprising  woman  and  receives 
her  due  share  of  the  esteem  of  the  memliers  of  the 
community. 


JK^=S_ 


-^; 
"^=i 


fULIUS  SCHWARTZ  is  a  cle.ar-headed,  intel- 
ligent, progressive  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
who  is  actively  carrying  on  his  farming  in- 
terests in  Martinsburg  Township,  Pike 
County,  with  marked  skill  which  places  him  among 
the  most  able  men  of  his  calling  in  this  county, 
of  which  he  is  a  native.  He  was  born  here 
June  1.'),  1844,  and  is  a  .son  of  George  Schwartz, 
an  early  settler  of  this  part  of  the  county  and  in 
his  time  a  prominent  farmer.  He  was  born  in 
Splugen-groubenehn  Canton,  Switzerland,  Octo- 
ber 7,  1813.  His  father,  Andrew  .Schwartz,  was  a 
native  of  Switzerland  and  was  both  a  cobbler  and  a 
farmer.     He  resided  at  the  foot  of  the  Alps  near 


the  Italy  line  .and  when  well  along  in  life  lie  was 
caught  under  an  avalanche  of  snow  which  slid 
down  the  mountains  and  covered  him  for  some 
d.-iys.  He  was  finally  rescued  in  an  unconscious 
condition,  but  his  mind  ever  after  that  was  weak. 
He  lived  to  be  quite  an  old  man  and  finally  died  in 
his  Swiss  home.  IIo  married  Mary  Ann  Shoemaker, 
who  was  of  Swiss  birth  and  reared  a  family  of  five 
boys  of  whom  none  are  now  living.  She  died  at  a 
ripe  old  age. 

The  father  of  our  subject  attended  school  in 
SwitzerLand  and  received  a  good  German  educa- 
tion. He  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years  and  though  he  never  attended  school  in  this 
country  he  learned  to  read  and  write  English  with 
ease.  When  he  i  ame  to  the  United  .States  he  landed 
at  New  Orleans  in  company  witii  a  brother  in  the 
month  of  July,  183.3.  They  came  up  the  Missis- 
sippi River  by  boat  and  his  brother  died  from 
cholera  while  on  the  passage.  At  St.  Louis  our  sub- 
ject had  8500  and  a  watch  taken  from  him  under 
false  pretences.  He  made  his  way  to  this  county 
and  arrived  here  August  8,  1833,  with  only  ¥4. .50 
in  monej'. 

After  coming  here  Mr.  Schwartz  worked  for  87  a 
month  the  first  \ear  and  for  88  a  month  the  second 
year  of  his  stay.  He  and  James  Gay  (whose 
sketch  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work)  kept 
bachelor's  hall  for  about  two  years  and  in  1839 
they  purchased  jointly  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Atlas 
Township.  Although  they  were  poor  at  that  time 
the\'  became  wealth}-  and  inllucntial  farmers  as 
they  were  very  industrious  and  persistent  in  their 
labors.  At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Schwartz 
owned  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  a  fine  two- 
story  brick  residence  at  Summer  Hill,  which  was 
his  home  until  death  called  him  hence  .laiiuary  22, 
1887.  He  was  very  prominent  in  religious  circles, 
was  a  Deacon  in  the  Congregational  Church  and 
for  a  long  time  Superintendent  of  the  Sund.ay- 
school  and  also  Church  Trustee.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican and  held  various  local  township  offices  of 
trust.  He  man  led  Miss  Mary  G.ay  in  1838.  She 
was  born  in  North  Carolina,  October  2.5,  1810,  and 
now  lives  with  her  son,  Dr.  George  W.  Schwartz, 
.at  Summer  Hill.  She  is  a  sister  of  James  G.ay,  of 
whom  a  sketch  appears   elsewhere.     Mrs.  Schwartz 


752 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  and  is  a 
truly  religious  woman.  She  has  borne  five  children, 
of  whom  the  foUowing  grew  to  maturity — John 
G.,  Julius,  George  W.  and    Lucy  A.  (Mrs.  Shaw.) 

Julius  Schwartz  of  this  sketch  attended  school 
in  an  old  log  sclioolhouse  that  was  two  miles 
from  his  home.  It  was  conducted  on  the  sub- 
scription plan,  was  rudely  furnished  with  pin  leg 
benches  and  the  teacher  boarded  around  among 
tlie  parents  of  the  'pupils.  Our  subject  remem- 
bers seeing  plenty  of  deer  and  the  old  hunters 
used  to  chase  them  by  his  father's  house.  The  first 
trip  he  made  to  Pitlsfield  he  lost  his  way,  as  the 
surrounding  country  consisted  mostly  of  a  dense 
undergrowth  and  there  were  only  three  or  four 
houses  between  Summer  Hill  and  Pittsfleld.  When 
eighteen  years  of  age  our  subject  further  extended 
his  education  by  attending  the  High  School  at 
rittsfield,  and  in  1864  and  1865  he  was  a  student 
at  the  Michigan  University  at  Ann  Arbor,  where 
he  studied  matheniatits.  After  leaving  college  lie 
rentrd  the  home  farm,  married  and  began  his  wed- 
ded life  there.  He  farmed  that  place  for  three 
ytars  until  after  his  first  wife  died.  He  then 
l)ougiit  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres  on  section 
18,  iNIarliiisburg  Towns!ii|),  and  lias  since  purclmsed 
forty  acres  on  section  7,  Atlas  Ton-nsliip.  He  has 
madt-  most  of  the  improvements  iiere  including  a 
good  Ijarn,  neat  fences,  and  a  part  of  the  liousc.  He 
rents  one  hundred  acres  of  land.  lie  raises  a  con- 
siderable number  of  cattle,  horses  and  hogs,  pre- 
ferring the  Hoistein  c.Tttle  and  lie  does  a  good  dairj' 
business,  selling  last  year  some  $500  worth  of 
cheese. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Schwartz,  which  took 
place  in  1866,  was  with  Miss  Amelia  Sliaw  ghe 
was  born  in  this  county  in  1845  and  died  in  1869, 
leaving  one  child,  George  L.  Our  subject  was 
married  a  second  time  in  tlie  month  of  October, 
1871,  Miss  Mercella  J.  Brock  becoming  his  wife. 
She  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  and  was  born  in  1  851 . 
The  fruit  of  her  marriage  with  our  subject  is  three 
children,  namely — Mary  V.,  Hiram  A.  and  AVallace. 
Mr.  Schwartz  is  an  influential  citizen  of  his  town- 
ship, is  well  known  as  an  honest,  upright  man,  who 
acts  in  accordance  with  his  ideas  of  right  and  is 
thorouglily  alive  to  the  interests  of  his  communitj'. 


lie  is  prominently  identified  with  the  Union  Labor 
party  in  this  section  of  the  country.  He  lias  taken 
part  in  the  management  of  public  affairs  and  at 
one  time  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  for  three 
years. 


W  UKAS  KLAAS.  Firm  in  principles,  upright 
in  character  and  energetic  in  disposition, 
this  gentleman  justly  receives  tlie  higli  re- 
gard of  the  commimit}'  where,  for  many  years,  he 
h.as  lived  and  labored.  To  those  who  in  spite  of  ad- 
versity win  success  in  the  busy  world  and  who, 
throughout  temptations,  retain  the  principles  in- 
stilled in  their  minds  during  childhood,  much  praise 
is  due.  A  worthy  representative  of  that  class  of 
agriculturalists  and  stock-raisers  on  whom  the 
prosperity  of  the  world  so  largel}-  depends,  Mr. 
Klaas  has  for  a  long  period  been  identified  with 
the  prominent  interests  of  Calhoun  County,  and 
although  not  a  native  of  this  country  is  warmly 
attached  to  the  land  of  his  adoption. 

A  native  of  Hanover,  Germany,  Mr.  Klaas  was 
born  March  25,  1837,  to  Bernhart  and  Angeliiie 
Klaas,  also  natives  of  the  Fatherland.  Our  subject 
was  the  eldest  of  the  children  born  to  his  jjarents, 
and  was  reared  in  his  native  land  where  lie  re- 
ceived a  good  education.  Since  his  arrival  in 
America  he  has  learned  to  read,  write  and  trans- 
act business  in  English.  In  the  main  a  self- 
educated  man,  he  owes  his  success  in  life  to  his 
industry  and  natural  ability  rather  tlian  to  any 
favorable  circumstances  attending  his  training  and 
education.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States,  taking  passage  at  Bre- 
men in  a  sailing  vessel  and  landing  in  New  Orleans 
after  a  voyage  of  seven  weeks  and  three  days. 

Thence  Mr.  Klaas  came  direct  to  Calhoun 
County,  III.,  settling  in  Richwoods  Precinct,  and 
making  his  home  there  until  1886.  At  that  date 
he  took  possession  of  the  fine  estate  upon  which  he 
h:'s  continued  to  reside  up  to  the  present  (1890). 
He  owns  four  hundred  acres  of  land  as  the  result 
of  ills  hard  labor,  and  is  universallj-  conceded  to  he 
a  good    farmer   and   an  excellent    business   man. 


awaassajg 


KAMP5VILLE:   HOTEL.  JACOB  BRENN.PROPR.  KAM  P5V1  LLE,I  LL. 


RESIDENCE  AND   FARM   PROPERTY  OF    LUKA5  KLAAS,   SEC.2  .  BELLEVI  EW  PRECT.CALH  OU  N   CO.  I  LL. 


J 


I  ft 


Ml 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


755 


When  he  came  to  this  county  it  had  not  attained 
10  its  present  high  slate  of  civilization  and  he  has 
been  in  uo  small  degree  associated  wiih  its  de- 
velopment. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  18G4  to  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Westerman,  and  their  union  was  blessed  with 
four  children,  viz:  John,  Bernhard,  Joseph  and 
Theodore.  He  is  now  living'  with  his  third  wife- 
rolitieally  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  religionsly 
a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  is 
classed  among  the  most  influential  and  prosperous 
business  men  of  Belleview  Piecinct  and  is  noted 
for  his  intelligence  and  activity  in  trying  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides. 

Mr.  Klaasserve(J  with  honor  and  bravery  in  liie 
Civil  War  for  about  twenty  months,  and  having 
liecome  disabled  while  in  service  receives  a  pension 
of  $6  per  month.  Among  the  engagements  in  which 
lie  [larticipated  wore  the  battles  of  .Shiloh,  .Stone 
River,  Jlill  Springs,  Crab  Orchard  and  others  of 
minor  importance.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
after  winning  an  enviable  record  for  faithfulness 
and  patriotism.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  represent  such 
gentlemen  as  Mr.  Klaas  in  our  Album,  both  beca'--5e 
of  his  great  merit  and  because  of  the  excellent 
example  furnished  by  his  life  of  steady  and  faith- 
ful perseverance  in  well  doing.  We  also  direct  the 
attention  of  the  reader  to  a  view,  found  on  another 
page,  of  his  comfortable  residence  and  its  various 
rural  appurtenances. 


E^ 


\f|AMES  M.  DEWEY  is  the  oldest  resident  of 
Hardin,  and  the  son  of  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Calhoun  County.  He  was  born 
in  Ohio,  September  15.  1822.  His  father^ 
Abel  Dewey,  and  his  paternal  grandfather  were 
both  natives  of  Virginia  and  the  latter  was  a  pioneer 
of  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  last  years.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  reared  and  married  in  Mrginia, 
Susan  Dewey,  also  a  Virginian  b}-  birth  becoming 
his  wife. 

After  marriage  Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Dewey  removed  to 
Ohio,  and   after  living  there  a  few  years,  in  1827 


started  with  their  two  chihlrcn  for  this  Slate,  wliich 
was  then  considered  in  the  Far  West.  They  jour- 
neyed by  the  way  of  the  t)hio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers  to  St.  Louis.  Mo.,  and  after  sojourning  a 
year  in  the  vicinity  of  that  place,  in  1828  came  to 
what  is  now  Calhoun  County.  At  thai  time  tha 
country  was  sparsely  settled,  the  Indians  still  made 
their  home  here  and  deer,  wc)lves  and  bears  were 
plentiful  in  the  timber  and  on  the  prairies.  The 
father  of  our  subject  bought  a  tract  of  limber  land 
near  Billerica,  built  a  log  house  in  the  wilderness 
and  at  once  commenced  to  clear  a  farm.  His  use- 
ful career  as  a  pioneer  farmer  of  the  county  was  cut 
short  by  his  death  a  few  years  later.  His  wife 
sjient  her  last  years  in  Hardin. 

Our  subject  was  six  years  old  when  he  came  to 
tliis  county  with  his  parents  and  has  a  distinct  recol- 
lection of  the  pioneer  scenes  amid  which  he  was 
reared.  There  were  no  schools  in  the  county  for 
some  years,  and  the  first  wss  taught  in  a  log  scbool- 
lioiise  on  the  subscription  plan.  For  some  years 
the  family  lived  quite  secludeil  .as  their  neighbors 
were  few  and  far  between,  and  none  lived  very  near 
the  farm.  Game  and  fish  formed  an  important 
part  of  their  fare,  and  the  mother  used  to  card, 
spin  and  weave  and  make  all  the  cloth  worn  by 
the  family;  the  men  usuallj'  wore  buckskin 
trousers. 

Mr.  Dewey  was  but  a  lioy  w!;en  his  father  died. 
He  continued  to  live  with  his  mother  for  a  time 
and  then  went  out  to  work  by  the  da^-  and  month 
on  a  farm  and  was  eng.aged  in  cutting  cordwood, 
teaming  to  the  river,  etc.  After  marriage  he  in- 
vested in  a  farm  a  mile  and  one-half  south  of  the 
court-house,  but  did  not  settle  on  it.  continuing  to 
reside  in  Hardin  and  renting  his  farm.  He  settled 
in  this  town  in  March.  1848,  and  has  made  his  home 
here  ever  since.  He  was  in  business  here  nearlj' 
forty  years  and  is  widely  known  and  respected. 

Mr.  Dewey  was  married  July  12,  1849,  in  Colum- 
biana, Greene  County,  III.,  to  Caroline  Brannam. 
The  following  three  children  have  blessed  their 
marriage:  Helen,  wife  of  M.J.  Parker,  of  Jersey 
County;  Emma,  wife  of  B.  F.  Hammond,  of  Har- 
din; and  Grant,  who  is  Postmaster  at  Hardin. 

Mrs.  Dewej'  is  a  native  of  this  State,  born  in 
Carrolton,  Greene  County,  January  25,  1823.     Her 


(56 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


father,  Absalom  Brannam,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Virginia,  and  went  from  there  wlien  a  young  man 
to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  to  Mary  A.  N.  Hal- 
bert.  a  native  of  that  State.  Tliey  became  early 
settlers  of  CarroUon.  in  this  State,  where  they  lived 
a  short  lime  prior  to  coming  to  Calhoun  County,  of 
whicli  they  were  early  pioneers.  Mr.  Brannam 
bought  land  here,  but  after  living  on  it  two  jears 
sold  it  and  returned  to  Carrolton,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  as  a  shoe-maker,  and  there  he  spent 
his  remaining  days,  d3ingin  1845,  in  the  month  of 
November.  Mrs.  Dewey's  mother  subsequently 
married  John  Maitland  and  spent  her  last  years  in 
Hardin,  her  death  occurring  January  3,  1878. 


^^ 


\  DWARD  N.  FRENCH.  Pike  County  can 
boast  of  many  attractive  homes  in  tlie  rn- 
^  ral  districts  as  well  as  in  the  thriving  towns. 
Outside  of  the  populous  centers  the  residence  which 
is  justly  considered  the  finest  in  the  county,  is 
that  lielonging  to  our  subject  and  standing  on  sec- 
tion 8,  Montezuma  Township.  It  was  put  up  in 
1869  at  a  cost  of  16.000  and  the  other  outbuild- 
ings u()on  the  farm  brought  the  outlay  up  to 
$10,000.  Other  improvements  such  as  fences, 
groves  and  orchard,  have  been  made  by  Mr.  French 
who  himself  planted  one  hundred  fruit  trees.  His 
solid  financial  footing  has  resulted  from  his  close 
application  to  his  business  affairs,  his  wise  economy 
and   good  judgment  regarding  investments. 

Mr.  French  is  descended  in  the  paternal  line 
from  an  old  New  England  family  which  was  first 
known  in  this  country  at  Marblehead,  Mass.  His 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and 
took  i)art  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  Isaac  French,  who  was 
born  in  Hollis,  N.  H.  He  was  a  cooper  b^'  trade, 
but  later  gave  liis  attention  to  farming.  He  re- 
moved to  Ilardwick,  Caledonia  County,  Vt.,  where 
he  bought  and  operated  a  small  estate.  His  means 
were  limited,  but  so  thoroughly  honorable  was  he 
and  so  interested  in  the  welfare  of  those  about  him 
that  he  became  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  neigh- 
borhood.    He  was  very  particular    in   his  dealings 


and  never  failed  to  fulfill  his  promises.  In  politics 
he  w.as  quite  conservative,  voting  the  Whig  ticket. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Rebecca  Bush,  and  was  the  second  wife  of  Isaac 
French,  tiieir  marriage  being  solemnized  at  Hollis. 
N.  H.  Mrs.  French  was  a  devout  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church.  She  entered  into  rest  in 
1836,  her  husband  surviving  until  1846.  Mr. 
French  was  the  father  of  thirteen  children,  nine  be- 
ing born  of  his  second  marriage.  Six  of  these  are 
now  living,  namely:  Mark,  aged  sixty-six,  whose 
home  is  in  Ilardwick,  Yt. ;  Charles,  who  is  sixty- 
three  years  old  and  lives  in  Cabot,  Yt. ;  our 
subject  is  sixty-two  years  old;  Albert,  who  is  fifty- 
eight  years  old  and  lives  in  Bos' on;  Harry,  a  resi- 
dent of  Montezuma  Township,  now  fifty  six  years 
old  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Morris  whose  home  is  in  Bos- 
ton and  her  age  sixty-four  3ears. 

Edward  French  was  born  April  15,  1829,  at 
Ilardwick,  Yt.  He  was  seven  ^-ears  of  age  when 
his  mother  died  and  he  was  placed  in  the  family  of 
Deacon  James  D.  Bell  with  whom  he  lived  until 
fourteen  j-ears  of  age.  He  then  selected  his  own 
guardian,  choosing  Squire  Timothj-  Fuller,  a  res- 
ident of  Cabot,  Yt.,  and  was  transferred  from  his 
former  home  to  tliat  of  Silas  Underwood  a  farmer, 
from  whom  he  received  generous  treatment.  Dur- 
ing the  years  that  he  had  spent  with  Deacon  Bell 
he  had  worked  ver3'  hard  and  received  but  three 
months  schooling  each  year.  He  continued  to 
work  on  a  farm  at  his  new  home,  receiving  his 
Ijoard  and  clothes,  three  months  schooling  each 
year,  and  $100  in  money  when  he  became  of  age, 
the  contract  between  himself  and  Mr.  Underwood 
being  faithfulU-  fulfilled  by  both.  When  the  mother 
died  there  were  six  boys  under  ten  years  of  age 
who  were  placed  in  different  homes  and  each  one 
staid  his  entire  time,  carrying  out  the  contracts 
made  for  their  rearing. 

When  he  had  attained  to  his  majority  our  subject 
turned  his  footsteps  westward,  making  his  first  so- 
journ at  ISIilwaukee,  Wis.,  and  later  spending  a 
year  at  Janes viUe,  engaged  in  a  livery  stable.  He 
then  started  for  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  stO[)piugin  Milton, 
111.,  to  visit  George  Underwood,  a  son  of  the  raan 
with  whom  he  had  lived  in  Yermont.  Mr.  Under- 
wood was    proprietor  of  a   general  store  and  pro- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


posed  to  Mr.  French  to  enter  his  employ  at  §10  per 
month  and  board  for  six  months.  The  offer  was 
accepted  and  the  connection  between  employer  and 
employe  proved  so  satisfactory  that  Mr.  French  re- 
mained in  the  store  seven  ^ears,  or  until  Jlr.  I'nder- 
wood  went  out  of  business.  He  had  made  himself 
necessary  to  his  employer  by  his  faithfulness  and  un- 
remitting attention  to  his  employer's  interest  and 
at  the  end  of  each  year  was  asked  what  he  would 
require  for  salary  the  ensuing  year.  During  the 
last  year  he  received  $60  per  month. 

Mr.  French  prudently  invested  his  earnings  in 
land,  having  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  acres, 
sixty  of  which  was  under  cultivation  and  the  bal- 
ance in  a  separiite  tract  untillcd.  Moving  on  the 
farm  where  he  had  previously  erected  a  house,  he 
remained  there  eighteen  years,  working  hard  to 
improve  his  financial  condition  as  all  his  means  had 
been  put  into  land.  From  year  to  year  he  accumu- 
lated, until  he  now  owns  five  hundred  and  seventy 
acres,  four  hundred  and  ninety  of  which  are  under 
cultivation,  and  is  numbered  among  the  wealthiest 
men  in  the  township.  He  was  one  of  the  first  men 
to  introduce  Shoit-horn  cattle  in  this  section  and 
the  result  proved  his  wisdom.  He  has  given  most 
of  his  attention  to  stock-raising  and  still  has  some 
fine  Short-horns,  Poland- China  hogs  and  farm 
liorses.  He  superintends  the  farm  and  is  ably  as- 
sisted in  its  management  by  his  son. 

It  needs  but  a  passing  glance  at  the  tasteful  ar- 
rangements of  Mr.  French's  commodious  dwelling 
to  give  the  stranger  the  impression  of  the  presence 
of  refined  womanhood  within  the  walls  of  the  home. 
A  meeting  with  Mrs.  French,  formerly  Miss  Sarah 
Hoover,  will  be  in  nowise  disappointing,  as  she  is 
intelligent,  well-bred  and  gracious.  She  became 
the  wife  of  our  subject  in  1852  and  has  borne  him 
five  children,  of  whom  we  note  the  following  :  Noel 
E.,  born  December  24,  1853,  married  Mary  K. 
Volcker  and  has  eight  children,  his  home  being  on 
a  farm  in  Pearl  Township;  Mary  A.,  born  Septem- 
ber 2,  1856,  is  the  wife  of  O.  M.  Morris,  and  the 
mother  of  three  children,  their  home  being  in  Lath- 
rop,  Cal. ;  George  H.,  born  August  12,  1859,  was 
graduated  from  the  Champaign  (111.)  College  and 
is  now  a  civil  engineer  in  Government  employ, 
his  headquarters    being    at    St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Eliza 


Frances,  born  October  1.3,  1861,  died  March  2, 
1864;  William  O.,  born  December  28.  1868,  spent 
two  3ears  as  a  student  in  Canton  and  one  year  at 
a  business  college  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  the  inten- 
tion being  to  fit  him  for  carrying  on  tiie  farm,  in 
which  work  he  is  now  manifesting  his  ability. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  French  were  Daniel  and 
America  (Grcathouse)  Hoover, natives  respectively 
of  Maryland  and  Kentucky.  During  his  boyhood 
Mr.  Hoover  became  a  resident  in  Kentucky,  whence 
he  returned  to  his  native  State,  after  his  marriage 
settling  on  the  Wabash  River  in  White  County, 
111.  In  1827  he  came  to  Pike  County,  Illinois 
and  established  a  home  on  section  8,  Montezuma 
Township.  When  the}'  reached  the  Illinois  River 
two  canoes  were  lashed  together,  the  wagon  put 
thereon  and  the  little  craft  poled  across  the  stream 
while  the  oxen  swam.  During  their  journey  Mrs. 
Hoover  walked  four  miles  from  the  river  carrying 
an  infant.  AVhen  the}'  reached  the  new  home  she 
thought  it  the  prettiest  place  she  had  ever  seen. 

Mr.  Hoover  had  but  fifty  cents  in  money  when  he 
crossed  the  Illinois  River.  About  four  3'ears  after 
he  entered  eighty  acres  of  land,  being  obliged  to  go 
to  Edwardsville  to  file  his  claim  and  walking  the 
entire  distance — over  one  hundred  miles — carrying 
his  food  with  him.  To  obtain  the  §100  necessary 
to  p.-iy  for  his  land  he  sold  four  yoke  of  good  oxen 
and  one  horse.  He  helped  to  build  the  first  ferry 
across  the  Illinois  River  at  Montezuma,  walking 
four  miles  there  and  back  and  receiving  for  his 
day's  work  flft}'  cents  worth  of  corn  which  he  car- 
ried home  and  beat  it  in  a  mortar  to  make  bread 
for  his  famil}'.  Through  sucli  scenes  as  these  he 
passed  step  b}'  step  to  competence  and  even  woalLh, 
having  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  e.xcel  ■ 
lent  land  and  112,000  in  money  besides  when  his 
earthly'  career  was  done. 

Mr.  Hoover  helped  to  raise  the  first  housb  in 
Pitlsfield,  and  with  his  wife,  was  identified  with 
other  pioneer  labors  and  highly  regarded  by  those 
with  whom  he  associated.  Both  belonged  to  the 
Christian  Church  and  Mr.  Hoover  was  one  of  the 
first  Elders  in  the  society  organized  in  Milton. 
Their  family  inclndcd  eleven  children  of  whom  the 
following  are  now  living:  George  W.,  Mrs.  Re- 
becca   Clemens,    Daniel     G.,    Mrs.    French,   Mrs. 


758 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Mar3'  Bolin,  John  R.,  Mrs.  Catherine  Morgan  and 
Mrs.  Amanda  F.  Brown.  Mr.  Hoover  breathed 
his  hist  in  May,  1868.  and  his  widow  did  not  long 
survive  hira,  her  death  occurring  in  September  of 
the  same  j'ear. 

Mr.  French  stands  well  in  the  community,  where 
liis  Cliristian  charactei,  indomitable  energy  and 
deep  public  spirit  have  long  been  recognized.  He 
and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Christian  Church  in  Mil- 
<on;  he  has  been  Deacon  for  many  years  and  Super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday-school  for  seventeen  years 
in  succession.  Next  to  his  interest  in  the  cause  of 
Christianity  is  that  which  he  takes  in  the  progress 
of  educational  affairs.  He  was  a  School  Director 
for  many  years  and  was  largely  instrumental  in  se- 
curing the  present  fine  school  building  in  Milton. 
He  has  been  Supervisor  of  Montezuma  Township 
for  two  terras  and  in  that  office,  as  elsewhere,  acted 
with  discrimination  and  earnestness.  Prior  to  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  he  voted  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket,  but  since  tliat  time  has  been  a  Repub- 
lican. 


v.  ."'ft. ,  /\  .  *SKV\,  ^ 


RS.  NANCY  J.  AVOODRUFF  MASON. 
This  elderl}'  lady,  whose  home  is  in  Barry, 
has  been  a  resident  of  Pike  County  since 
1843  and  has  therefore  witnessed  most  of 
its  develojjment  from  a  sparsely  settled  wilderness 
to  a  prosperous  agricultural  district,  in  which  nu- 
merous thriving  towns  have  sprung  up  to  form  the 
nucleus  of  its  civilization  and  trade.  Her  years 
have  been  spent  in  tiie  quiet  discliarge  of  the  du- 
ties devolving  upon  her,  first  as  a  Jiomekeeper  and 
mother  and  then  as  a  neighbor  and  friend.  She  is 
quite  well  known  in  tliat  part  of  the  county  in 
which  she  has  lived  and  is  respected  as  her  Chris- 
tian life  and  charitable  deeds  deserve. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Mason  was  David  AV'oodruff, 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (White)  Woodruff,  who 
was  born  on  a  farm  thirty  miles  above  Cincinnati, 
Oliio.  The  land  had  been  cleared  by  Grandfather 
Woodruff,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  in 
that  region  and  is  believed  to  have  been  a  native 
of  New  Jersey.     He  died  in  the  service  during  tlie 


War  of  1812.  His  widow,  who  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  one  years 
old,  dying  at  the  home  of  a  daughter  in  Indiana. 

David  Woodruff,  the  father  of  our  subject,  en- 
tered the  army  when  seventeen  years  old  to  bear 
liis  part  in  freeing  the  country  from  British  tyranny 
in  the  War  of  1812.  In  preparing  himself  for  life's 
labors  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  but  in 
iiis  later  years  worked  but  little  at  the  bench,  lie 
located  in  Johnson  County,  Ind.,  when  a  young 
man,  but  after  residing  there  a  few  years  returned 
to  his  native  State,  settling  in  fiercer  Count}-.  He 
bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  upon  which  he  built 
a  two-story  log  house  and  after  establishing  his 
famil}'  therein,  began  to  clear  and  improve  his  es- 
tate. At  that  time  deer,  bear,  wild  turkeys  and 
other  kinds  of  game  were  plentiful  in  that  locality. 

In  1843  Mr.  Woodruff  sold  the  place  which  had 
been  his  home  for  some  years  and  came  to  the 
newer  State  of  Illinois,  traveling  via  the  Ohio, 
Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Meredosia,  and 
thence  Ijy  the  usual  pioneer  methods  to  Pike 
County.  He  rented  a  farm  near  Barry  but  after- 
ward bought  property,  changing  farms  two  or 
three  times  during  his  residence  here.  He  spent  his 
last  years  with  our  subject  in  Barr}-,  dying  at  the 
age  of  eighty-nine  years.  His  wife  had  borne  the 
maiden  name  of  Tabitha  Dehart,  was  born  in  North 
Carolina  and  was  a  daughter  of  Elisha  Dehart.  She 
also  spent  the  hter  years  of  her  life  with  her  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Mason,  departing  this  life  four  years 
prior  to  the  demise  of  her  husband. 

Nancy  J.  Woodruff  was  born  in  Johnson  County, 
Ind.,  and  was  but  an  infant  when  her  parents  re- 
moved to  Ohio.  She  accompanied  them  to  the 
Prairie  State,  continuing  to  make  her  home  under 
their  roof  until  February,  1846,  when  she  became 
the  wife  of  Harrison  Hammond.  This  gentleman 
was  born  in  Wabash  Count}',  this  State,  in  which 
his  father,  Asa  Hammond,  was  a  pioneer.  The 
latter  is,  from  the  best  information  at  hand,  be- 
lieved to  liave  been  born  in  Veroaont.  He  spent  a 
few  years  in  pioneer  work  in  Wabash  County,  then 
came  to  Pike  County  and  again  took  up  the  work 
of  developing  a  new  section  in  El  Dara  Township. 
Harrison  Hammond  was  reared  on  a  farm,  but  dur- 
ing the  later  3ears  rif  his  life  operated  a   flouring 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM.' 


759 


mill  in  whicli  he  owned  .1  lialf  interest.  He 
breathed  liis  last  June  5,  18,')4. 

The  widow  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  al- 
liance February  4,  1855,  wedding  Ciiaries  Edson 
Mason.  This  gentleman  was  born  in  Ciieshire 
Count}',  N.  II.,  and  was  a  son  of  Charles  and 
Martha  (Carlton)  Mason,  both  of  whom  are  be- 
lieved to  have  been  natives  of  the  Granite  State. 
The  mother  died  there  and  the  husband  again  mar- 
ried Luisa  Farnam  and  subsequently  came  to  Pike 
County.  III.,  making  the  entire  journey  overland. 
The  father  bought  a  tract  of  wild  land,  one  and  one- 
half  miles  south  of  the  village  of  Barr^-,  improved 
his  farm  and  resided  thereon  during  llie  remnant  of 
his  d.ays. 

Charles  Edson  Mason  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  he  accompanied  his  father  hither  and  he  con- 
tinued to  reside  with  him  until  1849,  when  he  was 
attacked  with  the  gold  fever  and  left  home  for  the 
far  West.  He  made  one  of  a  com  pan}'  who  crossed 
the  plains  and  mountains  to  California  with  ox 
teams,  braving  the  perils  of  such  a  journey  and  en- 
during its  tedium  because  of  the  bright  visions  of 
gold  that  lured  them  on.  Mr.  Mason  became  a 
miner,  but  remained  in  California  only  a  year,  be- 
ing recalled  by  the  death  of  his  father.  He  located 
on  the  homestead  which  he  occupied  until  called 
hence.  He  was  very  prosperous  at  the  time  of  his 
death  owning  a  tine  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
seventy  acres,  together  with  the  outlying  tracts  of 
land.  He  erected  a  substantial  brick  dwelling, 
frame  barns  and  other  farm  buildings,  and  sur- 
rounds himself  with  all  the  comforts  of  modern 
farm  life.  Mr.  Mason  was  a  man  of  Christian 
character,  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  and  al- 
though he  took  no  prominent  pait  in  public  affairs, 
was  well  known  as  a  stanch  and  reliable  citizen 
and  friend. 

By  her  first  marriage  the  lady  of  whom  we  write 
liecame  the  mother  of  two  children:  Asa  married 
Harriet  DeWell  and  has  two  children — Charles  C. 
and  Maude;  David  married  Maltie  Freeman  and 
had  two  children — John  and  Harry  H.,  the  latter  of 
whom  died  when  twenty-nine  years  old.  By  her 
second  marriage  Mrs.  Mason  became  the  mother  of 
five  children:  Henry  B.  married  Emma  Johnson; 
Willard    married    Lizzie  M.ayes  and  their    family 


consists  of  Nellie,  Edson.  Grace  and  Vienna;  Anna 
married  William  Lpne  and  dieil  August  17,  1886, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  leaving  one  son, 
Harold  Mason;  Lane  Charles  was  born  in  April, 
1856,  and  died  May  ,'55,  1873;  Edson  died  May  30, 
1879,  at  the  age  of  eleven  years. 

!>)EORGE  D.  MAYE.S  is  one  of  the  leading 
business  men  of  Barry  and  is  prominently 
identified  with  its  commercial  and  agricul 
tural  interests  and  with  its  public  life.  He  is  a 
lepresentative  of  an  old  pioneer  family  of  Pike 
Count}-  and  was  born  on  a  farm  three  miles  south- 
west of  the  present  site  of  Barry,  May  21,  1835. 

(Jardner  Wesley  Mayes,  the  father  of  him  of 
whom  we  write,  was  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  son 
of  William  Mayes,  who  was  a  farmer  in  that  State, 
where  he  resided  many  years.  He  finally  came  to 
Illinois  about  1827  and  was  among  the  earliest 
settlers  of  Pike  County.  He  bought  Government 
land  three  miles  west  of  Barry  and  resided  thereon 
till  he  sold  it  and  removed  to  Missouri.  After 
living  there  awhile  he  returned  to  this  county  and 
settled  in  Barry  Township,  bu}ir]g  land  close  to 
town  on  which  he  passed  the  remnant  of  his  days. 
His  wife  whose  maiden  name  was  Dodson,  died  on 
the  home  farm  one  year  before  his  death. 

The  father  of  our  subject  passed  his  early  life  in 
the  home  of  his  birth.  He  accompanied  his  parents 
to  this  part  of  the  country,  the  removal  from  Ten- 
nessee being  made  with  a  team.  He  had  been 
married  before  he  came  here  but  he  left  his  wife 
behind  as  he  thought  i)erhaps  he  wouhl  not  like  the 
country,  and  she  died  shortly  after  his  departure. 
He  returned  to  Tennessee  but  soon  came  back  to 
Illinois,  and  located  on  section  16,  of  what  is  now 
Iladley  Township.  Pike  County  was  then  very 
thinly  inhabited  and  there  was  not  a  dwelling 
where  Barry  or  Pittsfield  now  stands.  Deer,  wild 
turkey  and  all  kinds  of  game  were  plentiful  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  roamed  over  the  country 
where  are  now  busy  thriving  towns  and  beautiful 
well-improved  farms. 

Mr.  Mayes  built  a  log  cabin  and  in  that  humble 


reo 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


abode  his  son.  our  subject  was  born.  He  improved 
a  part  of  bis  land  and  resided  on  it  till  about  1^(37. 
He  then  sold  it  and  turning  his  attention  to  the 
mercantile  business  was  one  of  the  first  to  carry  it 
on  in  the  village  of  \Vorcester  or  Barrj-.  He  did 
not  continue  at  that  a  great  while  and  in  1843  he 
removed  to  Missouri  and  settled  in  what  is  uow 
Schuyler  County.  He  bought  laud  close  to  Lan- 
caster and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  part  of 
the  country.  That  section  was  not  well  suited  to 
his  tasle  and  in  1846  he  returned  to  this  State  and 
located  in  Barry  Township.  Ijuying  a  farm  near  the 
village.  lie  made  his  liome  on  that  until  1849  and 
then  started  with  eleven  others  for  California, 
making  the  entire  journej-  overland.  He  engaged 
in  mining  there  until  1852  and  in  the  fall  of  that 
year  came  back  to  this  part  of  the  country  and  re- 
sumed farming  between  Barry  and  Kinderhook, 
and  w.as  thus  activel3-  engaged  until  1863.  His 
next  venture  was  to  buy  a  steam  sawmill  close  to 
his  farm  and  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  lumber, 
which  he  carried  on  until  his  death  in  1867.  His 
wife  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Gates  and 
was  a  native  of  Alabama  died  while  he  was  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

He  of  whom  we  write  vyas  reared  mostly  in  Pike 
Count}'  with  the  exception  of  a  short  time  he  re- 
sided in  Missouri  with  his  [arenls.  He  was  four- 
teen years  old  when  his  father  went  to  California 
and  from  that  time  the  manl}',  self-reliant  lad 
gained  his  own  living.  The  first  winter  he  worked 
for  his  board  and  attended  school.  In  the  spring 
he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
from  his  uncle  and  followed  that  until  1868,  when 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  trade  of  a  millwright, 
and  in  1869  he  built  a  flouring  mill  with  others 
near  the  railroad  station  at  Barr}'.  That  mill  was 
operated  until  1885,  and  during  that  time  Mr. 
Mayes  had  established  a  feed  store  in  Barry  which 
w.as  under  the  management  of  his  son.  In  1885 
our  subject  erected  the  building  in  which  he  and 
his  son  conduct  their  business,  and  two  years  later 
he  added  a  line  stock  of  groceries.  The  firm  name 
of  himself  and  his  son  William  is  G.  D.  Mayes  & 
Son.  They  are  doing  a  fine  business  and  have  a 
fair  share  of  the  trade  of  the  place  besides  much 
outside.     Aside    from    the   grocery    business    Mr. 


Mayes  is  interested  in  farming  and  has  a  good 
farm  on  section  9,  Hadley  Township,  comprising 
one  hundred  and  twentj'  acres  of  most  excellent 
highl_y  cultivated  land. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  our  subject  and  Miss  Malinda 
Booth  were  united  in  marriage.  She  is  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  Andrew  and  Jane 
(Howard)  Booth,  pioneers  of  Pike  Count}'.  Three 
children  have  come  to  bless  the  wedded  life  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mayes,  whom  they  have  named  Charles 
E.,  William  H.  and  Elizabeth  J.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mayes  are  people  of  high  social  standing  in  their 
community,  possessing  in  a  large  degree  those  pleas- 
ant personal  qualities  that  attr.act  warm  friends. 
They  are  interested  in  religious  matters  and  are 
among  the  leading  members  of  the  IMethodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Mayes  is  a  sound  Demo- 
crat in  politics.  His  fellow  citizens,  realizing  that 
a  man  of  his  calibre,  stability  of  character  and 
business  enterprise  would  make  an  invaluable  civic 
official,  have  elected  him  to  a  jjosition  in  the  city 
council,  and  he  is  discharging  the  duties  thus  de- 
volving upon  him  with  true  public  spirit. 


^ -^-^-^ ^ 


\] 


AMES  WHITAKER.  This  world  is  so  full 
of  busy  men  and  women  striving  each  to 
win  the  goal  of  success  that  in  order  to  suc- 
ceed in  any  line  of  business  one  must  betlie 
forlnnatc  possessor  of  great  abilil}-  and  strength  of 
character.  That  is  a  pretty  poem  that  describes 
life  as  a  loom  and  men  and  women  as  weavers  and 
goes  on  to  tell  how  day  after  day  we  are  weaving 
a  web  and  that  the  actions  of  life  are  so  many 
threads  that  are  woven  in  to  form  the  whole  which 
sliall  be  revealed  to  view  only  at  the  last  day.  It 
is  said  that  tapestry  weavers  do  not  see  the  pattern 
until  it  is  completeil  and  are  oftentimes  surprised 
to  behold  the  bright  or  gloomy  scenes  that  their 
hands  have  woven. 

Our  subject  has  woven  a  bright  pattern  out  of 
his  life  and  has  included  in  the  brightness  of  the 
picture  a  desire  to  assist  his  fellow-men  to  make 
their  web  more  fceautiful.  He  is  an  agriculturist 
and  stockman  of  some  note  and  his  estate  on  section 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


761 


2,  Perry  Township,  Pike  County,  iMiilnaces  two 
liiuiilicd  acres  of  valuable  .aiul  liiglily  iniproveil 
lanil  and  on  tliis  place  lie  has  resided  for  the  past 
twenty-two  years.  He  has  recently  completed  a 
a  liandsoine  residence  and  excellent  buildings  about 
his  estate.  He  has  lived  in  this  county  since  1837 
with  the  exception  of  three  years  passed  in  DeWitt 
County,  having  first  come  here  with  his  father  when 
onl)'  ten  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Whitaker  was    born   in  New  York  State  in 
Qieen   County,  November  2.5,  1827,  being  the  son 
of  William   E.  and  Anna  (Du  Bois)  Wliitakcr,  na- 
tives of  New  York  State.     The  fatlier  was  of  Eng- 
lish  descent  and   grew  to   manliood   on  a  farm  in 
Ulster  County  ai;d  wliile  quite  a  young   man    re- 
moved to  Green  County  tiie  same  State  and  there 
married   our   subject's   mother  who  was  of  French 
descent.     After    their  marriage  they   lived   many 
years  in  tliat  place  and  finally  coming  to  Illinois  in 
1837    by   way  of    New    York    City,   Philadelphia, 
Pittsburg  and  St.  Louis  bv  way  of  the  Oliio,  Mis- 
sissifipi    and    Illinois    Rivers,    settling    at  once   in 
Pei-,-y  Township   upon   reaching  this  State   where 
they  entered   land  on  section  4.     The  mother  died 
August  29,  1865,  being  about  seventy  years  of  age 
and  the  father  passed  to  his  final  resting   place  in 
November,  1868,  being  nearly  eighty-four  years  of 
age.     The}-  were   both  good    Christian  people  £.nd 
members  of  the   Presbyterian    Church,    and   were 
nnieh    missed   by  children,  friends  and  neighbors. 
William     E.    Whitaker    was    well    and    favorably 
known,  a  stiong  Republican  and  Union  Labor  man. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch  had  only  limited  edu- 
cational advantages  owing  to  the  fact  that  schools 
in    those    days    were  not  as  well  disciplined  as   at 
the   present  time,  but   being  naturally  quick   and 
very  studious  he  has  gained  an  unusual  amount  of 
knowledge   both   by  reading  and   observation  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  best   and   shrewdest  busi- 
ness men  in  Perry  Township. 

IMr.  Whit:iker  was  first  married  in  this  township 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Jones  who  was  born  in  New 
York  State  November  2C,  1825,  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois wliile  quite  a  young  lady.  Her  parents  lived 
and  died  in  the  East.  Of  lier  union  with  our  sub- 
ject were  born  two  children,  and  she  died  in  Perry 
Township,  August  3,  1861,  after  being  an  invalid 


for  a  number  of  years.  She  was  a  devout  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Her  daughter  Ada 
died  soon  after  marrying  Theodore  Crawford  and 
the  other  chil.I,  William,  married  Miss  Jennie  Wil- 
kins  and  lives  south  of  Detroit,  Pike  County. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  next  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Harrington,  whose  birth  occurred  in  this 
townshij)  July  4,  1840,  being  the  daughter  of 
Martin  Harrington  whose  sketch  api)ears  elsewhere. 
Of  this  marriage  were  born  four  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  and  those  living  are  as  fol- 
lows: Charles;  Katie,  wife  of  Robert  C.  Hudelson, 
of  this  township,  and  Ester.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Whitaker  attend  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  which 
the  latter  is  a  member.  Mr.  Whitaker  belongs  to 
the  Republican  party  and  is  largely  instrumental 
in  bringing  about  the  prosperity  and  business  push 
of  this  place  and  is  held  in  high  esteem  l>y  his 
acquaintances. 


AMES  EARLEY.  He  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizens  of  Batchtown,  Calhoun 
County,  and  was  born  on  a  farm  about  six 
miles  from  Troj',  Lincoln  County,  Mo.,  April  6, 
1843.  Mr.  Earley's  father,  John  Earley.  was  also 
born  in  Lincoln  Countj-,  Mo.,  and  his  grandfather, 
James  Earle}',  w.as  a  native  of  Virginia.  One  of 
his  ancestors  several  times  removed  came  from 
Ireland,  where  he  was  born,  to  America  during  the 
Colonial  times,  settling  in  the  State  of  Virginia. 
Our  subject's  grandfather  removed  from  Virginia 
to  the  Territor}'  of  Missouri,  being  among  the  pio- 
neers of  Lincoln  Count}',  where  he  lived  and  in 
company  with  his  son  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. Mr.  Earley's  mother  was  previous  to  her 
marriage  Miss  Marj^  Holcomb.  She  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  and  since  sustaining  the  sad  loss  of  her 
beloved  husband  has  made  her  home  with  her 
eight  children. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  passed  his  youth  on  a 
farm,  receiving  a  common-school  education,  though 
the  schools  of  those  days  were  of  a  decidedly  prim- 
itive nature  and  gave  no  promise  of  reaching  their 


J 


I 


762 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


present  state  of  excellence.  He  made  iiis  home 
with  his  parents  up  to  the  time  of  his  raa-riage, 
and  then  commenced  life  for  himself  as  a  farmer. 
He  rented  land  in  Hardin,  Richvvoods  and  Gilead 
Precincts,  and  finally  purchased  a  farm  in  Rich- 
woods  Precinct.  He  continued  to  live  there  until 
1887,  at  which  time  he  sold  his  property  and  com- 
menced clerking  in  the  establishment  of  Gussten 
&  White  at  Patchlown. 

Ml-.  Earle.v  was  married  in  186G  to  Mrs.  Nanc}- 
A.  (Turner)  Ragsdale.  Tlieir  marriage  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  viz:  Alma  Lee;  John 
A.,  who  is  a  stu<lent  in  the  State  University  at 
Champaign,  111.;  and  .James  W.  The  family  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Earley  has  labored  faithfully  and  well,  and  has 
been  rewarded  by  the  financial  successes  that  have 
attended  liis  investments  and  also  by  the  hearty 
goodwill  of  all  who  know  him. 


f^  ARVEY  DUNN,  M.  D.,  who  is  practicing 
his  profession  in  Perr}-,  is  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  physicians  and 
^)  surgeons  of  Pike  Count}'.  He  was  born  in 
Geauga  Count\-,  Ohio,  in  1834.  His  father,  Harvey 
Dunn,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  was  of  Irish  ancestry.  The  family  came  to 
America  prior  to  the  Revolution  and  first  settled  in 
I'rovidcncc,  R.  I.  After  the  conflict  of  the  Col- 
onists with  the  mother  country  they  removed  to 
New  York  State. 

While  yet  in  his  boyhood  daj-s  the  fatlier  of  our 
subject  went  to  Indiana,  wheie  it  is  thought  he  at- 
tained his  majorit}'.  He  subsequently  took  up  his 
residence  in  Ohio,  and  vvas  engaged  for  a  time  as  a 
carpenter.  In  1837  he  came  to  Morgan  County, 
III.,  and  located  at  Jleredosia,  and  while  there  he 
took  a  contract  to  build  the  grade  for  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Wabash  Railroad,  his  work  extend- 
ing between  Mcredosia  and  the  bluffs,  a  distance 
of  aliout  seven  miles.  In  1840  he  came  to  Pike 
County,  and  established  himself  as  a  general  niei'- 
cliant  at  Clianibersburg.  He  subsequently  sold  out 
his    establishment    and   purchased   a   farm    in    the 


township  of  that  name,  upon  which  he  lived  till 
his  death  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  j'ears.  He  was 
a  prominent  man  in  all  local  matters,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1817. 
He  was  a  true  Democrat  in  politics,  and  he  held  at 
different  times  nearly  all  the  offices  of  his  township. 
Religiously  he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Angeline  Milligan.  She  was  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  came  of  the  old  Puritan  stock  that 
crossed  the  waters  to  this  country  in  1620.  She 
was  reared  in  the  old  Bay  State,  and  was  a  young 
woman  when  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Ohio, 
where  she  vvas  married.  Her  father  and  mother 
subsequently  came  with  her  and  her  husband  to 
j  Illinois,  and  died  in  this  State  when  full  of  years. 
Mrs.  Dunn  died  in  middle  life.  She  was  a  true 
type  of  a  Christian  woman,  and  a  devoted  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  She  left  three 
children — our  subject;  his  elder  brother  John,  a 
farmer  in  Davis  County,  Mo.;  and  his  younger 
brother,  George  H.,  who  is  engaged  as  a  farmer  in 
Chambersburg  Township. 

Our  sul)ject  was  carefully  reared,  and  was  given 
the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education.  He  attended 
McKendree  College,  and  while  studying  medicine 
was  also  engaged  in  teaching.  He  first  entered 
upon  his  professional  studies  under  the  tuition  of 
Dr.  Carrey,  now  deceased,  who  was  formerly  one 
of  the  leading  physicians  of  Perry.  He  then  en- 
tered Jefferson  Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  18,56.  After 
practicing  awhile  he  still  further  fitted  himself  for 
his  profcssion.al  duties  by  pursuing  a  course  of 
studies  in  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1867.  He  is  conceded 
to  be  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  profession 
now  practicing  in  the  county,  and  is  regarded  ns 
especially  skilled  in  surgery.  lie  has  practiced  at 
Perry  since  18.56,  when  he  entered  upon  his  pro- 
fessional career,  and  from  1860  till  1885  carried  on 
the  drug  business  as  well. 

The  Doctor  has  always  taken  a  genuine  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  county,  and  is  a  prominent  Re- 
publican of  this  section.  He  has  been  a  candidate 
for  count}'  and  State  offices,  and  on  such  occasions 


II 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


76ft 


has  always  polled  a  large  vote  thougli,  as  tlie 
Democrats  are  in  the  iimjority,  he  has  never  been 
elected  to  any  position.  He  is  a  niemhor  of  the 
Masonic  order,  belonging  to  Blue  Lodge  No.  i)5, 
and  to  Chapter  No.  13.5,  both  of  Perrj'. 

Dr.  Dunn  was  first  married,  in  this  township,  to 
Miss  Lou  Matthews,  who  was  a  bright  and  talented 
woman,  and  was  a  graduate  of  the  Jacksonville 
Female  College.  Their  pleasant  wedded  life  was 
terminated  within  a  year  of  their  marriage.  Our 
subject  was  a  second  time  married,  in  Barry  Town- 
ship, Miss  A.  F.  Roberts  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  and  reared  in  Harry,  was  well  educated, 
and  was  well  known  as  a  successful  teacher  for 
some  years  before  her  marriage.  She  comes  of  an 
old  and  honored  famil}'  of  Barry,  where  her  par- 
ents, who  had  settled  there  at  an  early  daj",  died. 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  seven  children 
living,  namely  :  Ella,  wife  of  Frank  Whittaker,  of 
Perr^-;  Fred,  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  in  the  class  of  '85,  now  practicing  his 
profession  at  Council  Grove.  Kan.;  Charles,  a  civil 
engineer,  practicing  his  profession  in  I'tah.  and  at 
present  at  work  on  the  Rapid  Transit  Railroad  in 
the  city  of  Salt  Lake;  B.  B.,  a  student  of  Rush 
Medical  CollCfCe.  Chicago,  from  which  he  will 
graduate  in  March,  1891;  Marian,  Lena  and  Mar- 
tha who  are  at  home  with  their  parents.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  are  prominent  in  all  social  and 
religious  movements  of  Perry,  and  are  among  the 
leading  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


IH^^ERNARD  "W.  FLINN.  This  country  fur- 
'L<^  nishes  many  striking  examples  of  the  "self- 
l)  made  man."  and  perhaps  nowhere  could  a 
■'  more  forcible  illustration  of  the  results  of 
unaided  efforts  be  found  than  in  the  life  of  this 
veteran  of  seventy-seven  years,  who  is  one  of  the 
best-known  citizens  of  the  county.  lie  has  wit- 
nessed many  changes  during  his  long  and  active 
existence  and  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the 
develoijnient  of  the  resources  of  the  community. 
Although  mainly  interested  in  his  private  duties, 
he  h.as  yet  found  time  to  serve  his  county  in  various 


olTicial  positions,  being  Road  Overseer,  Collector 
of  Taxes  for  five  years.  Trustee  of  Detroit  Town- 
ship four  years,  Sc'hool  Director  sixteen  years  and 
Supervisor  ten  years.  \\\  1879  he  was  elected 
Treasurer  of  Pike  County  and  served  for  tiiree 
years  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  public. 

Before  giving  the  facts  in  tiie  life  of  Mr.  Flinn, 
it  is  well  to  trace  his  ancestry  and  tiote  tiie  sur- 
roundings of  his  early  life.  His  fatlier,  .Jolin  Flinn, 
was  a  native  of  County  (ialwaj-,  Ireland,  and  was 
by  occupation  a  farmer.  Wisely  deeming  that 
America  offered  better  opportunities  to  a  poor  man 
than  Ireland,  he  came  to  this  country,  landing  in 
Philadelphia,  and  after  a  residence  there  of  several 
j-ears  proceeding  thence  to  Ohio  in  1819.  Fcjr  a 
number  of  years  Morgan  County  was  his  home, 
whence  he  removed  to  Muskingum  County,  where 
the  mother  passed  awaj'  in  1828.  Later  he  located 
in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  and  there  he  died  in 
1835. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Honor  Haverty  and  she  was  born  in  County 
Gahva^',  Ireland.  There  she  grew  to  womanhood 
and  there  also  was  united  in  marriage  with  John 
Flinn.  Religiously  the  parents  were  members  of 
the  Catholic  Church  and  to  them  were  born  nine 
children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  onl3' survivor. 
He  was  born  March  29,  1813,  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.. 
and  never  attended  school  a  single  d.ay  in  his  life. 
His  present  extended  knowledge  is  the  result  of  his 
private  stud}'  in  the  few  unoccupied  moments  of 
his  busy  career.  He  w.is  compelled  to  begin  life 
on  his  own  account  when  onl3'  thirteen  j-ears  of 
age,  his  first  work  being  carrying  brick  in  a  brick- 
yard;  for  tliis  he  received  the  princely  remunera- 
tion ol%i  per  month.  Later  he  eng.aged  in  hauling 
coal  and  delivering  it  in  Zanesville,  Ohio.  For  five 
years  he  served  an  a|)prcnticeship  at  the  trade  of  a 
tanner  in  the  same  city.  However,  he  concluded 
that  he  could  probably  be  more  successful  at  some 
other  calling  and  never  worked  a  day  in  this  busi- 
ness after  his  term  of  a|iprenticeship  had  exjiired. 

The  next  venture  of  Mr.  Flinn  was  in  the  livery 
business,  at  which  he  saved  some  money.  Purchas- 
ing a  team  and  wagon  he  traveled  over  the  State 
of   Ohio  engageil   in   the  wholesale  drug  business, 


7GC 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


selling  notions,  medicines,  etc.  He  was  thus  occu- 
pied from  1836  to  1840.  Then  removing  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  he  went  into  llie  lestaiiianl  business. 
At  the  expiration  of  eight  years  he  bought  out  the 
concern  and  managed  it  two  years.  In  1852  he 
came  west  to  St.  Louis,  engaging  in  the  same  busi- 
ness and  remaining  there  until  1856. 

Mr.  Flinn  dates  his  residence  in  Pike  County 
from  November,  1856.  He  bought  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 5,  where  he  resided  twenty-five  years,  improv- 
ing it  and  making  it  one  of  the  best-cultivated 
es'atps  in  the  county.  His  present  place  was  pur- 
chased in  1880,  and  the  beautiful  residence  was 
erected  the  same  year  at  a  cost  of  §3,500.  His  es- 
tate comprises  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
acres  all  in  one  body,  with  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  under  cultivation.  Here  he  car- 
ries on  mixed  farming  and  h-indles  standard 
slock.  For  over  fifteen  years  he  raised  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  wheat  annually. 

The  estimable  lady  who  has  for  many  years  been 
the  devoted  wife  of  Sir.  Flinn  was  in  her  youth 
Miss  Sarah  Brownell,  and  was  a  relative  of  the 
noted  Frank  Brownell,  who  avenged  the  death  of 
Col.  Ellsworth  in  the  early  part  of  the  Civil  War. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Van 
Wert)  Brownell,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Van 
Wert,  one  of  the  captors  of  Maj.  Andre  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War.  The  parents  were  natives  of 
Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  and  were  of  Quaker 
descent.  The  father  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  The  paternal  grandfather  was  Simeon 
Brownell,  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.  The 
maternal  grandparents  were  natives  of  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  were  agriculturists  liy  occupa- 
tion. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brownell  lived  and  died  in 
New  York  Slate,  he  passing  awaj-  in  1845  and  she 
in  1823.  Tliey  were  the  parents  of  five  children, 
all  living.  One  memorable  fact  in  the  family  rec- 
ord of  the  Brownells  was  their  family  reunion  in 
1889  in  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Flinn  was  born  September  30,  1821,  and 
received  a  good  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  the  district,  later  attending  the  Quaker  Academy 
at  .Jamestown,  N.  Y.  Prior  to  her  marriage  she 
taught  school  in  New  York  State,  and  in  1838  re- 
moved to  the  Buckeye  State,  where  slio  was  married 


February  22,  1840.      Mr.   and  Mrs.  Flinn  are  thoj 
parents  of  nine    children,   eight  of   whom  lived  tol 
j-ears  of  maturit}'.     Four  are  now  living  and  their* 
record  is  as  follows:     James  was  born  January  22,. 
1842  and  married  Charlotte  Stevens,  who  bore  him ' 
two  children.     They  reside  in  Pana,  111.    Eslie  wasj 
born  September  10,  1852,  and  married  James  Dim^ 
mitt  and  to  them   have   been    born  eight  childrenJ 
Thej^  live  in  Newburg  Township,  Pike  County,  111.' 
Louis  H.  was  born   March  26,  1858,  and  makes  his| 
home  in    Watertown,    Mass.       His    wife    bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Jeannette   Little,   and  they  have 
one  child.     Charles   was  born   October   26,   I860, 
and  lives   at   home.      The  following  children  are 
deceased :  Marj-  J.  was  the  wife  of  Warren  Stevens 
and  died  in    1879,   leaving  six   children.     Luvilla 
was  the  wife  of  Oscar  Hitchcock  and  passed  away 
in  1877.     Cornelia   married   Ralph   Page  and  died 
in  January,  1890,  leaving   three    children.     Frank 
passed  from  earth  in  April,  1876. 

Our  subject  and  his  excellent  wife  attend  the 
different  churches  of  the  community  and  there  is 
no  church  within  ten  miles  of  their  home  to  which 
Mr.  Flinn  has  not  been  a  liberal  contributor. 
Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independrnt  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  of  Milton,  and  is  the  oldest  mem- 
ber of  tliat  organization  in  Pike  County.  He  was 
initiated  in  1842  in  Cincinnati  Lodge  No.  3,  also 
in  Wildey  Encampment  No.  1.  He  has  been 
through  the  various  Chairs  to  Vice-Grand.  Polit- 
ically he  has  always  taken  a  great  interest  in 
political  matters  and  is  an  enthusiastic  believer  in 
the  princii>les  of  the  Democratic  party.  He  cast 
his  first  vote  for  Van  Buren,  and  feels  proufi  of  the 
fact  that  he  shook  hands  with  the  illustrious  presi- 
dent. Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison.  When  Han- 
cock was  nominated  our  subject  was  at  the 
Cincinnati  Convention,  and  he  attended  the  inaug- 
uration of  Grover  Cleveland. 

Notwithstanding  their  advanced  age  Mr.  Flinn 
and  his  excellent  wife  are  in  good  health  and  quite 
active.  She  has  a  very  fine  collection  of  geological 
specimens  which  she  has  collected  with  great  care. 
Mr.  F"'linn,  in  company  with  William  Turnbull  and 
the  Rev.  James  P.  Dimmitt,  cleared  off  some  land 
and  made  preparations  for  the  first  old  settlers' 
meeting  of   Pike  and    Calhoun  Counties.     It  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


767 


held  onc-fourlh  (if  a  mile  Sdulh  of  our  subject's 
residence.  Mr.  Fiinn  is  a  man  of  uiiljounded  popu- 
larity and  has  a  wide  name  for  honesty,  integrity 
and  uprightness.  It  is  tlie  hope  of  their  many 
friends  that  he  and  his  good  wife  may  survive  for 
many  years,  in  full  possession  of  their  mental  and 
physical  endowments.  The  readers  of  this  volume 
will  be  pleased  to  notice  on  another  page  a  litho- 
graphic portrait  of  Mr.  Fiinn. 


^  AMES  II.  STILWELL  was  for  many  years  a 
prominent  and  well-known  river  man.  For 
nearly  thirty  years  prior  to  his  death  he  made 
his  home  in  Pearl  Township,  Pike  County, 
where  he  owned  a  large  and  finel}-  improved  estate 
and  was  numbered  among  the  solid  moneyed  men 
of  his  community.  lie  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pa.,  March  7,  182'2  and  was  a  son  of  Abra- 
ham and  pjlizabeth  (Stilwell)  Stilwell.  natives  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Abraham  Stilwell  worked  in  a  distillery  in  his 
native  State  until  1823,  when  be  removed  to  Steub- 
enville,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  onl^'  a  short 
time  however.  He  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and 
died  there  in  1820.  He  left  three  sons  and  two 
daughters.  His  widow  was  twice  married  after  his 
decease  and   died   at  Greencastle,   Ind. 

Our  worthy  subject  passed  a  part  of  his  early 
life  In  Steubenville,  Ohio,  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  old  when  he  went  on  the  river  to  earn  a  liveli- 
hood steamboating  and  ran  from  Cincinnati  to  New 
Oilcans.  His  mother  having  moved  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  he  made  that  city  his  home.  He  continued 
on  the  river  until  the  war  broke  out.  In  the 
spring  of  1857  he  moved  to  St.  Louis,  but  his  wife 
not  liking  that  city,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he 
came  to  Pearl  Township,  where  he  purchased  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  all  in  timb"r 
and  moved  his  family  on  to  the  place.  While  he 
continued  in  his  former  business  his  wife,  who  is  a 
woman  of  marked  energj-  of  character  and  great 
ca|)ability,  superintended  the  im[)rovemcnt  of  the 
land. 

Mr.  Stilwell   continued    on    the    river   until    the 


blockade  from  St.  Louis  to  New  Orleans  during  the 
Rebellion.  He  ran  on  the  Illinois  River,  acting  as 
superintendent  most  of  the  time.  He  was  shrewd 
and  careful  in  the  investment  of  the  money  he  made 
and  in  time  he  accumulated  a  valuable  property.  At 
the  time  of  his  death  he  owned  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Pearl  Township  and  a  like 
amount  of  timber  in  Ripley  County,  Mo.  He  was 
the  architect  of  his  own  fortune,  having  started 
out  in  life  with  no  other  capital  than  a  sound  mind 
in  a  sound  body. 

September  10,  1875,  his  family  was  called  upon 
to  mourn  his  death.  He  was  in  every  sense  of  the 
word  a  true  man,  was  upright  and  square  in  all  his 
dealings  and  was  faithful  in  all  the  relations  of  life 
in  which  he  was  placed.  He  was  held  in  great  re- 
spect by  the  entire  community  and  had  contributed 
his  quota  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  township.  He 
was  an  honorable  and  prominent  member  of  the 
Masonic  fratei-nity. 

Mr.  Stilwell  and  Miss  Catherine  A.  Lewis  were 
married  January  25,  1847.  Mrs.  Stilwell  was  born 
in  Wales  in  the  month  of  M.ay,  1823.  Her  parents, 
Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (Robert)  Lewis,  were  like- 
wise natives  of  that  country.  They  had  born  to 
them  ten  children,  of  whom  three  sons  and  four 
daughters  grew  tomaturit3'.  Mrs.  Stilwell's  mother 
died  in  Wales  and  her  father  subsequently  married 
Ann  Griffith  who  bore  him  eight  children,  four 
of  whom  grew  to  maturity'.  The  second  wife 
had  two  sons  by  a  former  husband  named  Evans, 
who  live  in  Utica,  N.  Y.  After  the  death  of  his 
second  wife  Mr.  Lewis  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1 844,  and  settled  in  .lefferson  County,  Pa.  where  he 
lived  until  his  death  in  the  month  of  June,  1850. 
He  brought  all  of  his  second  wife's  children  to  this 
country  with  him  and  three  of  his  first  wife's  chil- 
dren— John,  P^van  and  Catherine  A.  John  died  in 
New  York  ami  Evan  in  Jefferson  County,  Pa.,  both 
leaving  families.  Mr.  Lewis  .served  in  the  British 
army.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Wesleyan  Church 
of  Wales. 

Mrs.  Stilwell  removed  to  Pearl  in  188C,  and  is 
still  a  resident  of  that  village.  In  her  the  Baptist 
Church  has  one  of  its  most  faithful  and  devoted 
members  who  is  active  in  all  Christian  work.  By 
her  marriage  to  our  subject  she  became  the  mother 


i6S 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


of  nine  children  of  whom  five  were  reared  to  ma- 
turity as  follows:  Lewis  A.,  James  H.,  Cliarles  A.,  a 
resident  of  Pueblo,  Col.;  Kate,  wife  of  William 
Meisenbaoh;  and  George  F.,  a  resident  of  Missouri. 
Lewis  A.  was  killed  by  the  Ku-Klux  in  Ripley 
County,  Mo.,  where  he  was  living  on  bis  father's 
farm.  He  was  a  fine  man  in  every  respect,  possessing 
a  high  character  and  a  progressive  spirit.  He  was 
quite  prominent  and  active  in  an  effort  to  enlighten 
the  people  and  improve  their  morals  and  for  that  he 
was  murdered,  leaving  a  wife  and  family.  He  had 
borne  an  honorable  part  in  the  war  and  after  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  served  nine  months 
in  the  array  and  later  served  a  year  as  a  member  of 
the  Twenty-eighth  Illinois  Regiment. 


*^ 


-t.— 


ENRY  C.  nUDP:LSON.  There  is  mueli  of 
interest  in  tjie  lives  of  those  men  who  in 
winning  success  and  fame  for  themselves 
also  add  to  the  glory  of  nation,  State  and 
county.  There  are  few  works  that  command  more 
general  attention  than  is  bestowed  upon  an  Album 
that  relates  the  incidents  connected  with  the  ca- 
reers of  the  representative  men  of  each  count}'. 

Mr.  Hudelson  was  ushered  into  this  world  in 
Chambersburg  Township,  Pike  County,  November 
7,  1857,  being  the  son  of  AVilliam  and  Mary  A. 
(Dickenson)  Hudelson,  natives  of  Kentucky  and 
Virginia  respectively.  The  father  passed  his  youth 
in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen 
concluded  to  start  life  on  his  own  accord  and  re- 
moved '.o  Illinois,  settling  first  in  Morgan  County. 
He  there  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  at  a  later  date  was  married  to 
Miss  A.  Dickenson,  who  was  quite  young  when  she 
came  to  Morgan  County  from  Virginia.  To  their 
union  were  born  two  sons  and  five  daughters,  and 
the  vvife  died  while  in  the  prime  of  life. 

Our  subject  married  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Carpenter, 
a  native  of  Kentucky  and  widow  of  Tiiman  Car- 
penter, a  native  of  the  same  Stale.  She  had  three 
children  by  her  first  husband,  two  of  whom  are 
still  living.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  came  to  Pike 
County  at  an  early  date,  settling  in  Chambersburg 


Township,  where  they  had  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land.  They  next  moved  to  Perry  Town- 
ship, where  they  purchased  one  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  12. 

Air.  Hudelson  was  re.ared  to  manhood  in  his 
native  count}-  and  received  his  earlj'  education 
in  Perry  Township.  He  married  Miss  Katie  Brook, 
a  native  of  Perry  Township,  being  born  in  1860, 
and  the  daughter  of  George  and  Rachel  (Cheno- 
wetli)  Brook,  who  at  this  time  were  residents  of 
Iliawiitha,  Kan.  To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have 
been  born  five  children,  viz:  Harry,  Mary,  Robert. 
George  T.  and  an  infant.  Both  husband  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  the 
former  is  a  mendjer  of  the  Repui)lican  partj-.  He 
is  a  wide-awake,  active  man  who  takes  much  inter- 
est in  both  national  and  local  affairs  and  has  many 
warm  personal  friends  throughout  this  commu- 
nity. He  is  a  thoroughly  practical  and  a  very  thrifty 
farmer  and  endeavors  to  cultivate  his  ground  after 
the  most  ap[troved  methods  of  farming.  He  is 
also  largely  engaged  in  stock-raising  and  has  an  ex- 
cellent standing  in  commercial  circles,  where  his 
shrewd  judgment  and  ready  wit  are  highly  appre- 
ciated. 


sHOMAS  B.  ELLIS,  a  progressive  and  en- 
terprising farmer  of  Detroit  Township,  Pike 
County,  residing  on  section  16,  has  passed 
almost  his  entire  life  in  this  county.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  one  of  its  best  farms,  comprising  two 
hundred  and  fifty-six  acres,  one  hund''ed  and  seven 
of  which  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Di- 
vided into  fields  of  convenient  size  and  supplied 
with  all  the  improvements  and  accessories  of  a 
model  farm  of  the  nineteenth  century,  it  denotes 
the  thrift  and  industry  of  the  owner  whose  excel- 
lent business  facilities  have  made  him  a  prosperous 
citizen. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  born  in  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  November 
8,  1832,  and  is  of  English  descent.  His  parents, 
Thomas  and  Elizabeth  (Brooks)  Ellis,  were  natives 
of  Oxfordshire,  England,  the  former  born  in  180H. 
the  latter  in  1804.  They  were  married  in  that 
country  and   in  1832  boarded  an  American   bound 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


769 


vessel  which  in  course  of  time  dropped  .inchor  in 
tlie  harbor  of  New  York.  They  located  in  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y.,  and  Mr.  KUis  helped  to  pnt  in  the  flrsl 
locks  in  the  canal  at  that  place.  After  three  j-ears' 
residence  in  the  Empire  State,  he  came  to  Pike 
Connty,  111.,  landing  at  Piiillips  Ferry.  Until  the 
autumn  of  tiie  following  year  the  fftraily  resided  at 
various  (ilaces,  when  lie  purchased  the  farm  on 
wliich  our  subject  now  resides.  It  was  then  but 
partially  improved  and  to  its  cultivation  he  de- 
voted his  energies  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  18(57.  His  wife  died  in  1888.  In  early  life 
they  were  followers  of  the  Episcopalian  faith  but 
in  later  years  became  memljers  of  tiie  Methodist 
Church.  Ho  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  served 
as  School  Director  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
educational  afifaii-s.  The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ellis  numbered  seven  chihiren,  five  of  whom  are 
now  living,  namely:  Thomas  B.,  John,  Peter, 
.Tames  W.  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Blizzard.  Mrs. 
Harriet  Stoner  and  Mrs.  Ellen  Wade  are  deceased. 

Ill  an  old  log  schoolhouse  of  Detroit  Township, 
Thomas  Ellis  familiarized  himself  with  the  rudi- 
ments of  an  English  education.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until 
twenty-one  3-ears  of  age,  when  he  began  life  for 
limself  by  renting  the  old  jilace  which  he  operatcil 
for  two  j'ears.  His  father  then  purchased  a  farm 
on  section  15,  Detroit  Township,  to  the  cultivation 
of  which  he  devoted  his  energies  with  excellent 
success  from  1857  until  1883,  when  he  returned  to 
the  old  homestead. 

In  1873,  Mr.  Ellis  led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss 
Fannie,  daughter  of  Judge  John  W.  Allen,  of  Mil- 
ton, whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
She  w.as  born  February  5,  1817,  in  Saline  County, 
Mo.,  and  after  completing  her  education  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching  in  Detroit  Township  and 
in  the  primary  department  of  the  Milton  schools. 
Slie  is  a  lady  of  refinement  and  culture  who  with 
her  husband  moves  in  the  best  circles  of  society  to 
which  worth  is  the  means  of  entrance.  They  have 
an  interesting  family  of  seven  children:  Thomas 
IL,  born  July  11,  1874;  John  A.,  October  11, 1875; 
Charles  I.,  April  20,  1877;  Elizabeth,  August  31, 
1870;  Louisa,  July  2,  1881  ;  Arthur  C,  September 
21,  1883;  and    Richard    M.,  August  1,  1885.     The 


parents  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Church,  of 
Detroit.  Their  home  is  a  fine  brick  residence, 
tastefully  furnished,  where  their  friends  love  to 
gather  as  it  is  the  abode  of  hospitality. 

The  war  record  of  Mr.  Ellis  covers  a  period  of 
three  years.  He  enlisted  in  Company  C,  Ninety- 
ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  participated  in  a  num- 
ber of  important  engagements,  including  the  battle 
of  Magnolia  Hill,  and  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  after 
which  he  went  with  his  command  to  New  Orleans, 
where  his  company  served  as  provost  guards  for  a 
lime.  Tliey  were  mounted  during  a  scouting  ex- 
pedition in  Texas,  in  18G4.  in  which  he  was  taken 
prisoner  and  sent  to  Cam|)  Ford,  in  Tyler,  Tex., 
but  he  underwent  none  of  the  hard  treatment  which 
many  of  the  Union  prisoners  bore.  After  six 
months  he  was  exchanged  and  returned  to  his  regi- 
ment on  the  22d  of  July.  Subsequently  he  partic- 
ipated in  the  capture  of  Spanish  Fort,  after  which 
being  afflicted  with  sore  e^'es  lie  was  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  New  Orleans,  thence  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia and  later  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  dis- 
charged July  13,  18C5.  Since  his  return  home  he 
has  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  farming  and 
stock-raising,  becoming  one  of  the  substantial  citi- 
zens of  Detroit  Township.  He  is  a  member  )f 
Benjamin  Moore  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Detroit,  in 
which  he  has  held  several  offices  and  in  politics  is 
a  stalwart  Republican.  He  takes  considerable  in- 
terest in  political  affairs  and  is  a  well-informed  man 
on  all  public  questions.  Genial  by  nature,  cour- 
teous and  gentlemanly  he  has  won  man3'  friends 
and  himself  and  wife  are  held  in  high  regard 
throughout  the  community. 

^=^EORGE  SEABORN.  The  .Seaborn  family 
III  ,_-,  came  to  America  about  the  lime  of  the 
^^ijj  Revolutionary  War;  our  subject's  grand- 
father—  Robert  Seaborn —settled  herewith  his  wife 
making  his  home  in  the  .State  of  Penns^dvania  and 
there  he  and  his  wife  died  after  attaining  old  age. 
They  were  of  English  descent  and  were  in  very 
comfortable  circumstances.  To  their  marriage  was 
born  a    large  family   of  children,  of  whom  Robert 


770 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Jr.  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the  youngest. 
He  received  his  educaliou  in  Philadelphia  and  had 
the  misfortune  to  be  deprived  of  the  love  and  pro- 
tection of  his  father  while  a  ver}'  small  boj',  and 
after  that  sad  event  continued  to  reside  with  his 
mother  and  the  other  children  until  he  reached 
man's  estate.  He  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  and 
when  he  attained  his  twentj'-tirst  birthday  he  re- 
moved to  Boston  to  pursue  his  chosen  trade,  and 
while  there  married  Miss  Caroline  Beckford,  a  na- 
tive of  the  Bay  State,  and  daughter  of  a  successful 
harness-maker  of  Boston.  After  the  birth  of  their 
fir.=t  child,  Robert  Seaborn,  Jr.,  accompanied  by 
his  wife  removed  to  Preble  County,  Ohio,  being 
among  the  pioneers  of  tliat  place. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Preble  Country.  Novem- 
ber 30,  1830,  and  was  only  six  months  of  age  when 
the  family  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Perry 
Township,  Pike  County.  Here,  too,  the  country 
was  in  a  wild  and  uncultivated  condition  and  after 
purchasing  some  good  land  the  father  started  to 
build  up  a  comfortable  home  and  a  profitable  bus- 
iness. The  father  died  in  Griggsville  Township,  in 
April,  1880,  when  he  was  in  his  seventy-sixth  year. 
The  mother  breathed  her  last  in  1839  while  in  the 
prime  of  life  and  her  husband  was  again  married — 
the  second  wife  living  at  present  with  her  son 
William. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  manhood  in 
this  township,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
months  in  Morgan  Count}'  has  continued  to  reside 
here  since  1852,  in  which  year  he  purchased  one 
hundred  acres  of  land.  He  has  added  to  this 
property  from  time  to  time  until  at  this  writing  he 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  and  has  one  of 
the  finest  farms  in  Fairraount  Township  and  an 
elegant  brick  residence,  his  place  being  widely 
known  as  Plain  View  Farm.  He  also  owns  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  Buck  Horn 
Township,  Brown  County,  and  while  he  came  here  a 
poor  boy,  he  now  ranks  among  the  wealthy  and 
influential  men  of  this  township. 

Mr.  Seaborn  married  in  this  township  Miss  Sarah 
Orr,  who  was  born  in  Deersville,  Harrison  County, 
Ohio,  December  6,  1831.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
John  and  Aria  (Moore)  Orr,  natives  of  the  State  of 
Ohio.     Her  parents   came  to    Illinois    at    an   early    I 


date,  and  both  died  at  this  place,  Mr.  Orr  when 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  Mrs.  Orr  after  reaching 
her  fiftieth  year.  Jlrs.  Seaborn  is  the  mother  of 
six  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  viz: 
Charles,  who  married  and  died  leaving  no  children; 
Mar}-,  wife  of  Thomas  Osborn  and  a  resident  of  Mc- 
Pherson  County,  Kansas;  John,  who  married  Miss 
Lena  Round,  and  lives  in  this  township;  George, 
who  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Morrell  and  lives  in 
Buck  Horn  Township,  Brown  County;  Julia,  wife 
of  Douglas  Bratton,  a  farmer  of  Buck  Horn  Town- 
shi|);  and  Robert,  who  lives  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents and  attends  to  part  of  the  farm  duties. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seaborn  are  both  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Republican  part}-.  His  influence  is  great  and  his 
prosperity  is  due  entirely  to  his  own  exertions  and 
a  superior  amount  of  will  power  and  menial 
ability. 


-^ 


-jfaJK^ 


■^ 


^^EORGE  A.  WILLIABIS,  M.  D.,  a  promi- 
l||  (^p  nent  and  well-known  physician  of  Calhoun 
^g^  County,  practicing  his  profession  in  the  city 
of  iLardin  is  also  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  pub- 
lic and  political  life  of  this  part  of  Illinois.  He  is 
a  native-born  citizen  of  this  State,  Carrollton, 
Greene  County,  the  place  of  his  birth  and  Jul}'  12, 
1841,  the  date  thereof.  He  is  a  son  of  Yirgiiiius 
F.  Williams,  a  native  of  Petersburg,  Va.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject  is  thought  to  have 
been  a  native  of  that  State.  He  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable education  and  going  from  Virginia  to 
Kentucky  was  a  pioneer  teacher  in  the  latter  State 
where  he  died.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Davies,  was  a  relative  of  President  Davies,  of 
Princeton  College.  She  was  a  woman  of  superior 
intellect  ami  much  culture  and  was  a  poetess.  The 
father  of  our  subject  has  in  his  possession  a  book  of 
poems  written  by  her. 

Virginius  F.  Williams  was  reared  in  Virginia 
and  was  a  young  man  when  he  went  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  at  Hop- 
kinsville.  He  came  from  Kentucky  to  Illinois  about 
1840  and  was  a  pioneer  of  Carrollton  which  at  that 
time  was   sparsely   settled.     There   were    then   no 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


71 


railroads  in  Illinois  and  Alton  was  the  principal 
market  for  some  years.  Mr.  Williams  established 
a  smithy  at  Carrollton  and  carried  on  his  trade  tlice 
for  about  thirty-five  years.  He  came  to  this  connty 
in  1S80  and  makes  his  home  with  his  son.  Dr.  !'>  II. 
Williams,  in  Summit  Grove. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  in  early  manhood  to 
Ellen  Wood,  a  native  of  Madison  Connty,  this 
State  and  a  daughter  of  Young  and  Mary  Woodi 
pioneers  of  that  part  of  Illinois.  Her  father  was  a 
farnier  and  he  was  very  prominent  in  public  life. 
He  was  Sheriff  of  Madison  County  when  it  included 
frreene  and  Jersey  Counties.  He  spent  his  last 
years  iu  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  and  his  wife 
both  fell  victims  to  the  cholera  The  mother  of 
onr  subject  dieil  in  Carrollton  in  1873.  Her  mar- 
rinsje  was  blessed  l>y  the  birth  of  four  children,  as 
follows:  George  A.;  Buford  H..  a  physician  resid- 
ing at  Summit  Grove;  Lynn  W.,  now  dece.ised  ;and 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Mason,  of  Barr's  Store, 
Macoupin  County. 

Dr.  Williams,  of  this  sketch,  was  reared  aud 
educated  in  Carrollton.  He  attended  Carrollton 
Academy  where  he  pursued  a  fine  course  of  study 
and  thus  laid  a  good  foundation  for  his  medical 
education.  He  commenced  to  read  medicine  with 
Dr.  C.  Armstrong,  of  Carrollton,  and  was  under 
his  instruction  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  attended  St.  Louis  INIedical  College. 
He  subsequently  located  at  Athensviile,  Greene 
County,  III.,  but  did  not  remain  there  long,  how- 
ever, going  from  that  place  to  East  Panther  Creek, 
in  this  county  and  for  one  year  lived  at  the  resi- 
dence of  John  S.  Lane.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
time  he  resumed  his  studies  in  the  St.  Louis  Med- 
ical College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  March 
2.  1865.  After  leaving  college  he  opened  an 
office  at  Summit  Grove  where  he  was  in  active 
practice  until  1879  when  he  came  to  Hardin  and 
has  since  pursued  his  vocation  here  with  remarka- 
ble success.  He  has  won  a  fine  lepulalion  for  skill 
and  knowledge  of  his  profession  and  stands  among 
the  first  |)hysicians  of  the  county. 

Dr.  Williams  and  Miss  Mattie  Deen  were  mar- 
ried July  28,  1872.  and  they  have  three  ciiildren 
living — Perry  B.,  J.  Arthur  and  Rush  Deen.  Mrs. 
Williams  is  a  most  estimable  lady  and  understands 


well  the  ail  of  making  Lome  pleasant  and  attrac- 
tive not  only  to  outside  friends  but  to  Its  inmates. 
She  possesses  a  fine  Christian  character  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mrs. 
Williams  is  a  native  of  this  county,  having  been 
born  near  Summit  Grove  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Eliza  J.  I^een.  pioneers  of  Calhoun 
County. 

The  Doctor  is  one  of  the  Icailing  politicians  of 
this  part  of  the  State,  standing  high  in  the  councils 
of  the  Republicans  as  (.'hairman  of  the  Central 
Committee  of  Calhoun  Count}-  and  is  one  of  the 
foremost  to  advance  every  enterprise  for  public 
imiirovements  He  has  been  Public  Administrator 
of  this  county,  appointed  to  that  ollice  by  Gov. 
1  CuUom  and  lie  has  served  two  terms  as  a  member  of 
the  Town  Board.  His  popularity  is  deserved,  as 
professionally  and  as  a  man  and  a  citizen  his  char- 
acter is  irreproachable  and  ho  is  kind  and  consider- 
ate in  his  relations  with  ail  with  whom  he  comes  iu 
contact.  Socially ,  he  belongs  to  Hardin  Lodge  No. 
792,  A.  F.  <fe  A.  M.,  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  also. 


1  LIZA  MOREV  is  well  deserving  of  re|)re- 
f^  sentation  in  this  Ai.r.i'.M  as  one  of  the  hon- 
ored women  who  bore  a  i)art  in  the  pioneer 
scenes  which  led  to  the  present  high  development 
of  Pike  County.  She  came  here  in  her  early  girl- 
hood and  grew  to  womanhood  under  circumstances 
which  strengthened  the  sturdy  virtues  of  industry, 
sincerit}-  and  neigliborly  kindness  that  have  markeil 
her  course  tliiough  life.  She  occupies  an  improved 
and  well  cultivated  farm  on  section  17,  Pleasant 
Vale  Township.  Pike  County,  and  in  the  manage- 
u;ent  of  the  estate  and  the  business  affairs  which 
she  was  called  upon  to  settle  upon  the  demise  of 
her  husband  has  manifested  as  much  ability  and 
discrimination  as  any  man  iu  the  community. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky., 
Januaiy  24,  182-1,  her  parents  being  William  and 
Margaret  (Bramble)  Crump.  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  Virginia  and  her  mother  of  Maryland  and 
their  marriage  took  place  in   Kentucky.     They  are 


n 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


numbered  among  the  early  settlers  of  Pijfe  County, 
111.,  lo  wliieli  tbey  came  early  in  the  '30s.  Their 
family  consists  of  two  sons  and  seven  daughters, 
she  of  whom  we  write  being  the  third  child.  Mrs. 
Morey  was  about  nine  j'ears  old  when  brought 
hither.  She  continued  her  education  in  the  pioneer 
schools, having  before  her  departure  from  her  native 
State  acquired  a  considerable  amount  of  knowledge. 

In  1844  the  marriage  riles  were  celebrated  be- 
tween Joel  Morey  and  Eliza  Crump  who  at  once 
set  up  their  home  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  the 
widow.  Mr.  Morey  was  born  in  the  Empire  State 
but  came  to  Pike  County'.  III.,  when  but  a  child 
and  was  reared  amid  the  surroundings  of  a  sparsely 
settled  district,  receiving  his  education  in  the  log 
schoolhouses  of  that  time.  He  developed  a  charac- 
ter that  gained  the  high  respect  of  all  who  knew 
him  and  displayed  such  energy  and  capacity  in 
affairs  as  U>  lead  to  his  election  to  the  offices  of 
Township  Trustee  and  School  Director.  He  was  a 
stanch  Republican  and  during  the  Civil  War  did 
all  that  could  be  done  by  one  who  was  obliged 
to  remain  at  home  on  account  of  ill  health  to  aid 
in  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  entered  into 
rest  October  20,  1807,  deeply  regretted  by  a  host 
of  friends. 

The  estate  occupied  by  Mrs.  Morey  consists  of 
sixty  .acres  of  excellent  land  so  thoroughly  tilled  as 
lo  produce  a  comfortable  income,  sufficient  to  in- 
sure her  against  want  in  her  declining  jears.  She 
is  surrounded  by  friends  and  her  surviving  children 
are  happily  married  and  settled  within  the.  county. 
These  are  S;uah  A.,  Nelson  and  William,  the 
former  being  the  wife  of  George  Dntcher.  Mrs. 
Morey  has  been  bereft  of  two  sons — Luther  and 
Isaac. 


=s== 


W»  ILLIAM  S.  FREEMAN.  The  chief  claim 
of  this  gentleman  to  the  consideralion  of 
his  fellow-men  lies  in  his  work  as  a  teacher. 
He  began  his  i)edagogical  labors  when  but  sixteen 
3'ears  old  and  during  the  ensuing  ten  j'ears  taught 
both  summer  and  winter.  Altogether  his  work  as 
an  instructor  has  extended  over  a  period  of  twenty- 
one  years,  and  with   one  exception    no   teacher  in 


Pike  County  has  a  record  of  as  many  months  de- 
voted to  the  profession.  His  home  is  in  Pleasant 
Hill  Township,  where  he  bought  land  in  1875  and 
has  been  devoting  a  part  of  his  attention  to  the 
agricultural  development  of  this  section. 

Mr.  Freeman  was  born  at  Crab  Orchard,  Ky., 
June  9,  1851,  but  in  his  early  childhood  was 
brought  to  this  State  and  county.  He  was  reared 
in  Martinsburg,  receiving  his  education  in  the 
school  there  and  in  those  of  Perry  and  Pittsfield. 
His  father  combined  the  occupations  of  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer  and  when  but  ten  years  old  our  subject 
began  working  on  the  farm  during  the  summer 
months.  When  fourteen  years  old  he  became  crip- 
pled in  the  knee  and  was  obliged  to  turn  his  at- 
tention to  some  occupation  which  would  call  for 
less  physical  strength.  His  mental  ability  and  love 
of  learning  made  the  choice  an  easy  one  and  he  has 
done  good  work  in  the  educational  field.  His  clear 
understanding  and  love  of  justice  have  been  rec- 
ognized by  his  fellow-citizens  who  have  bestowed 
upon  him  the  office  o(  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  which 
he  is  now  serving  his  third  term.  He  is  one  of  the 
leaders  in  the  local  work  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  a  member  of  the  County  Central  Committee. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Christian  (  hurch 
since  he  was  twenty-two  years  old  and  his  wife  has 
been  identified  with  the  same  organization  for  six- 
teen jears. 

The  intelligent  and  capable  woman  who  presides 
over  the  household  affairs  of  our  subject  became 
his  wife  April  8,1874.  She  had  previously  been 
known  as  Harriet  A.  Barton,  was  born  in  the  town- 
ship in  which  she  now  lives  .and  is  a  daughter  of 
Uriah  and  Mary  J.  (Dodds)  Barton,  who  came 
from  Botetourt  County,  Va.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Free- 
man have  a  family  of  seven  children,  named  re- 
spectively Ida  A.,  Flora  M.,  Clara  M.,  Chester  N., 
Stephen  N.,  Frances  A.  and  Alice. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Thomas  and  Susan  I.  (Stone)  Freeman,  the  former 
a  native  of  Virginia  and  presumal)!^-  of  English 
origin,  as  was  his  wife.  About  1824  they  became 
residents  in  Pulaski  County,  Ky.,  where  Grand- 
father Freeman  died  about  1880,  having  lived  to  be 
more  than  ninety  years  old.  Grandmother  Free- 
man had  died  many  years  before.    They  reared  two 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


773 


sons  and  three  daughters.  One  of  the  family'  was 
Stephen  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  married 
.Susan,  daughter  of  Joseph  Love,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tncky. 

Stephen  Freeman  and  his  wife  came  to  tliis  State 
in  the  spring  of  1855,  making  their  home  on  Stone's 
Prairie,  Adams  County  a  year,  and  then  removing 
to  Martinsburg.  Pike  Countj-,  wiiere  tliey  still  live. 
Mr.  Freeman  served  during  the  Mexican  War.  He 
and  his  wife  liave  reared  five  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter, our  subject  being  the  first  in  order  of  birth. 
All  are  now  married  except  one  son  who  is  deceased. 
The  parents  are  devoted  members  of  the  Christian 
Church  and  the  father  belongs  to  the  Slasonic  fra- 
lernilv. 


EMUEL  LOXG.  The  farmers  and  stock- 
y)  raisers  who  are  contributing  so  largely  to 
Calhoun  County's  material  prosperity  are 
well  represented  by  this  gentleman,  who  has  exten- 
sive landed  interests  in  Belleview  Precinct,  and 
whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite  page. 
He  is  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  born  January  28,  1838.  His  parents,  John  W. 
and  Leah  (Shultz)  Long,  were  natives  of  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania  respect ivelj'.  His  paternal  great- 
grandfather was  an  Irishman  and  he  married  a 
Scotchwoman.  The  maternal  ancestors  were  Ger- 
man. 

John  W.  Long  emigrated  from  Ohio  to  Illinois 
and  located  in  Calhoun  County  about  1856,  his 
family  accom|ianying  him  hither.  He  made  a  set- 
tlement where  his  widow  now  lives  on  section  7,  in 
Belleview  Precinct.  Gradually  he  developed  a 
good  farm  and  earned  an  honorable  place  among 
the  pioneers  of  Calhoun  County,  which  lost  a  good 
citizen  when  he  died  April  22,  1868.  Having  be- 
gun life  as  a  poor  man,  he  accumulated  a  large 
estate  and  became  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of 
this  part  of  the  count}-.  When  he  was  a  young 
man  he  supported  the  Whigs,  but  later  in  life 
joined  the  Republican  part}'  after  its  formation. 
His  widow,  who  is  now  in  her  ?^vent3'-sixth  year, 
retains  to  a   wonderful  degree   iier   early  vigorous 


health  and  lives  on  the  old  homestead  with  her  son 
Henry  C.  Long.  She  is  the  mother  of  nine  children 
of  whom  the  following  are  living:  Samuel;  George 
W.;  Winfield  S. ;  Flora  (wife  of  L.  Mclntyre); 
Henry  C.  and   Lemuel. 

The  latter,  who  forms  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  reared  to  manhood  in  this  county  amid  the 
scenes  of  pioneer  life.  lie  is  mainly  self  educated, 
having  received  but  a  limited  education  in  the  pio- 
neer schools  of  Ohio.  His  success  in  life  is  attrib- 
utable to  practical  skill  in  his  calling,  his  energ}', 
sound  common  sense  and  devotion  to  his  work. 
He  owns  a  large  and  valuable  farm  of  several  hun- 
dred acres  and  has  one  of  the  coziest  homes  in 
Belleview  Precinct,  finely  located  on  section  12. 

December  22,  1859,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage 
of  our  subject  to  Miss  Christina  Fislier,  a  native 
of  Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  George  Fisher  now  de- 
ceased, who  was  an  early  settler  of  Calhoun  County. 
By  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Long  have 
been  blessed  with  four  children,  of  whom  three  are 
living:  Charles  F.,  Earl  F.  and  Wilson  V.  Charles 
F.  is  named  for  his  father's  brother,  Charles  F. 
Long,  who  bravely  sacrificed  his  life  for  his  country 
and  fell  while  fighting  at  the  siege  of  Vickshurg, 
Mr.  Long  stands  well  in  this  community  where  so 
many  years  of  his  life  have  been  passed  and  his 
career  as  a  farmer,  a  citizen  and  in  all  the  relations 
that  he  bears  to  others  marks  him  as  an  upright, 
honorable  man  who  is  always  true  to  himself  and 
those  about  him.  He  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordin- 
ary capability  and  his  progressive  (tublic  spirit  has 
greatl}'  aided  in  the  upbuilding  of  Belleview  Pre- 
cinct and  Calhoun  County. 


'•    '    ^- 


^^^ 


fiOUNGS  SIBLEY.  Each  county  has  a  num- 
ber of  citizens  wim  have  labored  to  advance 
both  their  own  interests  and  those  of  the 
community-  in  which  they  reside.  Chief 
among  those  who  have  used  their  influence  for  the 
advancement  of  religious,  educational  and  other 
worthy  causes  in  Calhoun  County  ranks  Youngs 
Sibley,  whose  sketch  now  claims  attention.  He  is  a 
popular  and  successful  young  farmer  of  Carlin  Pre- 


'74 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


cinct,  making  his  iiome  on  section  20,  and  devoting 
his  attention  to  agricultuial  pursuits  and  stock 
raiding  and  meeting  with  marked  success  on  every 
side.  His  birth  occurred  in  Calhoun  County  De- 
cember 2,  1858,  he  being  the  son  of  John  and 
Lucinda  (Reed)  Sibley.  His  childhood  and  youth 
were  spent  in  his  native  county,  which  at  that  time 
presented  only  those  scenes  common  to  pioneer  life 
and  he  has  undoubtedl3'  foUovyed  Horace  Greeley's 
advice  to  "grow  up  with  the  country."  His  recol- 
lections of  the  pioneer  d.ays  are  ver}-  distinct  and 
he  relates  most  interesting  expeiiences  and  anec- 
dotes connected  with  the  da.ys  of  his  youth. 
Educational  .advantages  were  very  limited  conse- 
quently Mr.  Sibley's  education  did  not  extend 
beyond  the  information  imparted  at  the  district 
schools  of  Carliu  Precinct,  but  his  natural  fondness 
for  hooks  has  enabled  him  to  keep  well  posted  in 
regard  to  national  and  local  affairs. 

Mr.  Sibley-  was  married  in  September,  1883,  to 
Miss  Catherine  Meyer,  daughter  of  Joseph  Meyer 
of  Carlin  Precinct  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
with  five  children,  viz:  Mary  L.,  Robert,  Lucy, 
Frances  and  John.  Our  suiiject  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land  and  from  early 
childhood  has  been  interested  in  agriculture,  hav- 
ing assisied  his  father  on  the  home  farm  wiien  quite 
young  in  j'ears.  He  inlcines  ^o  the  Independent 
party  in  politics,  voting  for  the  man  rather  than 
the  party,  and  supporting  those  he  believes  capa- 
ble of  filling  the  desired  offices.  He  has  at  all  times 
endeavored  to  improve  both  the  mercantile  and 
social  standing  of  Carlin  Precinct  and  as  School 
Director  is  exceedingly  poi)ular.  At  one  time  he 
was  a  member  of  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows. 

Our  subject's  parents  were  natives  of  England 
and  Pennsylvania  respectively.  His  father  emi- 
grated from  his  native  country  to  the  United  States 
and  settled  in  Calhoun  County,  Carlin  Precinct,  in 
the  year  1854.  This  section  of  Illinois  was  at  that 
date  scarcely  more  than  a  wilderness  and  being  a 
poor  man  he  w.is  forced  to  undergo  all  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  incident  to  pioneer  life.  He 
entered  Government  land  and  under  his  manage- 
ment the  wild  unbroken  ground  was  soon  trans- 
formed into  a  pleasing  landscape.  His  death  occur- 


red in  September,  1886,  and  by  that  event  Cal- 
houn County  lost  one  of  her  worthiest  English 
pioneers.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Democrtic 
party,  favoring  any  measure  that  tended  to  the 
improvement  of  his  county.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  man  who  won  strong  frienilship  and  though 
he  had  practically  no  educational  advantages  his 
natural  ability  and  energy  enabled  him  to  gain  a 
vast  amount  of  information  on  important  matters. 
His  was  a  life  of  perseverance  in  well  doing,  being 
a  hard-working,  strictly  temperate  man  who  was 
widely  known  and  honored  for  his  strict  integrity 
and  kindness  of  heart.  No  one  man  perhaps  did 
more  pioneer  work  than  he  accomplished  and  at 
his  death  he  left  a  valuable  estate  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  fine  farming  land,  the  result  of 
long  years  of  faithful  and  untiring  efforts.  He  was 
twice  married  and  was  the  father  of  a  large  family 
of  children  of  whom  the  following  are  living  at  the 
present  time:  Robert,  Youngs,  Amanda,  Ruth, 
Eliza,  Jane  and  Stephen.  He  was  in  fact  a  worthy 
father  of  his  most  worthy  son,  our  subject. 


()EV.  WILLIAM  PENNAWELL  FOWLER, 
an  honored  resident  of  Hardin,  who  is  well 
\V  known  throughout  Calhoun  County  as  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
was  born  in  Kent  County,  Del.,  two  miles  south  of 
Smyrna,  August  5,  1832.  His  father,  Eben  Fowl- 
er, was  a  farmer,  and  as  far  as  known  spent  his 
entire  life  in  Delaware.  He  married  Rachael  Pen- 
nawell,  who  died  in  1837.  Seven  of  their  children 
were  reared  to  maturity. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  educated  in  his  native 
county,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  was  con- 
verted and  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Willow  Grove,  near  his  hom.e  August  11,  1850. 
In  1853  he  went  to  Philadelphia  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  there  employed  in  farming.  In  1858  he  came 
to  Illinois  and  for  nine  months  lived  in  Adams 
County  where  he  was  also  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  In  the  month  of  September,  1859,  he 
went  to  Pike  County  and  from  there  came  to  this 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


775 


county,  arriving  in  Hardin  Precinct  on  the  28th  of 
that  month,  and  from  that  linio  to  this  lias  lieen  a 
resident  of  this  county. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Fowler  was  first  married  December   | 
25,  1861,  to  Harriet  Smith.     She  was  born  in  Ozark    i 
Count}',  Mo.,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Levi  and  JIary    : 
E.Smith.     She  departed  Ibis  Hfe  October  10,  1873.    : 
Of  that  marriiige  six  cliildron  were  born  of  whom 
these  three  are  living — Levi  S..  Arthur  D.  and  Mary 
E.     JIarch  24.  1874,  our  subject  contracted  a  sec- 
ond marriage,  taking  as  his  wife  Miss  Mary  J.  Gren- 
ger,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.     Two  children  have 
been  born  to  tliem:  Addie  M.  and  Ella  J. 

Our  subject  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Illinois 
Conference  July  23,  1861,  and  has  since  been  an 
active  worker  in  the  cause  of  religion  in  this 
county,  and  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the 
Sunday-schools. 

^  OHN  A.  HANNEHEN  is  the  well-known  and 
I  popular  hotel  keeper  at  Brussels,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  first  residents,  coming  to 
(^^1  Calhoun  County  more  than  thirty  years  ago. 
He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  June  17,  1833. 
His  father,  John  Albert  Hannehen,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Hanover,  and  was  there  reared  and  married 
and  resided  there  until  1860  when  he  came  to 
America  to  join  his  children.  He  spent  bis  last 
years  at  Brussels.  He  was  the  father  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  one  died  in  Hanover.  The  names 
of  tlie  others  are  Barney,  John  A.,  William,  Lucas, 
Herman  and  Mary,  all  of  whom  settled  in  Calhoun 
County  after  coming  to  this  country. 

Our  subject  gained  a  jH-actical  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land  which  lie  attended  from 
the  age  of  six  to  fourteen.  He  then  commenced 
to  assist  his  father  in  carrying  on  his  farming  oper- 
ations and  continued  to  live  in  Hanover  until  1856. 
In  that  year  he  set  sail  from  Bremen  in  the  month 
of  September  in  the  vessel  '-Ocean"  and  landed  at 
New  Orleans  seven  weeks  and  three  days  later.  He 
thus  found  himself  in  the  land  of  strangers,  with 
but  $5  with  which  to  begin  life  in  a  new  country. 
He  went  to  St.  Louis  and   found  employment  on  a 


farm  in  that  vicinity,  receiving  as  his  pay  HOC  a 
year.  He  sent  $50  to  his  brother  Barney  to  enable 
him  to  come  to  this  country.  In  1857  our  subject 
came  to  this  county  and  worked  on  a  farm  receiv- 
ing as  payment  $130  a  year.  He  generously  sent 
$100  of  that  to  his  fatliei  to  assist  him  to  come  to 
America.  After  the  family  were  all  here  he  began 
to  save  his  earnings  for  himself  and  was  soon  ena- 
bled to  rent  land.  He  was  so  prosi)cred  in  that 
venture  that  in  1859  he  commenced  to  buy  land  for 
himself  an.d  first  purchased  an  acre  of  timber  now 
included  in  the  village  of  Brussels.  At  that  time 
there  were  but  three  houses  in  the  place  and  it 
showed  but  little  signs  of  becoming  the  flourishing 
town  that  it  is  to-day. 

Jlr.  Hannehen  immediately  built  a  log  house  on 
his  land  and  soon  bought  other  land  joining  his  first 
purchase,  and  in  1860  built  a  frame  addition  to 
his  dwelling  and  opened  Jiere  the  first  hotel  in  Brus- 
sels. He  has  ever  since  served  the  traveling  public 
and  understands  well  how  to  cater  to  the  wants  of 
his  patrons.  In  connection  with  the  hotel  he  has 
a  well  equipped  livery  stable  ami  also  does  a  good 
business  in  that  line. 

Our  subject  was  married  January  10,  1860,  to 
(iana  Hemmke,  a  native  of  Hanover,  Germany 
who  came  to  America  with  her  father.  They  have 
had  eight  children  ol  whom  these  three  are  living: 
Lena,  Lizzie  and  John  Herman.  The  family  are 
connected  with  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  and  are 
held  in   high  estimatiou  in  this  community. 

ELDEN  PERRY  CLEMMONS.  For  more 
than  a  decade  this  gcntleniau  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  business  life  of  Milton, 
Pike  County,  and  he  has  built  up  a  fine 
business  as  the  proprietor  of  a  livery  and  feed 
stable.  He  began  this  business  in  1879,  building 
a  stable  and  placing  therein  as  his  outfit  two  horses 
and  two  buggies.  The  demand  for  more  equi- 
l)ages  and  steeds  has  been  supi)lied,  and  the  stable 
is  now  fully  equipped  with  all  the  appurtenances 
needed  to  carry  on  a  first  cli)ss  business.  Prior  to 
engaging  in  this  pursuit  .Mr.  Clemmons  had  become 


776 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


known  In  and  about  Milton,  and  the  people  were 
the  mo/e  ready  to  patronize  liira  when  liis  stable 
was  built.  The  Clemmons  family  is  traced  back  to 
the  time  of  Cromwell,  Gregory  Clemmons  having 
been  a  large  landholder  in  Huntingdonshire,  Eng- 
hiiid,  and  one  of  the  Members  of  Parliament  who 
signed  the  death  warrant  of  Charles  I.  Under  the 
I'rotectorate  he  was  Minister  to  .Spain,  and  in  the 
city  of  Cordova  he  was  wedded  to  a  Spanish  lady. 
Upon  the  accession  of  Charles  II.  he  was  tried  as  a 
regicide,  condemned  and  his  estates  contisciited  to 
tiie  crown.  His  widow  and  children  and  two 
brothers  fled  to  America  and  purchased  a  farm  near 
Stanton,  Va.,  whence  the  family  has  spread  toother 
parts  of  tiie  United  States. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  George  Reed 
Clemmons.  who  was  born  in  North  Caroliiia  Octo- 
ber 24,  1807,  and  in  1823  came  to  this  State  with 
other  members  of  the  family.  Grandfather  Clem- 
mons settled  in  Pike  County  two  years  later,  the 
country  being  then  the  haunt  of  wild  animals  and 
Indians  frequently  visited  his  cabin  home.  After 
growing  to  maturity  George  Clemmons  married 
Susan  Tucker,  daughter  of  Nathan  Tucker  (see 
sketch  of  Mrs.  C.  E.  Bolin),  who  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky July  7,  1815.  The  j'oung  couple  settled  on 
section  3,  Detroit  Township,  clearing  land  on  which 
to  build  a  log  house  and  lived  there  until  1855, 
when  Mrs.  Clemmons  was  called  hence.  The  hus- 
band removed  to  Milton,  and  in  partnership  with 
J.  O.  Bolin  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  four 
years.  He  then  sold  out,  and  with  his  son,  our 
subject,  began  the  sale  of  a  general  stock,  but  sev- 
eral years  later  disposed  of  his  interest  and  returned 
to  his  farm.  Tliere  he  remained  a  few  j'ears  witii 
his  son,  Conway,  then  became  an  inmate  of  the 
Ik  me  of  our  subject  with  whom  he  continued  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  September  8,  1874.  The 
son,  Conwa>'.  is  now  living  in  Arkansas;  he  is  mar- 
ried and  has  one  child,  a  daughter,  MoUie. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch  was  born 
June  4,  1838,  in  the  township  above  mentioned  and 
|)assed  his  early  school  days  in  a  log  schooUiouse 
with  slab  seats,  one  of  his  earliest  instructors  hav- 
ing been  L.  J.  Smitherman,  father  of  the  present 
Supervisor  of  Detroit  Township.  When  seventeen 
years  of  age  he  began  his  own  career,   his  first  em 


ployment  being  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  George 
Underwood  in  Milton,  and  his  wages  §120  per 
year  and  board.  At  the  end  of  the  year  he  received 
$9y  in  gold,  having  spent  but  $21  and  that  sum 
including  the  payment  for  his  washing.  He  then 
worked  for  his  father  two  years,  next  going  to 
Pittsfield  to  attend  school  and  paying  for  his  board 
by  working  evenings  and  Saturdays  in  the  store  of 
Hubbard  &  Johnson.  After  six  months  of  study 
he  returned  to  Milton,  became  a  partner  with  his 
father,  but  after  the  establishment  was  sold  turned 
his  attention  to  farming.  He  gave  $5,000  for  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  three  acres,  operated  it 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  then  sold  it  for  the  same 
price  that  he  paid.  Returning  again  to  Milton  he 
built  a  brick  store  on  the  corner  of  the  square, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1867  opened  the  first  store 
which  was  devoted  exclusively  to  the  sale  of  gro- 
ceries  in  that  place. 

We  next  find  Mr.  Clemmons  disposing  of  iiis 
stock  to  Henry  Clemmons,  and  buying  an  interest 
in  the  steamer  "Gem,"  phing  between  St.  Louis 
and  Peoria,  and  taking  the  position  of  second  clerk. 
After  the  boat  was  sold  he  accepted  a  position  in 
the  general  store  and  warehouse  of  William 
Cumby,  of  Montezuma,  receiving  $40  per  month 
and  board  for  his  services  during  the  ensuing  three 
3ears.  He  then  bought  out  the  proprietor  and 
carried  on  the  store  and  warehouse,  also  having 
charge  of  the  lumberyard  of  Merrill,  Burt  &  Ben- 
son. After  two  }'ears  he  abandoned  the  lumoer 
business  and  gave  his  entire  attention  to  the  store 
and  warehouse.  In  1874  he  sold  out  the  business, 
and  coming  again  to  Milton  operated  a  farm  for  a 
twelvemonth,  then  bought  and  sold  stock  for  two 
years.  He  next  turned  his  attention  to  the  car- 
penter's trade,  at  which  he  worked  two  years,  and 
on  the  expiration  of  that  period  embarked  in  the 
business  which  he  is  now  following  so  successfully. 

July  20,  1870,  JMr.  Clemmons  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Jane  Armstrong,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Jane  (Knox)  Armstrong,  na- 
tives of  Ireland.  Mrs.  Clemmons  was  born  in  the 
Emerald  Isle  in  May,  1845,  and  is  the  youngegt  of 
five  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living.  Her 
mother  died  wiicu  she  was  but  two  years  of  age, 
but    her   father  survived   until   1876,  marrying  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


second  time  and  having  several  children  by  the 
union.  Both  he  and  his  first  wife  belonged  to  the 
Methodist  Church.  Mr.  Clemmons  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  18G9  and  direct  to  this  State.  She  is  the 
mollier  of  eight  children,  sis  of  whom  are  now 
livin",  viz:  Nolan  M.,  Selden  Okie,  Mary  Ellen, 
Delia  Jane,  Anna  Belle  and  Charles  Reed.  Mr. 
Clemmons  is  the  father  of  two  living  children  by 
a  former  marriage,  their  names  being  Ella  May  and 
Viola  Catherine. 

In  1871  Mr.  Clemmons  was  initiated  into  the  Ma- 
sonic order  in  Milton  and  he  is  also  an  Odd  Fellow. 
He  has  been  Assessor  of  Montezuma  Township  and 
School  Director  in  Milton.  He  is  much  interested 
in  educational  afifairs  and  his  own  children  are  re- 
ceiving excellent  schooling.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican.  He  and  his  wife  have  been  members 
of  the  Christian  Church  for  more  than  twenty 
years.  Mr.  Clemmons  is  a  clear-headed  man,  know- 
ing how  to  keep  his  own  counsel  when  it  is  best 
to  do  so,  but  frank  and  honest  in  his  business  deal- 
ings and  social  intercourse. 


# 


1 


'  ACOB  F.  PURSLEY.  A  traveler  through- 
out Pike  County  will  see  man}'  attractive 
farms,  whose  well-tilled  acres,  substantial 
outbuildings  and  comfortable  dwellings  are 
indicative  of  the  prosperity  and  good  taste  of  the 
owners.  One  of  the  conspicuous  farms  in  Derry 
Township  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  3,  which,  although  covered  by  a  dense 
growth  of  timber  and  brush  when  purchased  by  our 
subject,  has  been  transformed  into  a  highly  culti- 
vated and  productive  piece  of  propert}-.  Tlie  resi- 
dence is  one  of  the  best  in  the  township,  and  is  un- 
excelled in  its  situation  and  surroundings,  being 
built  on  an  elevated  site,  with  the  grounds  about 
it  adorned  by  fine  shade  trees.  The  building  is  a 
frame,  two  stories  in  height,  of  pleasing  architect- 
ural design,  its  external  appearance  corresponding 
with  the  convenient  arrangement  of  the  interior. 

The  owner  of  this   fine   propertj-  is  of  excellent 
descent,  and  can  look  over  the  family  history  with 


just  pride,  particular!}'  wlien  he  recalls  the  pioneer 
labors  of  his  progenitors.  His  great-grand fatiier 
Pursley  was  of  German  extraction,  and  an  earl}' 
settler  in  Kentucky,  where  he  fought  the  Indians 
in  company  with  the  renowned  Daniel  Boone.  A 
sister  of  this  gentleman  was  stolen  by  tiie  Indians. 
George  Pursley,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  born  and  reared  in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  and 
had  all  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life  to  contend 
with.  He  also  was  .nn  Indian  figliter,  and  was  a  fa- 
mous hunter,  his  great  strength  being  often  exerted 
in  contests  with  man  and  beast.  He  w.as  a  wheel- 
wright and  did  considerable  mechanical  work  of 
other  descriptions,  having  a  natural  aptitude  for 
handicraft.  He  w.as  one  of  the  early  settlers  in 
Missouri,  going  there  when  it  was  still  a  Territory, 
and  dying  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  He 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  w.as  a  Democrat 
in  politics  and  belonged  to  a  religious  body. 

Jacob  Purslej',  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Missouri  in  1799,  and  attended  the  pioneer 
schools,  which  were  kept  up  by  popular  subscrip- 
tion, lie  learned  the  trade  of  a  wheelwright  from 
his  father,  and  devoted  himself  principall}-  to  it  al- 
though he  farmed  to  some  extent.  In  1830  he 
came  to  Pike  County,  III.,  settling  in  what  was 
known  as  the  Ross  Settlement  near  the  present  site 
of  the  town  of  Atlas.  After  sojourning  there  a 
few  j'ears  he  removed  to  the  northern  part  of  Derry 
Township,  taking  up  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
on  section  2,  which  was  in  its  primitive  condition. 
He  made  a  small  clearing,  erected  a  log  cabin  and 
set  himself  industriously  to  work  to  build  up  his 
fortune,  having  no  capital  whatever,  except  his  in- 
dustrious habits,  skill  in  handicraft  and  determina- 
tion. Before  he  died  he  owned  eleven  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land,  this  fact  alone  testifying  to  his 
thrift  and  perseverance. 

AVhen  Jacob  Pursley  c.ime  to  this  county,  deer, 
wolves  and  turkeys  were  plentiful,  and  bear  some- 
times seen  and  heard.  Like  most  of  the  pioneers 
he  was  quite  a  hunter,  and  among  his  exploits  was 
the  killing  of  several  bears  and  a  large  number  of 
deer.  He  has  stood  in  his  cabin  door,  rifle  in  hand 
and  shot  deer.  So  hard-working  was  he  that  he 
spent  man}-  days  in  labor  on  the  farm  and  would 
then  work  at  his  trade  until  ten  or  eleven  o'clock  at 


»1 


778 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


uiglit.  He  became  prominent  in  his  line  of  work, 
being  filled  witli  tlie  spirit  of  progress,  and  at  the 
head  in  whatever  lie  undertook,  wielding  a  decided 
influence  throughout  tiie  comniunit}'.  At  various 
times  he  held  most  of  the  township  offices,  and  his 
political  affiliation  was  with  the  Democrats.  He 
died  in  1877,  in  the  sevent^'-eightli  year  of  his  age. 

Tiie  mother  of  our  subject  bore  tlie  maiden  name 
of  Jane  Donavan.  Siie  was  born  in  Missouri  in 
1802  and  lived  to  be  fift3--nine  years  old.  She  had 
lost  iier  father  when  quite  young,  lie  having  been 
accidentally  drowned.  Jlrs.  Piirsley  was  a  woman 
of  Christian  virtues,  a  consistent  member  of  the 
chuicli,  and  one  who  was  faitiiful  and  efficient  in 
discharging  the  duties  which  devolved  upon  her. 
She  reared  seven  children,  named  respectively: 
Loretta,  John  W.  L.,  David  J.  M.,  George  A.,  Ja- 
cob F.,  Marshall  B.  and  Caroline. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  life 
histoiy,  was  born  March  19,  1839,  in  tlie  county  in 
wliicii  he  is  now  well  and  favorably  known  as  an 
extensive  asrieulturist  and  worthy  citizen.  The 
sclioolhouse  wliicli  he  attended  in  his  early  boy- 
hood was  a  log  building  10x12  feet  in  dimensions, 
lighted  through  a  long  opening  where  a  log  had 
been  left  out  of  the  wall,  and  heated  by  a  large 
fireplace  which  occupied  one  end  of  the  building. 
Its  furnishing  was  of  tiie  most  primitive  n.'iture,and 
the  curriculum  inchided  but  the  more  important 
branches.  The  pupils,  although  not  accomplished 
in  the  modern  sense,  were  fitted  for  practical  life, 
and  tlieir  surroundings  added  to  tlie  self-reliance 
and  keenness  of  observation  which  brought  to  many 
of  them  success  and  honor  in  future  years. 

The  early  recollections  of  our  subject  are  mostly 
of  scenes  and  incidents  in  the  clearings,  and  include 
the  sight  of  much  wild  game.  He  iias  seen  as  man^' 
as  ten  deer  in  a  herd,  gamboling  on  the  ridges,  or 
crossing  the  fields.  He  hunted  quite  a  good  deal  in 
his  boyhood,  killed  one  deer  and  much  smaller 
game.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  began  his 
personal  career,  cultivating  eighty  acres  of  land 
which  his  father  had  given  him.  He  has  been  an 
exceptionally  hard-working  man,  has  carried  on  ex- 
tensive farming  interests,  and  at  one  time  owned 
six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land.  He  had  sold, 
however,  all  except  the  acreage  before  mentioned, 


upon  which  he  erected  his  present  residence  in 
1875.  He  had  one  of  the  finest  frame  barns  in  the 
countj',  put  up  at  a  cost  of  §4,000,  but  in  Novem- 
ber, 1887,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire,  together  with  its 
contents,  entailing  a  loss  of  over  87,000.  Mr. 
Pursley  has  [laid  considerable  attention  to  the  rais- 
ing of  sheep,  swine  and  cattle. 

May  9,  1861,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Catherine  Connors,  whose  intelligence,  capa- 
bility and  good  taste  are  observable  in  the  ordering 
of  the  home  and  the  rearing  of  the  family.  She 
was  born  in  Ireland,  May  15,  1839,  came  to  Amer- 
ica with  her  mother  when  five  j'ears  old.  and  grew 
to  womanhood  in  Lima,  Lewistown  County,  N.  Y. 
She  came  West  after  reaching  years  of  maturity, 
and  in  this  county  solemnized  her  marriage  rites. 
The  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Frank  L., 
Stephen  A.,  Anna  A.  and  Cora  B.  Mr.  Pursley  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics.  A  reliable  citizen  and  a 
good  friend,  he  is  looked  up  in  with  respect  by 
neighbors  and  acquaintances. 

AMUEL  TAYLOR  has  been  quite  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  business  of  farming 
and  stock-raising  in  Pike  County  for  many 
years  and  is  one  of  the  prosperous  members 
of  his  class  in  Atlas  Township,  where  he  owns  a  l.nrge 
and  highly  productive  farm  of  which  many  acres  lie 
on  the  rich  bottom  lands  of  the  Mississippi.  He  is 
a  native  of  Lincolnshire,  England,  where  his  birth 
occurred  October  2.5,  1828.  His  father,  bearing  the 
same  name  as  himself,  was  also  of  English  birth. 
He  came  to  America  about  1830,  and  first  settled  at 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  wife,  who  had  accompanied 
him  to  this  country  died  in  that  cit}-,  and  he  remar- 
ried there  and  then  took  up  his  residence  in  St. Louis. 
He  lemained  but  a  short  time  there,  however,  and 
next  came  to  Pike  County,  this  State,  and  located 
on  the  farm  now  owned  b3'  our  subject,  which  then 
comprised  the  northwestern  quarter  of  section  7, 
Atlas  Township.  When  he  took  possession  of  the 
land  there  was  a  cabin  on  it  and  some  little  im- 
provement   had  been    made.    He  actively   entered 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


779 


upon  its  further  development,  but  in  the  month  of 
June  following  his  settlement  liere  in  April,  his 
life  was  suddenly  terminated  by  death  and  the  com- 
uuinit}'  was  deprived  of  a  worthy  pioneer. 

Thus  earl3'  bereft  cf  parental  care  our  subject 
was  reared  by  his  brother.  Ilenrj'  Tajior,  till  he 
was  ten  years  old,  when  his  brother  was  drowned. 
Samuel  then  made  his  home  with  Hiram  .Smith  till 
he  was  eighteen  3-earsof  age,  and  Mr.  Smith  dying 
then  our  subject  continued  to  live  with  INIrs.  Smith 
until  the  following  year.  At  the  age  of  nineteen 
he  began  life  on  his  own  account  by  hiring  out  by 
the  month .  at  $9  for  that  length  of  time,  and  he 
continued  thus  emploj'cil  till  1852.  The  excite- 
ment following  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
had  not  then  ceased  and  he  was  taken  with  the 
mania  to  seek  his  fortune  on  the  Western  Slope  and 
stirted  thither  in  the  spring  of  1852,  journeying 
across  the  plains  with  oxen.  He  was  eighty-four' 
days  on  the  way  from  Council  Bluffs,  and  after  his 
arrival  in  California  he  located  at  Dry  Creek  near 
Dry  Town.  He  gave  his  attention  a  part  of  the 
lime  to  mining  there  and  a  pirt  of  the  time  was 
engaged  in  ranching.  He  was  quite  successful  in 
his  ventures  in  the  Gold  State,  but  in  1856  he  tired 
of  life  there  and  retraced  his  steps  eastward.  He 
stopped  two  years  near  New  Canton,  where  he  met 
and  married  Miss  Martha  Hascall,  their  union  tak- 
ing place  in  February,  18')8.  She  was  born  in  W. 
Ralls  County,  Mo.,  March  20,  1839.  Her  father 
was  Friend  Prosper  Hascall  and  he  was  a  native  of 
Connecticut.  He  came  westward  in  1832  and 
settled  in  Missouri,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a 
farmer  and  also  worked  in  the  lead  mines.  lie  died 
liere  in  1877.  Mrs.  Taylor  is  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  has  been  ever 
since  she  was  thirteen  years  old.  She  is  the 
mother  of  four  children — Mary  E.  (Mrs.  Wagoner), 
Charles  H.,  Ada  M.  and  Lloyd  S.    ' 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Taylor  removed  to  his 
present  place  of  residence  in  Atlas  Townsliip  in 
1858.  His  land  was  then  scarcely  improved  at  all, 
and  almost  its  entire  development  has  been  the 
work  of  his  own  hands.  When  he  came  here  the 
bottom  lands  along  the  river  were  nearly  useless 
swamps  and  he  has  been  one  of  the  enterprising 
farmers  who  energetically  took  hold  of  the  work  of 


redeeming  them,  and  where  the  land  was  once  un- 
cultivated it  is  now  tlie  richest  and  most  product- 
ive soil  to  be  found  in  the  county.  One  hundred 
acres  of  Mr.  Taylor's  land  lies  on  the  uplands  and 
the  remainder  of  his  estate  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty-one  acres  is  bottom  land  and  forms  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  productive  farms  in  all  the 
region.  He  erected  his  present  pretty  and  commo- 
dious frame  house  in  1868  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  He 
built  a  roomy  and  conveniently  arranged  barn  in 
1864,  and  has  other  necessary  buildings  and  all  the 
appliances  for  carrying  on  agriculture.  He  farms 
quite  extensively,  raising  wheat,  corn  and  li.iy  and 
rents  some  of  his  land.  He  feeds  his  corn  to  his 
stock  and  ships  from  one  to  two  car-loads  of 
cattle  every  year,  besides  a  great  many  hogs. 

Thougli  not  an  early  pioneer  of  the  county  Mr. 
Taylor  has,  as  we  have  seen,  done  much  labor  that 
has  contributed  to  the  development  of  this  region. 
When  he  came  here  wild  game  was  plenty  and  he 
used  to  hunt  the  coon  and  chase  the  deer,  of  which 
he  has  seen  as  many  as  fifty  together.  He  is  a  man 
of  sound  understanding,  is  sagacious  and  careful 
in  the  management  of  his  business  affairs  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  most  reliable  and  trustworthy 
citizens  of  Atlas  Township.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  liaving  been  reared  an  old  line  Whig.  He 
has  represented  this  township  as  a  member  of  the 
County  Board  of  Suporvisots  and  during  the  three 
years  that  he  occupied  that  position  proved  himself 
to  be  a  wise  civic  official. 


•S^^^ 


♦j^ 


^^EORGE 
I  Court  c 
'^m    known 


^^^EORGE  W.  ARCHER,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit 
of  Pike  County,  is  one  of  the  well- 
residents  in  the  count}-  seat  of 
which  he  is  a  native.  He  is  the  representative  of  a 
family  which  has  been  known  in  Pittsfield  since 
1838  and  can  point  to  the  record  made  by  his  fa- 
ther with  just  pride.  The  latter  was  instrumental  in 
saving  the  State  over  $2,000,000  of  claims  against 
it,  and  bore  a  prominent  part  in  elevating  the  status 
of  the  commonwealth,  and  particularly  of  that 
section  in  which  he  lived.  The  son  is  endeavoring 
to  keep  up  the  lustre  of  the  name  and,  as  might  be 


780 


PORTRAIT  AND   BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


expected,  is  ever  adding  to  his  knowledge  of  tliat 
wliicl!  all  good  citizens  ought  to  know,  and  ener- 
getically pursuing  whatever  business  he  takes  in 
hand. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  son  of  the  Hon.  William 
R.  and  Anna  (Smith)  Archer,  who  were  born  in 
New  York  and  Long  Island.  The  preliminarj^  edu- 
cation of  William  R.  Archer  w.as  obtained  at  Flush- 
ing, whence  he  went  to  New  York  City  to  stud3' 
law  under  John  L.  Lawrence.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  the  Empire  State  February  23,  1838, 
and  in  May  of  the  same  year  settled  in  Pittsfield, 
111.,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  of  this  State  in  Au- 
gust. He  soon  had  an  extensive  practice,  and  it 
was  not  long  ere  his  sterling  qualities  made  him  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  public  life.  In  1847  he  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention 
and  during  that  trying  time  when  the  question  of 
township  organization  was  beginning  to  agitate  the 
people,  he  wisely  represented  his  county.  From 
1856  to  1860  he  was  Circuit  Clerk  and  Recorder. 

Mr.  Archer  was  then  elected  representative  on 
the  Democratic  ticket  from  Pike  and  Brown  Coun- 
ties. In  186!)  he  was  again  elected  to  the  State  Con- 
stitutional Convention  which  met  the  following 
year,  and  in  1872  he  was  sent  from  the  Thirty- 
Eighth  District — comprising  the  counties  of  Pike, 
Scott  and  Calhoun — to  the  State  Senate.  In  1876 
the  Hon.  Mr.  Archer  was  re-electud  to  the  same  posi- 
tion and  continued  to  serve  until  his  senatorship 
had  extended  over  four  terras.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Joint  Commission  ap|)ointed  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  1877  to  ascertain  the  damages  arising  to 
private  lands  by  the  construction  of  dams  on  the 
Wabash  and  Illinois  Rivers.  The  Commission 
awarded  about  |i30,000,  to  pay  which  an  appropria- 
tion was  made. 

Mr.  Archer  subsequently  discovered  a  law  affect- 
ing claims  entirely  disconnected  with  the  work  of 
this  Commission,  which  had  the  effect  to  bar  over 
$2,000,000- of  claims  presented  to  the  Court  of 
Claims.  This  law,  with  a  written  argument,  Mr. 
Archer  presented  to  the  Attorney-General  at  whose 
request  they  argued  the  case  before  the  court, 
which  sustained  the  statute.  For  this  service  Mr. 
Archer  did  not  receive  a  single  dollar.  The  name 
of  the  Hon.  AVilliam   Archer    was  brought   before 


the  people  by  several  influential  newsi)apers  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  and  the  Old  Flag,  an  op- 
position paper  in  politics,  in  its  comments  said  that 
he  was  too  good  a  man  to  be  set  up  by  a  minority 
simply  to  be  knocked  over.  This  remark  is  in- 
dicative of  the  reputation  held  by  that  gentleman, 
who  was  regarded  even  by  his  political  foes  as  one 
of  the  most  honorable  of  men,  and  one  who  had 
been  very  useful  to  the  citizens  of  the  common- 
wealth. 

The  Hon.  Mr.  Archer  was  bereaved  of  his  wife, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  September  26,  18.i9,  and 
December  15,  1860,  was  married  to  Henrietta  E. 
Sergeant,  daughter  of  Col.  Aaron  Sergeant,  of  New 
York  City.  The  surviving  members  of  the  family 
circle  are,  Corlie,  wife  of  Livingston  Smith,  their 
home  being  on  Long  Island;  Anna  A.,  now  at 
Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands;  jMary  Jane,  wife  of 
M.  Duane  Tucker;  William  R.  a  resident  of  New 
Iberia,  La. ;  and  the  subject  of  this  notice.  The  fa- 
ther was  called  from  time  to  eternity  April  12, 
1889,  when  seventy-two  years  old. 

The  natal  day  of  George  W.  Archer  was  Febru- 
ary 22,  1849.  At  a  suitable  age  he  entered  the 
school  of  Pittsfield  and  after  completing  the  lower 
departments  prosecuted  his  studies  vigorously  in 
the  High  School  for  a  tinae.  On  quitting  school  he 
began  his  mercantile  experience  as  a  clerk,  spending 
several  years  in  the  employ  of  different  parties.  In 
1876  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Thomas  Burt 
under  the  firm  name  of  Burt  &  Archer,  and  em- 
barked in  the  grocery  business.  The  connection 
between  the  two  gentlemen  continued  four  years 
when  our  subject  purchased  the  interest  of  his  part- 
ner, continuing  the  business  alone  until  1882  when 
he  sold  out. 

Mr.  Archer  next  became  a  traveling  salesman 
representing  the  tea  house  of  Thomas  H.  Rock- 
wood,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  over  two  years  of  the  time 
before  his  election  to  the  position  he  now  holds.  In 
the  fall  of  1888  his  name  was  brought  before  the 
public  as  a  tandidate  for  Ciicuit  Clerk,  and  having 
won  the  race,  he  .assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  on 
December  3.  The  term  for  which  he  was  elected 
is  four  years.  Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr. 
Archer  is  a  Democrat,  strong  in  the  faith,  and  do- 
ing all  that  he  personall}'  can  to  advance  the  party 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


781 


interests.  As  he  is  still  ou  the  sunny  side  of  life, 
his  career  bifls  fair  to  be  extended  over  years  of 
iisefidness  and  personal  honor. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Archer  and  Miss  Anna 
Burt  was  solemnized  at  the  home  of  the  bride's 
parents  in  PittsGeld,  October  10,  1872.  Mrs. 
Archer  was  born  in  Pike  Count}-  to  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth  (Adams)  Burt,  who  are  numbered  among 
the  earl}-  settlers.  She  is  intelligent  and  refined, 
possesses  pleading  social  qualities,  and  the  spirit  of 
tlie  true  homemaker.  The  congenial  union  has  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  three  children — Bertie  M., 
Mabel  V.  and  George  W. 

DAVARD   H0.SP:Y.      In    every    human    life 

f^      there  is  much  of  interest,  and  in  our  Album 

^  we  seek    to  give    biographical   sketches  of 


those  men  prominently  connected  with  the  history 
of  the  comraunit}-  in  which  they  reside.  True,  at  a 
casual  glance  it  would  seem  that  people  were  nar- 
rowed down  to  a  few  tj^pes,  but  not  so,  for  each 
(lersou  has  an  iudividualit}'  that  under  all  circum- 
stances will  assert  itself.  There  are  few  things  in 
life  that  call  forth  a  greater  amount  of  enthusiastic 
praise  than  is  accorded  a  man  who  being  compelled 
to  battle  with  adverse  circumstances  has  mastered 
them. 

Mr.  Hosey  was  born  in  Monroe  County,  III., 
on  the  10th  of  June,  1824;  his  father,  who  was  a 
native  of  England,  was  numbered  among  the  pio- 
neers of  this  county,  making  his  home  for  some 
time  in  Ft.  Chartres,  aud  dying  in  Randolph 
County  in  1826.  Our  subject's  mother  was  born 
in  Randolph  County  of  French  descent  and  was  the 
mother  of  two  children,  Edward,  and  Mary  B  ,  who 
married  Mr.  LaRamic. 

i\Ir.  Ilosey  was  but  two  years  of  age  when  de- 
prived by  death  of  the  loving  care  of  his  parents 
and  was  reared  by  strangers  in  Randoli>h  County. 
At  an  early  age  he  had  great  responsibilities 
and  cares  thrown  upon  him  and  being  dependent 
upon  his  own  efforts  soon  acquired  habits  of  indus- 
try and  economy  that  liave  been  of  inestimable 
service  to  him  in  his  journey  through  life.      He  re- 


mained in  Randolph  County  until  he  had  attained 
his  sixteenth  year,  at  which  time  he  proceeded  forth 
to  wrestle  with  "stern  Fortune  for  her'smiles.  After 
traveling  through  a  number  of  .States,  at  the  end  of 
six  months  he  located  in  Calhoun  County  where  he 
first  engaged  in'the'lumber  business  arid  w.as  in  a 
short  time  able  to  purchase  his  present  propert}'. 
This  land  was  then  covered  with  heavy  timber  and 
it  required  indomitable  courage  and  great  energj' 
to  clear  it  and  prepare  the  soil  for^agricultural  pur- 
l)Oses. 

Mr.  Hosey  owns  one'hundrcd  and  sixty  acres  of 
and  on  section  28,  in  Richwoods  Precinct,  and  is 
generall}-  conceded  to  begone  of  the  most  enterpris- 
ing and  industrious  farmers  in  this  part  of  the 
county.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.'dyed  in  the 
wool.  He  was  married  in  ISIS  on  the  18th 
of  March  to  Miss^  Elizabeth]  Brazil,  a  native  of 
Missouri.  Mrs.  Hosey  'departed]  this  life  at  the 
home  farmjn  Jul.v,'1883,  leaving'twelve  cliildren, 
viz:  .TohnCC.,'' Henry,  Mary,  Margaret,  Christo- 
pher, Samuel,  Lucinda,  Sarah,  Julia,  Eddie,  Annie 
and  Lewis. 

Mr.  Hosey  furnishes  one  of  the  illustrations  of 
what  energy,  strength  of  character  and  strict  integ- 
rity can  accomplish,  however  adverse  circumstances 
may  be,  and  it  would  be  impossible  in  a  brief  biog- 
raphical sketch  to  render  full  justice  to  one  posses- 
sing such  traits  of  character.  Suflice  it  to  say  that 
his  has  been  a  life  tinged  alike  with  the  gloom  of 
adversity  and  the  brightness  of  success  and  through 
each  he  has  labored  faithfully  to  advance  bothihis 
own  interests  and  those  of  others  who  crossed  his 
path  wa}'. 


ON.  SCOTT  WHvE,  an  honored  citizen  of 
\  Pittsfield,  Pike  County,  w.as  born  at  Mo.ad- 
ville.  Pa.,  April  6,1834.  He  is  a  son  of 
George  and  Ann  (Grubb)  Wike,  both  of 
whom  descended  from  German  ancestors.  The 
family  removed  to  Quincy,  111.,  in  1838,  and  in 
1844  establislied  their  home  in  Pike  County. 
Scott  was  educated  at  Lombard  University  in 
Galesburg,  being  graduated  therefrom  in  1857, 
after  which  he  studied    law  with  Judge  O.  C.  Skin- 


782 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ner  in  Quine3'.  In  1858  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar,  but  not  being  satisfied  with  his  legal  attain- 
ments, he  entered  Harvard  Law  School  at  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  and  received  a  diploma  therefrom 
in  1859. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Wike  oiiened  an  office  at 
Piltsfield  which  he  has  made  his  home  from  that 
time  to  tlie  present.  His  practice  is  satisfactory  in 
extent,  furnishing  him  with  an  adequate  support 
and  is  amply  sufficient  to  give  him  tiie  reputation 
of  an  able  counselor,  judicious  pleader  and  forcible 
esi)0under  of  legal  principles.  Mr.  Wike  is  per- 
haps better  known  in  this  vicinity  as  a  legislator 
than  even  as  a  lawyer,  as  a  place  among  the  law- 
makers of  the  State  is  more  conspicuous  than  one 
upon  the  bar.  He  was  twice  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature, serving  from  1863  to  1867  and  has  twice 
been  a  member  of  Congress,  serving  in  the  Forty- 
fourth  Congress  and  in  the  Fifty-first.  At  the  last 
election  he  received  21,938  votes,  while  his  oppo- 
nent, William  H.  Collins,  (Republican),  had  but 
16,628.  He  is  representing  the  Twelfth  Congres- 
sional District,  composed  of  Adams,  Brown,  Cal- 
houn, Cass,  Greene,  Jersey,  Pike  and  Scott  Coun- 
ties. 


\^^ ATHAN  V.  HADSELL,  a  pioneer  of  Pike 
I  II)  County,  who  for  more  than  half  a  centur}- 
i^J^  has  been  identified  with  its  interests  and  is 
a  well-known  resident  of  Barr^',  was  born  in  Steph- 
entown,  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  August  3, 
1815.  His  fatiicr.  Nathan  Hadsell,  is  thought  to 
have  been  born  in  Rhode  Island,  June  6.  1874.  He 
was  early  left  an  orphan.  lie  was  reared  to  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  and  during  some  period  of  his 
early  life  became  a  resident  of  Massachusetts  where 
he  was  married  to  Barbara  Potter. 

After  marriage  the  parents  of  our  subject  settled 
in  Rensselaer  Count>%  N.  Y.,  where  the}'  lived  for 
some  years.  In  1825  they  removed  to  the  western 
part  of  that  State  with  their  family  of  fifteen  chil- 
dren, making  the  journey  with  teams  and  becoming 
pioneer  settlers  of  Allegany  Countj'.  Mr.  Had- 
sell bought  a  tract  of  heavily  timbered  land,  lo- 
cated in  the  town  of   Almond  and  after  building  a 


cabin  in  the  wilderness  for  the  shelter  of  his  wife 
and  children  commenced  to  clear  a  farm.  At  that 
time  there  were  no  railways  and  the  Erie  Canal 
was  the  only  canal  in  that  part  of  the  country. 
Bath,  thirty  miles  distant,  was  the  principal  mar- 
ket for  grain  and  depot  for  supplies  and  for  some 
years  after  they  settled  there  deer  and  other  kinds 
of  game  were  plentiful.  In  1843  the  father  came 
from  New  York  to  spend  his  last  days  with 
his  children  in  Pike  County,  and  died  here  in  the 
month  of  September,  1844.  His  wife  is  thought 
to  have  been  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  was 
born  March  7,  1775.  She  died  in  Stephentown,  N. 
Y.,  in  1821.  They  reared  fifteen  children  all  of 
whom  married  and  had  families. 

Our  subject  was  the  thirteenth  child  born  to  his 
parents.  He  was  about  ten  years  old  when  his 
father  went  to  Allegany  County.  He  attended 
the  primitive  pioneer  schools  of  that  time  that  were 
taught  in  log  houses  heated  by  a  fireplace  and  sup- 
plied with  homemade  furniture.  As  soon  as  large 
enough  he  commenced  to  assist  his  father  on  the 
farm  and  continued  to  live  in  Allegany-  County 
until  1838.  In  that  year  he  started  for  Illinois 
and  made  the  journey  by  the  Allegany,  Ohio.  Mis- 
sissippi and  Illinois  Rivers,  landing  at  Florence. 
From  there  he  started  on  foot  for  the  house  of  Na- 
thaniel Smith,  who  lived  about  two  miles  from 
Barry*.  At  that  time  there  was  no  village  here, 
thoMgli  there  had  been  a  store  but  the  building  had 
i)een  burned.  The  surrounding  country  was 
sparsely  settled  and  but  little  improved.  Our  sub- 
ject soon  bought  a  tiact  of  land  in  what  is  now 
Hadley  Township.  He  built  a  frame  house  there 
in  1839  and  located  on  the  place  which  was  merely 
a  tract  of  wild  prairie.  He  resided  there  twelve  years 
and  during  that  time  improved  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land.  In  1850  he  removed  to  Washing- 
ton, Eldora  Township,  and  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  there.  He  continued  it  for  a  year  when 
his  store  burned,  entailing  a  great  loss,  in  fact 
sweeping  away  all  his  wealth.  He  had  to  then  be- 
gin life  anew  and  coming  to  Barry  he  sold  goods 
two  years,  and  then  engaged  in  clerking  five  }-ears. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  be  bought  a  farm  of 
fort}'  acres  joining  Barr}',  one-half  of  which  is  now 
included  iu    the  village  and    here   he  has    resided 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


783 


since.  He  has  livefl  to  see  the  entire  growth  of 
the  county,  and  it  may  he  liis  pride  tiiat  he  has  had 
a  hand  in  its  wonderful  development. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  witii  Miss  Klizabclli 
Sliaw  took  place  in  1 839.  She  was  born  in  Otsego 
County,  N.  Y.,  to  Daniel  and  Hepsabeth  (Oster- 
iiaupt)  Sliaw.  For  more  than  fifty  years  our  sub- 
ject and  bis  amiable  wife  have  shared  life's  joys  and 
sorrows  togetlier  and  their  marriage  has  been 
blessed  to  them  by  the  birth  of  two  children — 
Henry  L.  and  Marcelliis  1). 


1 


r^ROF.    WILLIAM    E.    BARBER,    County 
Jji  Superintendent  of    Public    Instruction    of 

Calhoun    County,    is    the    occupant    of    a   j   John   II.   Tice,   then   School   Commissioner  of  St. 


only  son  in  his  father's  family.  He  pursued  the 
course  of  study  taught  in  his  native  place  and  was 
graduated  from  the  High  School  in  1861.  The  fol- 
lowing fall  he  went  to  Cairo.  111.,  where  he  remained 
a  twelvemonth  clerking  in  the  post-offlce.  He  then 
went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  he  held  a  similar 
position  until  September,  1863,  when  he  returned 
to  his  native  place.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  was  en- 
rolled in  Company  F,  Kighty-lifth  Enrolled  Mis- 
souri Militia,  and  spent  some  three  months  in  the 
service,  having  been  enlisted  for  an  emergency. 
During  a  part  of  the  time  he  was  Ordnance  Ser- 
geant. The  company  was  stationed  on  the  Iron 
Mountain  railroad  at  Dc  Soto  to  guard  railroad 
property. 

After  his  term  of  service  Mr.  Barber  returned  to 
his  native  place,  passed  his  first  examination  under 


{ i  pleasant  home  on  section  6,  iu  Hamburg 
Precinct.  He  owns  there  one  hundred  and  forty 
ficrcs  of  good  laud  which  he  has  brought  to  such  a 
tiioioughly-developed  and  well  improved  state  that 
it  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  rural  homes  in  this 
section  of  Illinois.  Prof.  Barber  is  a  self-made 
man  in  so  far  as  his  financial  standing  and  worldly 
p  );sessions  are  concerned,  be  having  acquired  his 
estate  by  dint  of  personal  efforts,  his  onlj-  capital 
in  life  having  been  the  education  received  in  the 
coninion  and  high  schools  of  his  native  place. 

Prof.  Barber  is  of  English  ancestrj ,  at  least  in 
the  paternal  line,  and  several  members  of  the  fara- 
ilj'  were  soldiers  during  the  Revolutionar}'  War. 
Tlie  first  settlement  made  in  America  by  the  Bar- 
bers was  in  IGSjJ,  in  the  old  Bay  .State.  There  the 
fatlier  of  our  subject,  Ephraira  Barber,  was  born. 
He  came  west  to  St.  Louis.  JIo.,  about  1838,  and 
had  cliarge  of  the  St.  Louis  Arsenal  at  the  time  of 
bis  death  in  1844.  In  the  Old  Dominion  Mary  C. 
Berry  was  born,  going  thence  to  St.  Louis,  JIo., 
before  the  old  French  fortifications  were  demolislied 
and  when  the  now  tlourishihg  cit^'  was  but  a  small 
town.  She  became  the  wife  of  Ephraira  Barber 
and  the  mother  of  him  whose  history  is  the  subject 
of  these  paragraphs.  She  is  still  living,  spending 
tlie  greater  part  of  her  time  in  St.  Louis. 

In  that  city  Ai)ril  15,  1843.  the  eyes  of  William 
E.  Barber  opened   to  the    light  of  day.      He   is  the 


Louis  County,  Mo.,  and  taught  there  one  term.  In 
1866  he  removed  to  Calhoun  County,  111.,  locating 
on  a  farm  which  he  has  successfully  operated.  He 
has  taught  perhaps  a  dozen  terms  of  school  in  this 
State  at  different  periods  and  in  various  districts. 

At  the  bride's  home,  October  20,  1871,  Mr.  Bar- 
j  ber  was  married  to  Sarah  M.  Temple,  a  native  of 
East  Tennessee  and  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Charles 
Temple,  who  died  when  the  daughter  was  five  years 
old.  The  widowed  mother  went  to  St.  Louis 
County,  Mo.,  and  Mrs.  Barber  was  reared  there  in 
the  family  of  her  uncle,  .Tohn  N.  Gilbrcath.  She  is 
!\n  intelligent,  refined  woman  of  superior  character 
who  conscientiously  discharges  the  duties  which  lie 
before  her.  The  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bar- 
ber has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  six  children: 
Bertram  T.,  William  E.,  Charles  G.,  Jessie,  Robert 
T.  and  Mary. 

Prof.  Barber  is  a  Republican  and  in  the  fall  of 
1886  was  nominated  fen-  the  position  of  County 
Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction.  He  was 
elected  for  a  term  of  four  years  and  has  served  with 
ci'cclit  to  himself  and  his  constituents.  In  his  offi- 
cial capacity  his  eminent  abilit}'  is  recognized  by 
all  irrespective  of  party,  .as  may  be  seen  by  the  fact 
that  while  Calhoun  County  is  strongly  Democratic 
yet  he  was  elected  over  the  regular  Democratic 
nominee  and  his  election  secured  by  Democratic 
voles.     This  in  itself  is  sutlicient  proof  of  his  pop- 


784 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


ulai-ity  in  tbe  county  wherein  he  had  previously 
made  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  public  school 
teacher.  He  has  served  as  Ciiairman  of  the  Cal- 
lioun  Count}-  Republican  convention  and  his  stand 
on  all  questions  of  public  polity  is  thoroughly  un- 
derstootl  by  his  acquaintances. 

Professor  and  Mrs.  Barber  hold  membership  in 
the  Presbjterian  Ciiurch  and  take  an  active  pari  in 
the  work  carried  on  by  the  society.  Mr.  Barber  is 
now  President  of  the  Sunday-school  organization 
of  Calhoun^County  and  lias  long  been  an  ardent 
worker  in  the  Sunday-school.  He  is  public-spirited, 
a  believer  in  keeping  abreast  of  the  times  and  is 
liberal  toward  all  enterprises  having  for  their 
object  the  elevation  of  society  and  the  improve- 
ment of  the  community.  Sociall}'  Prof.  Barber  is 
an  affable,  obliging  and  entertaining  gentleman  and 
his  presence  is  therefore  greatly  desired  at  social 
gatherings.  Prof.  Barber  was  a  candidate  for  re- 
election for  Superintendent  of  Schools  bat  was 
defeated  with  the  other  members  of  the  Republican 
party  in  this  count}-. 


-€-*-^- 


VI 


ra 


OHN  A.  LANDESS.  residing  on  section  15, 
Montezuma  Township,  Pike  County,  is  one 
of  the  wealthy  citizens  and  prominent  far- 
mers of  the  count}-.  His  life  in  many  re- 
spects is  well  worthy  of  emulation  and  will  serve 
to  encourage  young  men  who,  like  himself  are 
forced  to  begin  the  battle  with  the  world  without 
capital.  He  had  not  even  the  advantages  of  educa- 
tion which  tlie  youtii  of  to-dny  may  acquire,  but  by 
liard  work,  unceasing  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment he  has  acquired  a  competency  which  to-dav 
numbers  him  among  the  substantial  citizens  of  the 
community.  His  career  has  also  been  marked  by 
an  uprightness  and  honesty  of  purpose  wliicli  has 
won  liim  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  brougiit  in  contact. 

Mr.  Landess  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Oiiio, 
in  February,  1814,  and  w.as  the  tiiird  in  order  of 
birtli  in  a  family  of  eight  children,  whose  parents, 
Henry  and  Catherine  (Molcr)  Landess,  were  both 
natives  of  Kentucky.  His  father  served  in  the  War 


of  1812,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  his 
native  State  he  married  Miss  Moler  and  in  1813,  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
where  they  permanently  located.  They  were  num- 
bered among  the  pioneers  of  that  county,  wiiich  at 
the  time  of  their  arrival  was  the  home  of  many  In- 
dians while  wild  animals  in  considerable  numbers 
tenanted  the  forests.  This  worthy  couple  were 
members  of  the  early  Christian  Church  and  in  pol- 
itics he  was  a  Whig.  The  wife  died  in  1829,  after 
which  Mr.  Landess  was  egain  married.  His  death 
occurred  in  1850. 

The  scholastic  training  of  our  subject  was  limited 
to  a  tiiree  weeks  course  and  the  education  which  he 
has  acquired  has  been  through  his  own  efforts. 
Like  a  dutiful  son  he  remained  at  iiome  assisting 
his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  until  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  when  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself,  working  as  a  farm  hand  for  $10  per  month. 
He  also  chopped  wood  for  thirty  seven  and  one- 
half  cents  per  day  and  split  rails  for  twenty-five 
cents  per  hundreil.  He  worked  thus  for  a  year 
and  tlien  invested  his  wages  in  a  team  and  rented 
land.  At  the  age  of  twenty-four,  in  1837,  he  mar- 
ried RacLel  Michael,  and  they  settled  upon  a  rented 
farm  which  continued  to  bo  their  iiouie  three  years. 
By  .1  life  of  industry  and  economy  during  that  per- 
iod he  acquired  a  small  capital  with  which  he  pur- 
chased fifty  acres  of  timber  land.  After  clearing 
and  developing  a  farm  he  sold  and  purchased  an 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  acres, 
which  continued  to  be  his  home  until  the  spring  of 
1865.  That  year  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Pike 
County,  111.,  and  he  located  on  section  15,  Monte- 
zuma Township,  purchasing  two  hundred  and 
thirty-four  acres.  The  rich  Illinois  land  soon 
yielded  excellent  returns  for  the  cultivation  he  be- 
stowed upon  it  and  as  his  financial  resources  were 
in  consequenc&  increased  lie  added  to  his  farm  un- 
til it  now  comprises  four  hundred  and  forty-four 
acres.  His  career  lias  generally  been  a  prosperous 
one  yet  he  has  also  met  with  adversity.  In  1867 
his  barns  and  their  contents  wore  burned  but  with 
characteristic  energy  he  rebuilt  in  1868  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000. 

Mrs.  Landess,  who  was  a  most  estimable  lady, 
was  boru  in  Virginia  in  1818.     Her  parents,  Dan- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALHUM. 


7r:. 


iel  and  Catherine  (Hefifner)  Michael,  were  also  na- 
tives of  Virginia,  whence  they  removed  to  High- 
land Count}',  Oliio,  where  the  iuisband  extensively 
engaged  in  farming.  His  death  occurred  in  1863 
and  his  wife  died  ten  years  subsequently.  He  was 
a  Democrat  in  politics  and  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Highland  County.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Landess  were 
parents  of  eleven  children,  ten  of  whom  are  yet 
living,  as  follows:  William,  who  married  Jennie 
Van  Pelt  and  resides  in  California;  Levi,  of  Pearl 
Township  wedded  Eveline  Sweet,  bj'  whom  he  has 
two  children;  Nanoy  C,  is  the  wife  of  Elias  Cal- 
vin of  Montezuma  Township;  Daniel,  of  .Dallas 
County,  Tex.,  married  Miss  Potter,  and  their  fam- 
ily numbers  three  children;  John  11.,  wedded  Mary 
Sheiilierd,  by  whom  he  has  four  children  and  they 
make  their  home  .with  our  subject;  Harve^v,  who 
married  Carrie  Fiigate,  is  a  resident  of  Montezuma; 
.Samuel  wedded  Rose  Martin;  tUey  have  two  chil- 
dren and  reside  in  Milton;  Thompson  A.,  of  Mon- 
tezuma Township,  married  Hattie  Sergeant  and  two 
children  grace  their  union;  Martin  L.,  who  wedded 
Amanda  Belle  Sowers,  by  whom  he  has  three  chil- 
dren, is  a  resident  farracrof  Montezuma  Township; 
Amanda  is  the  wife  of  Hustis  Cumby,  of  Dal- 
las, Tex.,  and  their  union  is  blessed  with  one 
child. 

The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  her  final 
rest  having  been  for  many  years  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Christian  Church, and  her  excellencies  of  char- 
acter won  her  the  love  of  many  friends.  Her  care- 
ful training  of  her  daughters  made  them  noble  women 
and  tlie  Christian  teachings  given  to  lier  bciys  com- 
bined witli  the  lessons  of  industry  and  enterprise 
which  they  learned  from  their  father  made  them 
useful  and  respected  citizens.  It  is  :i  family  of 
which  Mr.  Landess  m.ay  well  be  proud.  He  too  is 
a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  with  which  he 
united  forty  years  ago.  His  sons  and  himself  are 
warm  advocates  of  temperance  principles  and  of 
tiie  cause  of  education.  In  Ohio  he  was  for  many 
years  a  School  Director  and  has  lilled  the  same 
office  in  Montezuma  Townsliip,  also  Township 
Trustee.  He  cast  his  first  I'residential  vote  for 
Gen.  Jackson  at  his  second  election  and  continued 
to  support  the  Democracy  until  1.S72.  when  he 
voted  for  Peter  Cooper,  .since  wiiich   time   lie  has 


affiliated  with  the  Greenback  party.  Mr  Lan<iess  is 
now  seventy-six  years  of  age  but  is  still  hale  ami 
hearty  and  personally  superintends  the  manage- 
ment of  his  business  interests.  HU  honesty  is 
proverbial  and  an  upriglit  life  has  made  him  hon- 
oied  among  his  fellow-citizens. 


LONZO  IIADLEY,  whose  biography  is 
presented,  was  born  in  Sciot^a  County. 
Ohio,  April  18.  1858,  being  a  son  of  Free- 
dus  Hadley,  a  native  of  New  York  State. 
Our  subject's  grandfather,  Howard  Hadley,  was,  it 
is  thought,  born  in  Massachusetts  and  removed 
from  that  State  to  New  York  and  from  there  to 
Ohio  where  he  located  in  Sciota  County  and  de- 
voted his  attention  to  the  butchering  business.  He 
next  removed  to  Kentucky,  in  which  State  he  set- 
tled on  a  farm  and  where  he  passed  the  remainder 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  Mr.  Iladley's  father  w.as 
young  when  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio  and  in 
that  State  he  spent  his  years  until  1858,  at  which 
date  he  remo\ed  with  his  wife  and  three  children 
to  Illinois,  making  the  t'rip  by  way  of  the  Ohio, 
Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers.  At  first  he  rented 
laud  but  afterward  look  up  a  tr.act  of  land  embrac- 
ing one  hundred  acres  and  situated  in  the  Illinois 
River  Valley.  He  added  to  his  estite  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1885  was  the  owner  of  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  divided  into  three 
farms. 

Freedus  Ila<lley,  father  of  our  subject,  niarriid 
Miss  Hannah  Eaton  June  30,  1850.  Her  birth  oc- 
curred in  Pennsylvania  March  27,  1830,  and  her 
father,  Samuel  Eaton,  was  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  that  State,  as  was  also  her  grandfather, 
Samuel  Eaton.  The  grandmother  of  our  subject 
w.as  Mary  Mizner  who  was  born  in  Ohio. 

Our  subject's  parents  had  five  children — Albert, 
Oberia,  Alonzo,  Flora  B.  and  Oliver  I).  Oberia 
married  Sharron  Twitchell;  Flora  married  Arthur 
D.  Fowler.  Alonzo  was  an  infant  when  he  came 
to  Calhoun  County  with  his  parents  and  here  re- 
ceived his  educational  training.  While  (|uitcyoung 
he  commenced  to  assist  his  father  on  the  farm   and 


786 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


resided  with  liim  until  the  latter  was  called  away 
to  his  final  resting  place.  One  jear  later  he  took 
possession  of  his  present  farm  which  embraces  two 
hundred  and  forty-eight  acres  of  fine  Illinois  River 
bottom  land  and  has  Iniilt  first-class  barns  and 
other  needed  buildings  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Hadle3'  was  married,  September  27,  1885,  to 
Miss  Frances  Crump  who  was  born  in  Greenville, 
Ky.  Her  father,  Thomas  Crump,  was  also  a  native 
of  tiie  Blue  Grass  Stale  and  was  there  educated 
and  continues  to  make  his  home  there.  He  married 
Miss  Jennie  Lozier,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  is  still 
living  at  the  present  writing. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  lladley  has  been  born  one  son — 
Freedus  G.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  the  strictest 
integrity  and  one  who  is  held  in  iiigh  esteem  by  all 
who  know  him.  lie  is  a  very  public-spirited  man, 
taking  great  interest  in  both  national  and  local  af- 
fairs and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  in- 
terests of  right  and  justice.  Socially,  he  belongs 
to  Illinois  Lodge  No.  444,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


■isS^ 


*       ON.  THOMAS  WORTEHNGTON.     One  of 

ll  the  most  respected  mtnibtn's  of  the  bar  in 
I'ike  County  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  ic- 

spected  citizens  of  Illinois,  is  the  gentleman 

whose  name  we  introduce  this  biographical  sketch. 
lie  is  widely-known  and  honored,  and  in  his  home 
in  PittsBeld  he  bears  the  reputation  of  a  gentleman 
of  high  character,  rare  culture  and  commanding 
t.'dcnt,  whose  public  record  is  without  stain  and 
whose  private  life  is  irreproachable. 

Our  siibject  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Thos.  Worthington, 
a  pioneer  physician  of  this  count}',  who  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of 
the  medical  profession  of  PIttsfield,  and  in  this 
[lart  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
luiru  in  1808,  and  a  son  of  James  Worthington,  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  ancestors  came 
fiom  England,  and  were  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Maryland.  Dr.  Worthington  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1827,  and  was  one  of  its  earliest  physi- 
cians.     He    was  prominent    in  j)ublie   affairs  and 


helped  to  plat  and  lay  out  the  town  of  PIttsfield.  A 
more  extensive  sketch  of  his  life  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Emily  J.  (Long) 
Worthington  and  was  a  daughter  of  Col.  Kennedy 
Long,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  The  Colonel  was  of  Irish 
descent  and  was  one  of  the  defenders  of  Baltimore 
in  the  War  of  1812,  taking  an  active  part  in  the 
battle  at  North  Point  in  the  command  of  the 
Twenty-seventh  Maryland  Regiment.  Mrs.  Worth- 
ington died  at  Pittsfield  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  six- 
ty-two years.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine  children, 
five  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  eight  are 
still  living. 

Thomas  Worthington,  of  this  biographical  re- 
view, was  born  in  Spencer,  Tenn.,  June  8,  18.50,  the 
sixth  child  iu  the  familj-.  He  was  given  fine  edu- 
cational advantages,  and  after  pursuing  a  course  of 
study  in  Pittsfield  High  School  entered  Cornell 
University  at  Utica,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  honors  in  the  class  of  1873,  as 
Ph.  B.  After  leaving  college  he  taught  in  the 
High  School  at  Carrollton,  111.,  and  iu  a  private 
school  in  Rockport  for  a  j'ear.  Having  resolved  to 
take  up  the  study  of  law  he  then  entered  the  office 
of  Judge  Atkinson  and  Col.  Archer,  with  whom  he 
s'.udied  and  afterward  entered  the  Chicago  Uni- 
versity, from  the  law  department  of  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  month  of  June,  1877. 

Returning  to  PittsBeld  after  ho  left  the  Univer- 
sity. Mr.  Worthington  opened  an  office  in  tliis  eit}'. 
Perhaps  few  have  commenced  their  professional 
work  better  prepared  for  it  than  he,  and  success 
was  assured  from  the  start.  The  first  business  to 
which  he  devoted  his  attention  was  to  conduct  an 
important  litigation  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  for  the  heirs 
of  his  grandfather's  estate,  which  had  passed  into 
other  har.ds  about  fifty  years  previous  to  his  tak- 
ing the  matter  in  hand.  It  was  quite  a  triumph  for 
the  young  lawyer  that  he  succeeded  in  recovering 
a  considerable  part  of  the  property  after  the  lapse 
of  over  a  half  century.  Mr.  Worthington  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  State  and  local  politics  and  is  a  rep- 
'  resentative  Republican.  In  1882  he  was  elected  to 
,  the  Thirty-third  General  Assembly'  from  the  six- 
ty-sixth district,  composed  of  Pike,  Brown  and 
Calhoun  Counties,  111.    In  his  career  as  a  legislator 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


787 


he  (Iisplayerl  fine,  statesman-like  qualities  and  a  true 
devotion  to  the  liighcst  interests  of  the  comnioii- 
wealLli.  He  was  prominent  in  the  discussion  of  and 
in  securing  passage  of  the  bill  for  compulsory  edu(  a- 
tion.  He  was  also  influential  in  aiding  the  pas- 
sage of  the  high  license  law.  He  is  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  social  circles,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  Pittsfield  Lodge,  No.  790,  A.  F.  li: 
A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  Master  and  he  has  also  been 
Past  Commander  of  Ascalon  Commandery,  No.  49, 
K.  T.  He  was  Presidential  elector  in  1888  on  the 
Republican  ticket,  and  in  many  ways  h.as  been 
closely  identified  with  the  |)olitical  history  of  Pike 
County  during  the  last  decade. 


S\  ONRAD  AL'ER  was  a  brave  soldier  in  the 
late  war  in  which  be  did  noble  service  for 
^^/  his  adopted  eountrj'  and  is  doing  no  less 
good  work  as  one  of  its  inustrious  pi-actical 
farmci'S.  lie  is  conducting  his  agricultural  inter- 
ests in  Point  Precinct,  Calhoun  County,  where  lie 
has  a  good  farm. 

Mr.  Auer  was  born  in  the  town  of  Schaffhauson, 
Switzerland,  May  20,  1839,  and  was  nine  years  old 
when  be  came  to  America  with  bis  parents.  He 
remembers  well  the  incidents  of  the  long  ocean 
voyage  and  of  the  life  that  followed  after  settling 
here  amid  pioneer  surroundings.  He  was  of  great 
use  on  the  farm  during  his  bojhood  and  continued 
to  live  with  his  parents  until  1854  when  he  and  iiis 
brotlier  Melchoir  went  to  Pike  County  to  find  em- 
ployment. He  first  worked  witli  a  farmer  and  re- 
mained with  him  until  1857,  when  he  came  back  to 
Calhoun  County  and  was  employed  on  the  liome 
farm  two  subsequent  years.  After  that  we  find  him 
engaged  at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  with  his  brother 
Jacob.  A  year  later  he  gave  that  up  and  in  the 
fall  of  1860  commenced  farming  with  his  brother. 

Our  subject  was  thus  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  watched  the 
course  of  the  great  conflict  with  interest  and  with 
all  the  patriotism  of  a  native-born  citizen  offered 
his  services  to  his  country  as  soon  as  lie  could  ar- 
range  to  do  so  and   on  the   1st  of  August,  1861, 


became  a  member  of  Company  D,  First  Missouri 
Cavalry  and  served  until  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
being  with  his  regiment  in  Missouri  and  Kansas 
until  June,  1863,  and  tTien  on  detached  service  at 
head(iuarters  the  first  eight  months  as  messenger. 
November  8,  1864,  he  joined  his  regiment  at  Little 
Rock,  Ark.,  and  remained  with  it  in  that  State  un- 
til September  1,  1865,  when  he  and  his  comrades 
were  lionorably  discharged. 

Mr.  Auer  after  his  return  from  the  army  quietly 
resumed  farming,  buying  a  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead on  which  he  lived  until  1869.  He  then  sold 
it  to  his  brother  and  farmed  as  a  renter  until  1877 
wiien  he  bought  the  place  where  he  now  resides 
on  section  15,  of  Point  Precinct,  township  13, 
range  1.  Here  he  has  everything  in  good  con- 
dition, has  the  soil  under  excellent  tillage,  neat 
and  well  arranged  buildings  and  everything  con- 
venient for  carrying  on  farming  after  the  best 
methods.  His  reputation  as  a  skilled  farmer  places 
liim  among  the  best  in  the  township.  He  is  an  in- 
telligent citizen,  interesting  himself  in  whatever 
will  benefit  the  community  and  he  is  a  well-informed 
man  as  he  is  fond  of  reading  and  has  good  powers 
of  observation. 

Mr.  Auer  and  Miss  Hannah  O.  Barnhart  were 
married  in  the  month  of  November,  1872.  Mrs. 
Auer  is  a  native  of  this  State,  having  been  born 
in  St.  Clair  County  and  siie  is  a  daughter  of  Henry 
J.  and  jNIary  (Clausen)  Barnhart.  The  pleasant 
wedded  life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Auer  has  been  pro- 
ductive to  them  of  four  children — AL-uid  E..  Ella 
Rose,  Grace  D.  and  Dora  H. 

^fUDGE  JOHN  W.  ALLEN.  A  goodly  del- 
egation of  the  early  settlers  in  Pike  County 
have  retired  from  tiie  toilsome  duties  of  life 
and  arc  now  enjoying  merited  repose,  sur- 
rounded by  the  material  comforts  secured  by  unre- 
mitting energy  and  tact  and  the  kindly  care  of 
loving  children  and  friends.  One  of  this  number 
is  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  these  para- 
graphs, his  place  of  abode  being  the  town  of 
Milton.      He   has    been   closelv  identified    with    llie 


788 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


agricultural,  educational  and  official  history  of  the 
county,  and  is  well  known  to  the  old  settlers  as  an 
efficient  co-laborer  in  the  development  of  this  sec- 
tion of  a  great  commonwealth,  while  to  the  j'oung- 
er  generation  he  is  a  model  of  usefulness  and  zeal. 

Prior  to  Revolutionary  d.ays  tliree  brothers  b}' 
the  name  of  Allen  left  England  to  establish  homes 
in  the  Colonies,  all  settling  in  the  Chickahominj' 
Swamp,  Ya.  There  their  families  were  reared  and 
many  of  the  descendants  reside.  The  battle  of 
fSeven  Pines  was  fought  on  the  Allen  farm.  During 
the  Revolution  the  fatiier  of  our  subject  was  placed 
in  a  hospital  near  Richmond  to  be  inoculated 
against  smallpox  and  was  then  retained  as  a  nurse 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  bore  the  name  of 
Littleberr}'  Allen,  was  born  in  Henricko  Count}' 
in  1767  and  spent  his  entire  life  in  that  locality, 
lie  married  Jane  Austin  who  was  born  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  Littleberry  Allen  was  a  man  of 
prominence,  held  various  local  officesland  was  an 
official  in  the  United  States  Bank,  a  branch  of 
which  was  established  at  Richmond  under  a  charter 
signed  by  President  Washington  in  1796.  He  was 
afterward  Doorkeeper  of  the  State  Senate  for 
twenty-eight  years  and  was  followed  in  the  position 
by  his  son,  who  retained  the  place  until  the  Civil 
War  began. 

The  mother  <jf  our  subject  was  of  the  Baptist 
faith,  while  the  father  was  liberal  in  his  religious 
belief,  but  was  generous  in  his  support  of  churches 
and  of  schools.  Mrs.  Allen  died  in  1821  and  Mr. 
Allen  in  1832.  The}'  were  the  parents  of  ten  cijil- 
dren,  our  subject  being  the  only  survivor. 

The  natal  day  of  Judge  Allen  was  October  21, 
1814.  His  elementary  education  was  obtained  in 
the  little  schoolhouse  at  Seven  Pines  and  he  subse- 
(piently  pursued  a  classical  course  at  Cold  Harbor, 
gaining  a  thorough  understanding  of  Latin,  math- 
ematics and  surveying.  When  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  began  his  personal  career  as  a  school  teacher 
in  his  native  Slate  and  after  teaching  there  a  year 
continued  in  the  profession  in  Kentucky.  He  made 
the  Blue  Grass  State  his  home  until  1841,  combin- 
ing with  his  pedagogical  labor  that  of  clerk  in  a 
store.  He  then  married  and  established  his  home 
in  Saline  County,  Mo.,  locating  on  a  tract  of  land 
which   he  operated  until   1847,  although  he  con- 


tinued his  professional  work  also.  He  next  became 
a  resident  of  Pike  County,  111.,  making  his  home  in 
Milton.  He  taught  school  for  a  number  of  years 
and  also  carried  on  farming.  As  an  educator  he 
was  thorough  in  imparting  instruction,  firm  in  dis- 
cipline and  highly  thought  of  by  the  members  of  the 
community  in  which  he  labored. 

About  1854  Mr.  Allen  gave  his  attention  exclu- 
sively to  his  farm  in  Detroit  Township,  which  he 
subsequently  sold,  buying  another  tract  in  Spring 
Creek  Township.  Still  later  he  sold  that  land  and 
again  purchased  in  Detroit  Townshi[)  where  he  now 
owns  thirty-six  acres  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion and  marked  with  such  improvements  as  are 
usually  made  bj'  a  man  of  energy  and  good  judg- 
ment. In  1869  Judge  Allen  made  a  permanent 
home  in  Milton  and  laid  aside  the  toils  of  life  to 
spend  his  declining  years  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
pleasures  to  which  his  tastes  lead  and  which  his 
prosperous  circumstances  will  allow. 

The  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  our  subject  in 
1841  was  Louisa,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Judith 
(Robertson)  Baker.  Her  parents  were  Virginians 
who  removed  to  Kentucky,  where  Mrs.  Allen  was 
born  in  1824.  Ten  years  later  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker 
came  to  this  State,  settling  in  Pike  County.  Mrs. 
Allen  received  a  common-school  education  in  Mil- 
ton and  under  the  care  of  her  worthy  parents  at- 
tained skill  and  wisdom  in  the  various  matters 
which  pertain  to  household  economy  and  manage- 
ment. She  was  one  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom 
are  now  living.  She  passed  away  in  1862  and  her 
parents  are  also  deceased.  Her  union  had  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  the 
present  survivors  are:  Dr.  Charles  I.  Allen;  Mrs. 
Jane  Morton,  now  living  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Henry 
L.,  and  Austin  B. 

In  1875  Judge  Allen  contracted  a  second 
matrimonial  alliance,  his  bride  being  Mrs.  Amer- 
ica Nicholay,  nee  WMlliams.  This  lady  was 
born  in  North  Carolina  and  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1835  with  her  parents.  She  had  a 
good  common-school  education,  the  housewifely 
skill  which  makes  her  home  cozy  and  attractive  and 
a  Christian  character,  both  she  and  her  husband  be- 
longing to  the  Church  of  Christ. 

As  has  been  already  indicated,  Judge  Allen  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


rwu 


lielil  a  prominent  jilace  in  the  community  of  which 
he  is  a  member,  lie  h.ns  been  espeeially  active  in 
the  political  arena  and  is  an  uncompromising  Dem- 
ocrat. For  years  he  has  licld  school  offices,  being 
Director  and  Treasurer  and  has  always  manifested 
great  ze.il  regarding  the  cause  of  education.  In 
1818  he  was  elected  M.agi.^trate  and  when  the  Con- 
stitution was  ratified  in  1849  and  tlie  old  officials 
went  out  of  office,  he  was  re-elected  and  retained 
his  office  until  1854.  From  185G  to  I8G1  he  was 
Supervisor  of  Detroit  Township  and  during  the 
year  List  mentioned  was  elected  County  Judge.  He 
served  in  that  capacity  until  1865,  discliarging  the 
duties  of  the  position  judiciously  and  efficiently. 
After  his  retirement  fiom  the  Bench  he  was  again 
elected  Supervisor  of  Detroit  Townsliip  and  serve<l 
until  he  retired  from  active  life.  In  every  position 
to  whicli  he  has  been  called  be  has  brought  to  bear 
upon  his  duties  all  tlie  powers  of  a  cultured  mind 
and  an  energetic  nature  and  lie  li.as  therefore  be- 
come favorably  known 
[jrivate  citizen. 


as  an   official  as  well  as  a 


WILLIAM    H.    JOHN.STON.       Among    the 


ft  A,/'     retired  business  men  wlio  make  their  liomo 


r/ 

yj  in  Pittsfield  is  the  gentleman  above  named. 
lie  has  been  an  honored  resident  of  this  city  since 
1855  and  has  been  intimately  associated  with  its 
growth  in  business,  in  intelligence  and  in  morality. 
For  a  niiml)er  of  years  Mr.  Johnston  carried  on  a 
nursery  and  he  still  devotes  considerable  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  small  fruits  on  a  farm  just 
beyond  the  city  limits.  The  place  consists  of 
twenty-four  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land  and 
contains  excellent  buildings  of  various  kinds 
suited  to  the  needs  and  convenience  of  the  occu- 
pants. 

William  Johnston,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
a  native  of  the  Old  Dominion,  whence  he  went  to 
Ki  ntucky  with  his  parents  in  his  boyhood.  After 
reaching  years  of  maturity  he  married  Elizabeth 
Booth,  a  native  of  Virginia,  whose  home  had  been 
in  the  Blue  Grass  .State  from  early  childhood.  Some 
years  after  their  marriage  this  couple  took  up  their 


residence  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  whence  they  removed 
to  Pike  County,  that  Sl.ate,  :ind  in  March.  1834. 
to  Pike  County.  III.  Here  they  located  upon  a 
farm  in  what  is  now  Jvewburg  Townshij),  win  re  the 
father  resumed  his  olden  occupation  of  an  agricul- 
turist. Late  in  life  Mr.  Johnston  took  up  his  abode 
in  Detroit,  where  he  bre.ithed  his  last  in  1865.  His 
wife  had  passed  away  in  1856. 

The  parental  family  consisted  of  five  sons  ami 
four  daughters,  seven  of  whom  are  still  living. 
Perry,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Clarksville,  Mo.,  who 
represented  his  county  in  the  legislature  two  terms, 
died  in  his  thirty-eighth  year;  William  11.  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch;  Mary  A.  is  deceased;  Co- 
lumbus is  engaged  in  the  jewelry  business  in  Clarks- 
ville, Mo.;  Thornton  is  a  locomotive  engineer,  re- 
siding in  the  same  town;  Kmarilla  married  James 
Young,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister  in  Pittsfield; 
Irene;  Henry  C.  makes  his  home  "in  Springfield, 
Mo.;  Frances  is  the  widow  of  B.  F.  Wiggins  and 
now  lives  in  Jackson,  Mo. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
Bourbon  County,  K}-.,  Januar}'  13,  1818,  and  was 
about  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  became  a  resi- 
dent in  the  county  which  is  now  his  home,  lie 
received  the  greater  part  of  his  education  in  the 
log  school  houses  of  Missouri  and  Illinois;  but 
having  good  mental  ability  and  a  desire  for  knowl- 
edge, he  improved  his  opportunities  and  became 
practically  well-informed  on  all  topics  taught.  On 
reaching  his  twenly-lirst  year  he  began  teaching 
school  and  pursued  the  profession  in  the  country 
two  j^ears. 

Young  Johnston  then  went  to  Florence  and  be- 
gan supplying  Illinois  River  steamers  with  wood, 
carrying  on  that  occupation  three  3'ears.  His 
health  failing,  he  was  obliged  to  quit  the  place  and 
moving  to  Detroit,  some  distance  back  from  the 
river,  began  merchandising,  a  business  in  which  he 
was  engaged  for  fifteen  jears.  After  some  years 
he  removed  his  business  to  Pittsfield  where,  .as  be- 
fore stated,  he  has  resided  about  thirty-five  j'ears. 
Mr.  Johnston  h.as  filled  several  min(;r  oflices,  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  cveiy  station  to  which  he 
has  been  called  with  faithfulness  and  efficiency. 
He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  several  terms 
and  has  been  School  Treasurer  for  the  |)ast  twenty- 


roo 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


five  years.  Since  1854  he  has  belonged  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  he  has  occupied  several  of 
the  cl)airs  in  the  Blue  Lodge.  For  twelve  years 
Air.  Johnston  was  Secretary  of  the  Old  Settlers' 
Association,  and  when  he  declined  to  serve  any 
longer,  he  was  presented  with  a  handsome  gold- 
headed  cane  as  a  token  of  the  appreciation  felt  for 
his  services.  His  first  Presidential  vote  was  cast 
for  William  Henry  Harrison  and  the  last  which  he 
deposited  was  for  Gen.  Benjamin  Harrison.  It 
will  thus  be  seen  that  he  is  now  a  stanch  Republican 
having  formerly  been  identified  with  the  Whig 
element. 

Mr.  Johnston  has  been  twice  married,  first  on 
June  8,  1841,  to  Miss  Angeline  Barney,  at  that  time 
a  resident  of  this  county.  That  lady  was  born  in 
Ohio,  being  a  daughter  of  Col.  B.  F.  Barney,  one  of 
the  prominent  old  settlers  of  this  county  and  one 
of  the  commissioners  selected  to  locate  the  county- 
seat  in  1831.  Mrs.  Johnston  died  leaving  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Ann,  Elizabeth,  William  Nash, 
John  J.,  Minerva,  Cora  and  William  P.  Those 
who  are  still  living  are  John,  a  jeweler  in  Pittsfield; 
W^illiam  P.,  a  farmer  in  Richland  County ;  and 
Minerva  and  Cora,  who  are  still  with  their  father. 
In  October,  1869,  Mr.  Johnston  contracted  liis 
second  matrimonial  alliance,  marrying  Miss  Lodena 
Scott,  a  native  of  this  county,  who  has  borne  him 
one  daughter — Edna — still  a  school-girl.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Johnston  are  consistent  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  and  have  many  warm  friends  through- 
out the  community  where  they  have  been  so  long 
and  favorably  known. 


•HUM""— — i' ••(■'■•'i'^  •  \!'  •  v&- 

^^^EORGE  W.  MILLER  is  one  uf  the  sub- 
Ill  f^w'  s^^"'''^'  ^"^^  well-to-do  citizens  of  Pike 
^i^Jil  Count}',  and  is  connected  with  its  industrial 
interests  as  a  practical  farmer  and  miller,  owning 
and  occupying  a  good  farm  in  Fairmount  Town- 
ship where  he  also  oi)erales  a  mill.  The  history 
of  the  Miller  family  dates  back  in  Virginia  prior 
to  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  its  fust  representa- 
tives came  to  America.     It  is  not  known  whether 


the  grandfather  of  our  subject  died  in  Virginia  or 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  some  members  of  the  fam- 
ily having   gone  to   the  latter    State  from  Wood 
stock,  Va. 

Abraham  Miller,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  and  reared  in  Virginia.  He  married  a  native 
of  that  State,  Susannan  Downey'  by  name  who  was 
born  and  reared  in  Shenandoah  County  and  came 
of  a  respectable  old  Virginia  family.  After  the 
birth  of  two  children,  Hamilton  and  Rebecca, 
Abraham  Miller  and  his  wife  crossed  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia  with  a  team  and  penetrated  the 
wilds  of  Ohio  in  the  winter  of  1832.  They  made 
a  settlement  near  Lebanon,  Warren  County,  in  an 
almost  unbroken  wilderness.  Mr.  Miller  had 
learned  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  in  his  native 
State  and  be  established  a  smithy  near  Lebanon 
and  engaged  at  his  calling  for  many  years,  asso- 
ciating the  business  with  that  of  farming.  That 
was  in  an  earl}-  day  before  railroads  had  been  built 
in  that  county  and  the  countr}'  was  sparsely  settled. 
j\lr.  Miller  also  erected  a  shop  at  Waynesvillc  and 
did  a  large  amount  of  blacksmith  work  for  the 
stage  routers  and  had  several  men  in  his  emploj'. 
While  he  was  working  at  Waynesville  the  great 
cholera  epidemic  broke  out,  but  fortunately  they 
escaped  and  thus  were  enabled  to  be  of  great  as- 
sistance to  the  sick  and  dying.  Abraham  Miller 
and  his  wife  were  hard  working  people  and  made  a 
comfortable  living.  They  rounded  out  useful 
lives  at  an  advanced  age  near  where  they  first  set- 
tled in  W^arren  County.  Mr.  Miller  was  a  soldier 
all  through  the  War  of  1812  and  was  quite  active 
in  the  service,  taking  part  in  many  engagements, 
but  he  escaped  unhurt  and  was  never  captured  by 
the  British.  He  and  his  wife  were  good  Christian 
people.  IMrs.  Miller  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church,  while  her  husband  belonged 
to  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Miller  was  a  Whig  in  politics. 

Our  suliject  is  one  of  six  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  three  sons  and  one  daughter  are  j'et 
living.  He  was  born  Januar}'  12,  1826  near  Leba- 
non, Ohio,  and  was  reared  to  man's  estate  in  War- 
ren County.  He  eiuly  learned  the  business  of  a 
millwright  and  followed  it  in  Ohio  for  some  years. 
In  1857  he  too   became  a  pioneer,   coming   to  llli- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


791 


nois  and  settling  in  Perrj-  Townsliip,  this  countj'. 
In  1868  he  carae  to  Fairmount  Township  and  i)vir- 
cliased  a  fine  farm  on  section  6,  where  he  owns  one 
hundred  and  eighty-five  acres  of  choice  land,  and 
has  besides  eight}'- live  acres  adjoining  in  Brown 
County.  It  is  all  well  watered  and  well  stocked 
and  lie  has  placed  it  under  substantial  improve- 
ments, putting  up  a  good  house  and  commodious 
farm  buildings.  He  has  erected  a  mill  for  fine  meal 
and  coarse  feed  stuff,  for  which  he  Dnds  ready  sale 
and  hero  tiie  farmers  of  the  surrounding  countrj- 
come  to  have  their  corn  ground.  It  is  operated  by 
a  jiortahle  engine  and  is  supplied  with  first-class 
machinery.  Mr.  Miller  is  a  practical  farmer  and 
lias  converted  his  farm  from  a  tract  of  underbrush 
into  one  of  the  most  valuable  estates  in  this 
locality. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  Brown  County,  Ohio, 
to  Miss  ^lar}-  A.  Keed,  a  native  of  that  count}'. 
She  was  born  August  23,  1830,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Keziah  (Clark)  Reed.  After  mar- 
riage her  parents  had  settled  in  Brown  County. 
Ohio,  and  there  their  three  children  were  born. 
The}'  subsequently  came  to  Illinois  and  located  on 
a  farm  in  Fairmount  Township  v.'here  their  remain- 
ing days  were  spent,  Mr.  Reed  dying  at  the  .age  of 
-cvcnty-six  years  and  his  wife  at  the  age  of  sixty 
wars.  They  were  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church  and  Mr.  Reed  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  of 
Bronn  County  for  several  years.  Mrs.  Miller,  the 
wife  of  our  subject,  was  one  of  a  large  family  and 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Brown  County  and  re- 
mained there  until  iier  marriage.  She  is  an  intel- 
ligent, capable  woman  and  gives  her  husband  hearty 
CO  operation.  Their  marriage  has  been  productive 
of  ten  children,  of  whom  two  are  deceased:  Ellen, 
and  C.  Elizabeth,  both  of  whom  were  married  and 
left  cliildren.  Of  the  other  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miller,  the  following  is  recorded:  Willirmi  R. 
married  Jemima  .Smith  and  carries  on  fanning 
near  Maredosia.  Morgan  Count}';  Sarena  is  the 
wife  of  William  T.  Harelson,  a  fanner  of  Adams 
County;  Silas  B.,  married  Clara  Tucker  and  is  car- 
rying on  farming  in  Fairmount  Township;  Keziah 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  Jones,  a  farmer  near  Mound 
City,  Linn  County,  Kan.;  L.  Anna  is  at  home  with 
her  parents;  Samuel  II.  is  at   home   and   helps  his 


father  in  the  management  of  the  farm;  Meretta  E. 
is  the  wife  of  Lewis  Jones,  and  they  live  near 
Mound  City,  Kan.;  Sarah  E.  is  at  home  with  lier 
parents. 

Mr.  Miller  and  his  sons  aro  stalwart  advocates 
of  the  Reiiublican  party.  I\Ir.  .Miller  is  a  man  of 
excellent  habits  and  of  sterling  character  and  has 
displayed  sturdy  enterprise  in  the  managemsnt  of 
his  business,  whereby  he  h.as  accumulated  a  com- 
fortable property.  He  and  his  wife  stand  well  in 
the  community  as  good  neighbors  and  good  citi- 
zens. Mrs.  Miller  is  an  active  member  of  liie 
United  Brethren  Church  of  this  township. 


^OHX  KNESE  is  a  line  representative  of  the 
German  element  that  h.as  been  so  prominent 
in  developing  the  agricultural  interests  of 
this  State,  and  is  numbered  among  tlie  pros- 
perous farmers  of  Hardin  Precinct,  Calhoun  County. 
He  was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  March  1,  1845, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  II.  Knese,  a  native  of  the  same 
place,  (irandfather  Anton  Knese  was  also  born 
theie,  and  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  Hanover, 
where  he  was  engaged  as  a  farmer.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
where  he  still  resides,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
butcher,  which  he  carried  on  in  connection  vrith 
farming. 

Our  subject  and  his  brother,  Henry  Andrew,  were 
the  only  members  of  the  family  who  ever  came  to 
the  United  States  and  both  reside  in  Hardin  Precinct. 
John  Knese  attended  school  from  the  age  of  si.x  to 
fourteen  years,  and  gleaned  an  excellent  education. 
He  assisted  his  father  on  his  farm  and  remained  an 
inmate  of  the  parental  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age.  He  then  became  a  soldier  in  the 
German  Army  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the 
land,  and  during  his  six-months'  service  look  part 
in  the  war  between  Hanover  and  Prussia,  and  was 
engaged  in  several  battles.  After  leaving  the  arm}' 
he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1866,  and  upon 
reaching  this  country,  came  to  Calhoun  County, 
where  his  half-sister  lived. 

Mr.  Knese  commenced  life  here  as  a  farm  hand. 


792 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


working-  hy  the  month,  and  continued  thus  em- 
ployed until  he  settled  on  the  place  where  he  now 
resides.  lie  has  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  fine  land,  a  part  of  it  lying  on  the  Illinois 
River  bottom,  and  as  fertile  and  productive  as  can 
be  found  in. this  State.  Ho  has  placed  it  under 
good  tillage,  and  has  on  it  good  buildings  and  all 
necessary  improvements  to  make  it  a  desirable 
f.irm.  A  view  of  his  fine  residence  will  be  noticed 
elsenhere  in  this  volume. 

Mr.  Knese  took  unto  himself  a  wife  April  22, 
1873  in  the  person  of  Miss  Caroline  Schleeper  who 
has  been  of  great  assistance  to  him  in  his  work. 
She  is  a  native  of  this  couijty  and  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Catherine  Schleeper.  For  her  parental 
history  see  biography  of  Henry  Schleeper,  on  an- 
other page  of  this  volume.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knese 
have  four  children,  namely:  Katie,  Annie,  Harman, 
and  Lucy.  The  familj-are  member?  in  high  stand- 
ing of  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Knese 
is  a  man  of  good  capacity',  thrifty,  energetic,  hard- 
woriving,  and  is  considered  one  of  our  most  useful 
citizens. 


ON.  CHAUNCEY  L.  HIGBEE.  This  dis- 
tinguished citizen  of  Pike  County  was  born 
September  7,  1821,  and  departed  this  life 
December  7,  1884.  He  was  one  of  the 
purest  and  most  learned  of  jurists  the  bench 
of  the  State  was  ever  honored  with  and  an  orna- 
ment to  tlie  Judiciary  to  whose  service  the  best 
3'ears  of  his  life  were  given.  He  had  a  mind  stored 
with  judicial  lore,  was  wise  in  counsel,  learned 
and  upright  in  decision.  An  extended  outline  of 
his  life's  work  would  show  him  in  1844,  at  the 
.age  of  twenty-three,  witii  a  comparatively  limited 
education,  ardent,  ambitious  and  engaged  in  the 
study  of  law  with  his  uncle,  the  late  Judge  James 
Ward,  at  Griggsville,  in  this  county.  Two  or  three 
years  later,  having  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession.  But  a 
few  years  elapse  before  we  find  him  in  the  very 
front  rank  of  his  chosen  profession  with  a  large 
practice  not  only  in  his  own  county  but  through- 
out the  "Military  Tract."     Thoroughly   grounded 


in  a  knowledge  of  the  law,  gifted  with  a  fine  intel- 
lect, and  powerful  as  an  advocate  before  a  jury,  he 
followed  the  practice  of  law  with  unwavering  suc- 
cess until  the  year  1861,  when  he  was  called  by 
the  votes  of  his  fellow-citizens  to  a  seat  upon  the 
bench  of  the  Circuit  Court  for  a  term  of  six 
years,  and  to  which  position  he  was  three  times  re- 
elected, making  nearly  twenty-four  years  of  con- 
secutive service  therein.  In  1877,  when  the  system 
of  Appellate  Courts  was  established,  the  Supreme 
Court  selected  him  as  one  of  the  three  Circuit 
Judges  from  the  Third  Appellate  Division,  who 
form  the  court  therefor,  and  upon  his  re-election 
in  June,  1879,  he  was  again  assigned  to  that  high 
position,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  the  Pre- 
siding Justice  of  that  body. 

Turning  back  in  the  history  of  tlie  events  of 
his  life,  we  find  that  while  ardently  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  he  was  also  deeply 
interested  in  the  politics  of  his  country  and  took 
an  active  part  therein  as  a  Democrat  up  to  the 
time  of  his  elevation  to  the  bench.  In  1854  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  and  was  a  prominent 
and  influential  member  of  that  body.  In  1858  he 
was  elected  to  the  Senate  and  served  with  distinc- 
tion therein  until  elected  Judge.  During  that 
time  as  an  ardent  Democrat,  sagacious  politician 
and  a  natural  leader  among  men,  he  established  » 
reputation  with  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State, 
by  reason  of  which  he  was  a.ssigned  a  prominent 
position  among  the  leaders  of  the  party,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  many  eyes  were  turned  to  him 
as  the  most  worthy  candidate  for  United  States 
Senator. 

Only  once,  we  believe,  during  his  long  service 
as  Judge,  did  he  take  active  part  in  the  political 
arena,  anrl  that  was  in  1876  when,  as  one  of  the 
four  candidates  at  large  from  this  State  to  the  Na- 
tional Democratic  Convention  held  at  St.  Louis,  he 
took  an  active  and  most  ellieient  part  irj  securing 
the  nomination  by  that  body  of  the  Hon.  Samuel 
J.  Tilden  for  the  Presidency.  The  Slate  delega- 
tion was  much  divided  as  to  the  sup[)ort  of  Sir. 
Tilden,  but  the  influence  of  Judge  Iligbee  largely 
contributed  in  securing  to  him  its  support. 

We  have  thus  outlined  his  life  as  a  ju<ige  and  a 
politician  and  statesman.     But  not  alone  in  these 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


703 


was  his  marked  career.  As  a  citizen  he  has  left  a 
record  of  usefulness  to  be  pointed  to  with  pride. 
When  the  country  here  was  suffering  from  lack  of 
railroad  communication  with  the  outer  world  lie 
bent  every  energy  and  exerted  all  his  influence  to 
secure  that  mucli  desired  boon.  Tlie  large  school 
building  at  PittsSeld  is  a  monument  to  the  in- 
terest which  he,  with  otiiers,  took  in  tiie  cause  of 
ethicution.  That  the  Methodist  denomination  now 
worship  in  one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  com- 
ukkHous  places  of  worship  to  be  found  in  towns 
of  llie  size  of  this  is  largely  owing  to  ids  zeal  and 
energy  in  its  erection.  In  the  building  of  the 
large  and  well  constructed  Pittsfield  House  he  was 
an  active  and  earnest  promoter.  Cautious  and 
conservative  in  his  character,  he  took  a  deep  inter- 
est in  all  public  matters,  and  was  ever  a  safe  and 
prudent  counselor.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  tliis  place,  and  has  long  been 
its  President.  While  thus,  as  we  have  said,  cautious 
and  conservative,  his  energy  in  the  pursuit  and  at- 
taiiiment  of  whatever  he  undertook  was  untiring 
and  never  ceased  until  his  purpose  was  effected. 

In  1854  Mr.  Higbee  was  united  in  marriage 
witii  Miss  Julia  White,  a  niece  of  the  late  Hon.  I. 
N.  Norris  and  a  native  of  Clermont  County, 
Ohio,  in  which  State  he  also  was  a  native.  The 
matrimonial  union  thus  formed  proved  a  most 
liappy  one  in  every  respect,  and  was  blessed  witii 
two  children — Harr3\  a  prominent  attorney  and 
politician,  and  Susan. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  bar  held  at  the  Appellate 
'Court  rooms,  in  Springfield,  December  16,  1884, 
for  the  purpose  of  expressing  their  respect  and 
esteem  for  the  memory  and  testifying  their  regret 
at  the  sudden  death  of  the  Hon.  Chauncey  L.  Hig- 
bee, late  Presiding  Judge  of  the  Appellate  Court 
for  the  Third  District,  Hon.  John  A.  McClernand 
presided.  Hon.  Milton  Haj-,  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Resolutions,  after  reporting  appropriate 
resolutions,  among  other' things  said  of  the  life  and 
cliaraeter  of  Mr.  Higbee,  as  follows: 

'•Witii  Judge  Higbee  it  was  ni}-  good  fortune  to 
liavecnjoj'cd  a  long  and  somewhat  intimate  per- 
sonal and  professional  acquaintance.  I  had  come 
to  the  bar  of  Pike  County,  in  this  State,  a  few 
3ears  earlier  than  he,  and  was  there  residing  at  the 


time  Judge  Higbee  fixed  his  residence  lliere  and 
began   practice  at  the  same  Ijar. 

"For  a  period  of  nearly  twelve  years  we  were 
contemporaneously  in  practice  at  tliat  bar,  and  to 
some  extent  tliiougliout  tin-  judicial  circuit  to 
which  that  bar  belougerl.  My  change  of  residence 
to  this  city  somewhat  interruptet!  the  closer  rela- 
tions we  h.id  formerly  maintained;  but  upon  Ids 
accession  to  the  bench  my  business  eng.ngcments  in 
his  own  courts  and  before  the  Appellate  Court,  and 
his  attendance  upon  the  Appellate',  Court]  here, 
gave  us  frequent  opportunities  of  keeping  alive 
and  nourishing  our  old-time  acquaintance  and 
friendship;  and  we  mutually  [availed  ourselves  of 
these  opportunities. 

'During  our  contemporaneous  practice  at  the  bar 
I  was  frequently  associated  with  liiui.aiid  yet  more 
frequently  opposed  to  him,  in  the  conduct  and 
trial  of  cases,  and  hence  liad  ample  opportunity  for 
becoming  acquainted  with  his  personal  and  profes- 
sional characteristics. 

"Judge  Higbee  was  no  ordinary  man.  He  .started 
in  his  profession  under  many  of  the  difflcuitios  and 
embarrassments  which  have  attended  so  many  of 
our  successful  lawyers  and  public  men.  Like  many 
of  us  who  started  in  the  profession  at  that  earlier 
period  his  professional  preparation  for  the  l)ar 
had  been  imperfect.  Against  this  difficulty,  how- 
ever, he  had  occasion  to  struggle  but  briefly.  The 
rapidity  with  which  he  overcame  it  w.as  indeed 
marvelous. ~7  As  great  soldiers  are  said  to  learn  the 
art  of  war  upon  the  battle-field,  so,  in  the  open 
field  of  practice,  opposed  with  rivals  and  contest- 
ants. Judge  Higbee  acquired,  to  a  high  degree  of 
excellence,  both  the  principles  and  art  of  his  [iro- 
f  ess  ion. 

"Hand  in  hand  with  its  practice,  he  stored  his 
mind  with  the  principles  of  law  from  the  authori- 
ties, and  these  became  imprinted  upon  his  memory 
not  dimly,  as  from  the  abstract  reading  of  a  stu- 
dent, hut  forcibly  and  freshly,  by  their  required 
application  to  cases  presently  in  hand  in  his  prac- 
tice. His  memory  of  principles  and  precedents 
thus  acquired  was  retentive,  and  lie  had  seldom 
occasion  thereafter  to  be  refreshed  with  tliem.  He 
possessed  in  a  high  degree  that  combination  of 
qualities  that  commands  success  at  the   bar.     He 


(94 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


was  txcuiplary  in  his  habits,  faithful  in  all  his  en- 
gagc'iBoiits,  true  in  his  friendships,  and  kind  and 
charitable  in  his  disposition. 

-In  brief,  we  m.iy  sum  up  by  applyiug  to  the 
record  of  tlie  life  of  Judge  Iligbee  what  was  said 
of  anotliei:  'He  leaves  to  his  children  and  his  coun- 
try the  record  of  a  life — 

'Rich  in  the  world's  opinion  and  men's  praise, 
And  full  of  all  we  could  desire  but  days.'  " 


--■^•''l*^'^ 


APT.  BENJAMIN    B.   HOPKINS,  one   of 

tlie  prominent  citizens  of  Griggsville  Town- 
'^^'  shi|).  Pike  County,  was  born  in  London, 
England,  January  2,  1838.  He  was  but  fourteen 
years  of  age  when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  having 
taken  passage  on  the  ship  "Pelerboro,"  September 
22,  1852.  He  disembarked  at  New  Orleans  and 
came  up  the  rivers  to  Griggsville  Landing,  this 
State,  where  he  began  life  as  a  poor  boj',  his  first 
emplo3'menl  being  on  a  farm.  He  afterward  be- 
came a  Government  teamster  across  the  plains.  He 
experienced  all  the  privations  and  dangers  to  which 
the  frontiersmen  were  subjected,  often  coming  into 
contact  with  the  Indians,  but  being  so  fortunate  as 
to  find  them  friendly  on  most  occasions. 

After  his  return  to  the  States  young  Hopkins  en- 
listed September  5,  18G1,  in  Companj-  D,  Fifth 
Illinois  Cavahy.  The  regiment  was  first  com- 
manded by  Col.  I'pdegraff,  later  by  Hall  Wilson, 
and  still  later  by  John  L.  McConnell.  Company 
D  was  commanded  b^'  John  A.  Harvey,  who  was 
succeeded  in  December,  18G2,  by  our  subject,  who 
held  the  [wsition  until  he  resigned  on  account  of 
ill  health  in  August,  1864.  Capt.  Hopkins  was 
jn-esent  during  many  bloody  engagements  and 
served  at  Yicksburg  and  other  places,  acting  as  a 
scout  and  on  outpost  duly  for  some  time.  He  was 
one  of  those  who  passed  through  the  dangers  un- 
luirraed  by  sliot  or  shell  and  without  being  captured, 
but  he  sustained  an  injury  by  falling  through  a 
liridgeand  contracted  serious  army  maladies  which 
finally  compelled  his  resignation. 

Returning  to  Pike  County,  Capt.  Hopkins  de- 
voted his  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising,  in 


wliich  he  has  been  successful.  He  has  owned  as 
high  as  four  hundred  acres  of  good  land  but  does 
not  at  present  hold  so  much.  His  home  is  on  sec- 
tions 29  and  32,  Griggsville  Township,  a  fine  well- 
improved  tract  of  land,  whereon  stands  everj'thing 
needful  and  convenient  in  the  way  of  farm  build- 
ings, and  the  adornments  of  orchards  and  groves. 
Cajit.  Hopkins  exercises  the  right  of  suffrage  in 
behalf  of  the  candidates  who  are  pledged  to  sup- 
port the  Democratic  platform.  For  some  j-ears  he 
has  been  Vice  President  and  Director  of  the  Pike 
County  Fair  Association  and  he  is  one  of  those  to 
whom  the  county  owes  the  flue  exhibitions  which 
are  given  at  Pittsfield.  He  and  his  wife  belong  to 
the  Episcopal  Church.  The  wife  of  our  subject 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Ann  Simpkins.  She  was 
born  in  the  township  which  is  still  her  home,  August 
17,  1838,  was  carefully  reared  and  well  instructed 
in  the  principles  of  right  living  and  the  many  qual- 
ifications which  lit  a  woman  for  usefulness  in  her 
sphere  in  life.  A  full  history  of  her  family  will  be 
found  in  the  biography  of  Thomas  Simpkins.  Jr., 
on  another  page  in  this  Album.  ]SIr.  and  Mrs. 
Hopkins  have  six  living  children  and  lost  two  in 
infancy.  The  survivors  are  Margaret  L.,  Sarah  L., 
Matilda,  Benjamin  B.,  Robert  A.,  and  Ann  S.  None 
have  yet  left  the  home  nest,  although  Sarah  L.  is  a 
teacher  in  tlic  Griggsville  schools  and  JIatilda  is 
pursuing  her  studios  there. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Roliert  H.  Hopkins,  who  was  born  not  far  from 
London,  and  spent  his  entire  active  life  in  County 
Kent,  England.  He  was  accidentally  killed  by  a 
falling  tree.  His  occupation  was  that  of  silk. raiser. 
His  wife  survived  him  some  years,  living  to  the 
age  of  seventy. 

Robert  Iloiikins,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  County- Kent,  England,  but  made  his  home 
not  far  from  London.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a 
silk  weaver  and  after  following  it  some  time  became 
a  confectioner,  being  thus  engaged  some  years  be- 
fore his  death.  He  died  when  sixty-five  years  old. 
He  had  married  Miss  Matilda  Baziin  who  was  born 
in  London  of  French  parents,  her  ancestors  being 
of  the  old  Huguenot  stock.  She  survived  her 
husband,  dying  in  1888,  when  about  sevcntj'-six 
years  old.     Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hopkins  were  firm 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


795 


adherents  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Thej-  re.ired  a  familj'of  three  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, ^ix  of  whom  are  now  living.  Our  subject  is 
the  second  in  order  of  birth  and  tlie  only  one  living 
in  America. 


-^--^^^^^^^k^^^^r^^^ 


-c-V 


^AMES  SYKES.  A  prominent  position  among 
the  residents  of  Barr^-  is  held  by  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch.  His  fatlier,  James  Sykes, 
ii^jl  Sr.,  was  a  pioneer  of  Adams  County,  111., 
and  for  many  years  was  a  leading  agriculturalist 
there,  and  there  are  still  large  interests  in  that 
county  in  the  possession  of  the  famil\-,  among  them 
being  several  large  and  valuable  farms.  Tlie 
parents  and  grandparents  were  born  in  Iludersfield, 
England,  wiiere  our  subject  was  also  born,  March 
9,  1819. 

The  fatlier  of  our  subject  passed  his  earl}-  life  in 
his  native  shire,  and  when  young  commenced  to 
work  in  the  woolen  mills  in  which  he  finall3'  became 
a  foreman  of  the  finishing  department.  In  1821, 
ambitious  to  do  still  better  in  life,  he  migrated  to 
America  and  secured  a  position  in  Manhattanville, 
which  is  now  included  in  New  York  City.  After 
settling  there  he  sent  for  his  wife  and  three  chil- 
dren. They  set  sail  from  Liverpool,  and  after  the 
vessel  was  out  a  few  weeks  it  sprang  a  leak  and 
after  sailing  thirteen  weeks  finally  managed  to 
arrive  at  port  at  Cork,  Ireland.  Mrs.  Sykes  re- 
turned home  with  her  three  children,  and  soon 
after  setting  sail  again,  landed  in  New  York  after 
a  vo3-age  of  seven  weeks  thus  spending  twenty 
weeks  on  the  ocean. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  resided  in  New  York 
City  and  in  Glenham, Dutchess  County  and  in  Brook- 
lyn at  different  times  until  1834.  In  June  of  that 
year.  Mr.  Sykes  visited  Adams  Countv  and  bought 
fuur  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  Government 
l;uid  located  in  Beverlj'  Township.  After  buying 
the  land  he  returned  to  Brookl3-n,  and  on  October 
2,  accompanied  by  his  family,  started  for  their  new 
home  in  the  Prairie  State.  They  traveled  on  a 
lowboat  on  the  Hudson  River  to  Albany,  and  then 
via  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  b}-  lake  to  Cleveland,  on 


the  Ohio  Canal  to  Portsmouth,  where  tliey  took  a 
steamer  to  traverse  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers 
to  Quincy.  They  found  that  now  enterprising  city 
an  insignificant  pl.ace  of  a  few  hundred  inhabitants 
and  its  public  buildings  were  of  the  most  primitive 
kind;  the  court  house  being  made  of  logs, and  there 
was  but  one  brick  strnclure  in  tlie  city,  that  being 
an  addition  to  another  building. 

Mr.  Sykes  left  his  family  in  (Jnincy.  and  going 
to  his  property,  erected  a  log  cabin,  which  was  the 
second  building  built  in  Beverly  Township.  At 
that  time  there  were  but  Gve  houses  [between 
Quincy  and  his  cabin,  and  deer  were  jilenty  and 
roamed  at  will  near  by.  The  father  energetically 
entered  upon  the  task  of  tilling  the  soil  and  resided 
upon  it  until  his  death  in  18.52.  A  useful  citizen  was 
thus  removed  from  among  his  fellow  citizens  and 
a  valued  pioneer  was  taken  from  the  scenes  of  his 
labors  when  he  could  least  be  spared.  Before  his 
demise  lie  improved  quite  a  tract  of  land  and  was 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  township. 

In  early  manliood  Mr.  Sykes  married  Hannah 
Hirst,  in  whom  he  found  a  true  heii)rnate.  Slie 
was  a  native  of  the  same  town  as  her  husband,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Williaiu  Hirst,  also  a  native  of 
Yorkshire.  Mrs.  Sykes  departed  tliis  life  one  year 
before  her  husband's  death.  The\'  reared  four 
children:  Mar}-,  who  married  Jacob  S.  Punk  and 
died  in  Beverly  Townshi|);  William  who  died  at 
his  home  in  Beverly  Township:  our  subject  is 
next  in  order  of  birth;  John,  who  was  born  in  New 
York  City  lives  in  Beverly  Township. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  notice  is  written 
was  born  as  above  stated  in  England,  and  was  but 
two  years  old  when  Ids  parents  brought  him  to 
America,  and  he  has  therefore  no  recollection  of 
other  than  his  adopted  country.  He  was  fifteen 
3-ears  of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Illinois. 
He  well  remembers  the  scenes  of  pioneer  life  here, 
and  relates  man}'  of  them  with  great  interest,  bring- 
ing before  the  mind  of  tlie  listener  a  vivid  picture 
of  the  past  and  of  the  country  when  it  was  in  a 
newl}'  settled  condition. 

About  1852  the  (Juinc}'  people  to  save  the 
count}-  seat  from  being  moved  to  the  center  of  the 
county,  had  the  county  divider^,  the  eastern  half 
being'called  Marquette,  the  people  of  which  section 


796 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


refused  to  organize  and  for  five  j-ears  the  singular 
and  unheard  of  condition  existed  of  a  tract  of 
county  twelve  by  lliirlj'  miles,  well  settled,  and  in 
the  midst  of  a  thriving  county  being  without 
law  or  taxes  and  yet  remaining  perfectly  peaceable 
witii  no  ofHcers  to  execute  the  laws.  But  the 
people  all  lived  quietly  and  settled  their  differ- 
ences b}-  arbitration,  keeping  up  their  roads, 
schools,  etc.,  which  state  of  .iffairs  continued  for 
five  years.  lu  1818  a  convention  was  called  to 
revise  the  constitution  of  the  State,  and  a  clause 
inserted  declaring  that,  anj^  territory  set  apart  from 
a  county  that  did  not  organize  within  five  years 
should  revert  to  the  county  to  which  it  formerly 
belonged,  and  thus  Marquette  again  became  a  part 
of  Adams  County. 

In  those  early  days  mills  were  very  scarce  , and 
of  a  crude  description.  The  first  mill  erected  in 
that  part  of  the  country  where  the  parents  of  our 
subject  settled,  was  about  seven  miles  from  their 
home  and  was  worked  by  ox  or  horse  power.  The 
second  mill  vras  built  close  to  the  present  site  of 
Beverly.  It  was  a  treadmill,  was  worked  b}'  oxen, 
and  the  flour  was  bolted  by  a  hand  machine. 
Farm  machinery  which  is  so  common  now  was 
unknown  at  that  time.  The  plows  used  were  the 
old-fashioned  wooden  moldboard.  The  grain 
was  harvested  with  a  cradle  and  in  lieu  of  a 
threshing  machine,  the  grain  was  placed  upon  the 
ground  and  tramped  out  by  horses  and  oxen. 
The  pioneers  had  no  fanning  mills  and  took  their 
grain  in  a  measure,  which  they  raised  high  as  the 
hand  could  reach  and  then  turned  it  out  slowl}'  so 
that  the  wind  might  blow  the  chaff  from  the  grain. 
In  the  early  days  horses  were  very  scarce  and 
most  of  the  farm  work  and  marketing  was  done 
with  oxen. 

Our  subject  was  of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind, 
and  it  devolved  upon  him  to  do  much  of  the 
carpentry  necessary  at  the  homestead.  He  used  to 
make  the  mold  boards  for  the  plows,  the  points 
being  made  by  the  blacksmith.  He  continued  to 
live  with  his  parents  until  he  was  grown,  assisting 
in  the  farm  work,  and  then  he  was  given  by  his 
father,  eighty  acres  of  wild  land,  half  prairie  and 
half  brush.  Here  he  erected  a  frame  house,  which 
was  the  third  of  the  kind  built  in   Beverly   Town- 


ship. It  was  used  as  a  shop,  meetinghouse  and 
public  hall  for  two  years.  Later  Mr.  Sykes  turned 
his  attention  to  carpentering  which  he  followed  a 
]jart  of  the  time  for  nearly-  thirty  years  and  in  the 
meantime  also  superintended  the  improreraent  of 
the  farm. 

In  1850  Mr.  .Sykes  bought  a  tract  of  wild  prairie 
in  Beverly  Township,  paying  for  it  $4  per  acre. 
The  following  year  he  sowed  about  forty  acres  of 
this  land  to  wheat  and  has  graduall}'  become  a 
large  landed  proprietor,  adding  from  time  to  time 
to  his  real  estate  until  he  now  owns  seven  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  farming  land,  all  lying  in  Adams 
County.  He  continued  to  live  upon  his  homestead 
until  1888,  when  he  removed  to  Barry  and  bought 
his  present  attractive  home,  which  is  beautifully 
located  on  Diamond  Hill. 

On  September  23,  1849,  Mr.  Sykes  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Marj'  Ajres,  a  native  of 
Woodbridge,  N.  J.  Mrs.  Sj'kes  died  in  Beverly 
Township  April  1,  1873,  leaving  six  children, 
having  buried  five  of  whom  the  following  is  re- 
corded :  Hannah  married  R.  W.  Cunningham  and 
lives  in  Cass  County,  Neb.;  Elizabeth  married 
James  O.  McClain,  also  of  Cass  County,  Neb.; 
Joseph  lives  in  Colorado  Springs;  Emma  married 
W.  M.  Huffman,  who  resides  on  the  home  farm; 
Frank  lives  in  Bevefly  Township  having  married 
Liza  Hill  October  23,  1890,  and  Hattie  is  at  home. 
Mr.  Sykes  was  .again  married,  November  25,  1875, 
taking  as  his  wife  Miss  Martha  J.  Cunningham. 
This  lady  was  born  in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  George  and  Marj'  (Humphrey) 
Cunningham,  natives  of  Penns^ivania  and  Ohio, 
but  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Cunningham  spent  her 
entire  life  in  her  native  State.  In  18C7  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Sykes  removed  to  Pike  County,  where  he 
bought  a  farm  in  Hadley  Township,  and  there! 
resided  until  his  death  in  the  spring  of  1882.  Then 
selling  the  place,  he  came  to  Barry,  where  he 
bought  a  home  and  where  he  died  in  May  that 
year. 

Mr.  Sykes  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  force 
and  decision  of  character,  possessing  a  keen  intellect  ' 
and  rare  judgment.     He  is  a  deep  thinker,  fond  of! 
books,  and  well  posted  on  all  the  principal  topics  ■ 
of    the    d?y.       He    was    formerly    a    Democrat   in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


797 


politics,  and  cast  Ills  Oist  vote  for  Van  Bui'cn. 
Wlien  tlie  Ilepvililican  party  was  formeil  he  fell 
into  liie  ranks  and  has  ever  since  been  a  stanch 
supporter  of  its  principles.  He  has  alwaj's  taken 
an  active  interest  in  educational  matters  and  for 
nearly  thirty  years  has  served  as  School  Director 
in  Adams  County,  and  is  now  a  member  of  tlie 
Board  of  Education  and  ciiairman  of  tlic  Board  of 
Health  of  Barry.  He  h.as  written  frequently  for 
different  paiiers  and  for  four  years  has  been  the 
Beverly  correspondent  for  the  Barry  Adagp,  as 
'Uncle  I'ete.'  He  is  now  writing  up  a  trip  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  including  a  visit  to  the  top  of 
Pike's  Peak  on  a  pony  October  23,  1890,  in  his 
seventy-second  ^-car. 


l_^  ENRY  L.  SHAW.  The  object  of  the  bio- 
)  graphical  writer  is  to  commemorate  the 
worthy  efforts  of  the  citizens  who  are  mak- 
ing the  historj'  of  onr  country  or  to  whom 
tiie  present  generation  owes  the  civilization  which 
we  enjo3'.  It  therefore  affords  him  pleasure  to 
record  in  this  volume  the  histories  of  the  worthy 
citizens  of  Pike  County,  that  from  their  lives 
others  m.ay  draw  lessons  of  industry,  perseverance 
and  uprightness. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  has  been 
for  some  years  connected  with  the  agricnlturnl  de- 
velopments of  Atlas  Township,  but  is  now  living 
a  somewhat  retired  life  in  .Summer  Hill,  wiiere  he 
owns  a  beautiful  place  of  seven  acres,  with  a  fine 
frame  dwelling.  In  a<ldition  to  his  town  property 
Mr.  Shaw  has  over  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  outlying  land,  the  most  of  which  is  rented.  He 
was  born  in  this  county  February  3,  1837,  reared 
on  a  farm  and  passed  his  school  days  in  the  old 
log  schoolhouse  with  its  open  fireplace  and  primi- 
tive furnishings,  wherein  schools  were  kept  up  ac- 
cording to  the  subscription  i)lan.  When  twenty- 
two  years  of  age  Mr.  Shaw  began  laboring  for 
himself,  having  worked  on  the  farm  up  to  that 
time.  Early  in  April,  1860,  he  went  to  Pike's 
Peak,  where  he  found  employment  in  the  quartz 
mills,  but  whence  lie  returned  in  November,  1861. 


The  Civil  War  was  in  progress  and  Mr.  Shaw 
wns  not  long  content  to  pursue  his  peaceful  call- 
ing wiiile  the  life  of  the  nation  w.is  endangered. 
He  therefore  enlisted  August  7,  1862.  in  Company 
A,  Ninety-nintli  Ulintiis  Infantry.  The  first  lialtle 
ill  which  he  participated  was  at  Ilartsville,  JIo., 
and  the  next  at  Magnolia  Hill.  A  few  days  later 
he  was  found  in  the  thickest  of  the  conflict  at 
Thompson's  Hill,  where  both  armies  lost  heavily. 
Still  later  he  participated  in  the  engagement  at 
Black  River.  Miss.,  and  from  that  time  until  tlie 
battle  of  Yicksburg  he  took  part  in  more  or  less 
skirmishing  from  day  to  daj-.  At  Vicksburg  the 
regiment  to  wliich  lie  belonged  led  the  charge  when 
not  more  than  tiiirteen  members  of  Company  A 
were  on  dut\'.  Mr.  Sliaw  fought  all  day  anil  was 
under  fire  forty-seven  d.ays. 

After  the  surrender  of  tiie  besieged  cit3-,  the 
command  to  which  Mr.  Sliaw  belonged  was  genl  to 
the  rear  at  Jackson,  where  they  had  a  slight  skir- 
mish with  the  enemy,  and  were  then  engaged  for  a 
considerable  time  in  tearing  up  railroads  and  cut- 
ting off  communications.  Ere  long  they  were  sent 
to  New  Orleans,  took  part  in  various  marches  and 
engagements  ar(iund  the  Gulf  as  far  as  Ft.  Esper- 
anza,  Tes.,  and  wintered  at  Houston.  In  the 
spring  the  regiment  returned  to  New  Orleans, 
thence  went  to  Spanish  Fort  and  Ft.  Blakeley, 
then  returned  to  the  Southern  metropolis  and  went 
up  into  the  Red  River  country.  The  boys  were 
mustered  out  of  the  service*  at  Baton  Rouge  in 
July,  1865,  and  our  subject  returned  to  the  North 
bearing  with  him  the  consciousness  of  having  been 
valiant  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  a  soldier's 
duties  and  having  done  all  that  in  him  lay  toward 
the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

Mr.  Shaw  settled  down  to  the  life  of  a  farmer, 
with  a  brother  buying  out  the  other  heirs  to  the 
homestead,  and  finally  becoming  the  sole  proprie- 
tor. In  1879  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixtyJ 
seven  acres  on  sections  21,  22  and  28,  near  Sum- 
mer Hill.  He  has  been  very  industrious  in  the 
accumulation  and  operation  of  land,  and  at  one 
time  farmed  quite  extensively,  also  raising  large 
numbers  of  cattle.  He  moved  into  town  in  Octo- 
ber, 1888,  and  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  Labors, 
surrounded  bv  the  comforts  and  many  of  the   lux- 


798 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


uries  of  life.  Altliough  not  an  offlce-seeker,  he 
has  held  some  positions  of  trust  and  in  his  official 
as  well  as  his  private  life  has  shown  an  intelligent 
interest  in  the  jjublic  weal.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican. 

The  lady  to  whom  the  comfort  and  joy  of  Mr. 
Shaw's  home  life  is  due  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Mary  A.  Davis,  and  became  his  wife  October  31, 
1872.  She  was  born  near  Pittsfield,  January  9, 
1846,  was  a  member  of  the  Cliristian  Church  from 
fourteen  years  of  age,  until  her  marriage,  when  she 
joined  the  Congregational  Church.  She  wears  her 
religion  as  an  everyday  garment,  endeavoring  to 
conscientiously  discharge  every  duty  she  owes  to 
society  and  her  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaw  have  had 
three  children — Raymond  H.,  Mary  B.  and  Mag- 
gie M.  The  first-born  has  been  removed  from  his 
sorrowing  parents  by  death,  but  they  mourn  not 
as  those  without  liope.  Like  bis  wife,  Mr.  Shaw 
belongs  to  the  Congregational  Church. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Luther  Shaw,  presumably  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  of  Scotch  and  English  descent.  He  came 
to  this  State  about  1844,  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  days  here  and  died  when  sixty-five  years  old. 
Luther  Shaw,  Jr.,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  the  old  Bay  State,  July  10,  1810.  When 
seven  years  old  he  was  bound  out  to  a  man  from 
whom  he  received  $150  and  a  horse,  saddle  and 
bridle  when  he  became  of  age.  He  had  worked  at 
general  farming  and  was  well  fitted  to  prosecute 
the  agricultural  labors  in  which  he  spent  the  most 
of  his  after  life.  In  the  spring  of  1833  he  came  to 
this  section,  and  after  raising  a  crop  of  corn,  re- 
turned to  the  East,  married  and  brought  his  bride 
hither.  The  young  couple  were  seven  weeks  mak- 
ing the  journey  by  canal,  river  and  wagon. 

Mr.  Shaw  purchased  forty  acres  on  section  7, 
Martinsburg  Township,  and  entered  forty-nine  and 
seven-eighths  acres  adjoining  it.  There  was  a 
clearing  of  four  acres  on  the  first  tract  but  no  other 
improvements.  He  built  a  round  log  house  a  story 
and  a  half  iiigh,  in  which  man}'  happy  days  were 
spent,  although  husband  and  wife  endured  the 
usual  privations  of  life  in  a  new  country.  Mr. 
Shaw  worked  some  at  the  trade  of  a  stonemason 
but  devoted  tiie  greater  part  of  his  time  to  his  old 


occupation,  bringing  his  land  under  good  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement.  When  he  came  here  game 
was  plentiful  and  he  killed  many  wild  turkeys,  but 
never  shot  a  deer,  although  they  were  frequently 
to  be  seen.  Mr.  Shaw  held  the  office  of  Township 
Supervisor  and  voted  the  Whig  ticket.  He  died 
February  29,  1852. 

The  mother  of  onr  subject  was  born  in  Massa- 
chusetts January  11,  1813,  and  died  in  this  Slate 
March  17,  188G.  She  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Amanda  Bemis.  She  united  with  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  in  her  girlhood  and  was  a  very  de- 
vout Christian.  She  became  the  mother  of  ten 
children,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  maturity.  The 
names  of  the  entire  family  circle  are:  Amanda, 
Henry  L.,  Gilljert,  Mary,  Silas,  Martha,  Amelia, 
John,  j\Iaria  and  Alfred  E.,  the  last-named  being 
the  one  who  died  in  youth. 

The  maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Aaron  and  Patta  Bemis,  tiie  former  a  native  of 
Massachusetts  and  a  cooper  by  trade.  He  came  to 
the  Prairie  State  in  1834,  entered  ninety-eight  and 
seven-eighths  acres  of  land  in  Pike  County,  cleared 
and  improved  the  same  and  paid  some  attention 
to  farming,  although  he  still  followed  his  trade.  In 
politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  then  a  Republican. 
He  and  his  wife  were  devout  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  in  which  he  long  held  the 
office  of  Deacon.  After  many  years  of  wedded 
life,  in  death  they  were  not  long  divided,  dying  in 
1873  within  a  month  of  each  other.  Mr.  Bemis 
was  then  about  eighty-eight  years  old. 


^ ^-^^' 


<jf^LIAS  HAMILTON,  ex-Sherifif  of  Calhoun 
fe  County  and  at  present  a  prosperous  agricul- 
.'I — ^/  turist  of  Hardin  Precinct,  was  born  in  Sus- 
sex County,  Del.,  in  October,  1823.  He  is  numbered 
among  the  class  of  men  to  whom  progress  is  a 
guiding  word,  being  both  energetic  and  capable  of 
holding  positions  of  public  trust.  Mr.  Hamilton's 
father,  who  was  also  named  Elias  Hamilton,  waa 
born  in  Delaware  and  carried  on  a  successful  busi- 
ness as  a  shoe  manufacturer  in  that  State. 

Our  subject  passed  his  youth  in  his  native  place. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM 


799 


receiving  his  educational  training  there  and  con- 
tinuing to  make  that  his  home  up  to  the  year  1844. 
At  that  date  lie  came  to  Illinois,  making  the  most 
expeditious  route  that  was  afforded  voyagers  then. 
He  came  from  Wilmington,  Del.,  to  Baltimore, 
and  from  that  city  he  walked  to  Pittsburgh  and 
from  the  latlcr-named  place  made  the  trip  by 
water  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers 
to  Child's  Landing,  near  where  Hardin  now  stands. 
The  country  was  then  in  a  primitive  state  while  on 
every  side  a  vast  expanse  of  dense  forest  greeted 
the  eye.  Deer  and  wolves  roamed  at  will  and  wild 
turkeys  abounded  on  every  hand.  Mr.  Hamilton 
commenced  working  b}'  the  day  and  month  but 
being  very  industrious  he  was  soon  able  to  buy 
the  hind  upon  which  he  now  resides.  This  prop- 
erly is  situated  one  and  one-half  miles  from  Hard- 
in and  when  it  first  came  into  his  possession  was 
covered  with  heavy  timber.  He  at  once  started  in 
to  clear  tlie  land  in  order  to  prepare  the  soil  for 
cultivation  and  after  building  a  nice  dwelling  and 
nil  the  necessary  buildings,  has  cultivated  his  estate 
highly  being  at  present  the  owner  of  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet A.  R.  Churchman  whose  birth  occurred  in 
the  State  of  Tennessee,  and  her-  death  in  the 
j'car  of  1857.  Our  subject  was  again  married,  in 
1871,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Mrs.  Rosena 
(Snow)  (Cornelius,  widow  of  Amasa  Cornelius. 
She  passed  to  her  final  resting  place  in  1881  much 
mourned  hy  her  husband  and  numerous  friends. 
To  Mr.  Hamilton  and  his  first  wife  were  born  two 
children — Joseph  I',  and  Mary.  To  his  second 
wife  were  also  born  two  children— Clarence  E. 
and  Fremont  W.  The  second  Mrs.  Hamilton  had 
had  three  children  by  her  first  husband — James 
W.  I).,  Olive  M.  and  Mary  E.  Cornelius. 

The  subject  of  our  sketcli  is  a  member  of  the 
Democratic  part}'.  He  is  very  popular,  being  at 
at  different  times  elected  to  fill  offices  of  trust. 
He  was  electeil  Sheriff  of  Calhoun  County  in  the 
year  1855  and  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
many  years.  He  has  been  Constable  and  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  Thus  as  day  follows 
day  and  the  world  grows  older  our  notice  is  at- 
tracted by  the  success  achieveil  by  strict  integrity, 


industry  .and  perseverance.  To  gain  general  pop- 
ularity a  man  must  be  the  happy  possessor  of  all 
these  desirable  traits  and  must,  moreover,  have  a 
genial,  generous  nature  that  manifests  an  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  humanity  at  large.  Honors  are 
rarely  bestowed  upon  a  man  who  has  not  the  abil- 
ity to  hew  out  a  jjleasijig  destiny  for  himself,  and 
those  who  are  called  upon  to  guide  the  public 
affairs  of  a  community  are  conceded  to  be  the  most 
active  and  wide-awake  citizens  as  a  rule.  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton is  a  consistent  niemlier  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


RSON  C.  HUDELSON,  a  young  man  of 
111  III  practical  ability  as  a  farmer,  is  one  of  Pike 
^^^  County's  most  upright  citizens.  Ilis  home 
is  on  section  1,  Perry  Township,  where  he  owns 
forty  acres  of  good  land;  he  also  has  an  equal 
amount  on  section  7,  Chambersburg  Township. 
The  entire  acreage  is  under  the  plow  and  the  vari- 
_ous  buildings  are  comfortable  and  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  the  family  in  properl}'  carrying  on  the 
home  and  farm  economy. 

Mr.  Hudelson  was  born  on  his  father's  home- 
stead in  Chambersburg  Township,  October  14, 
1859,  and  reared  and  educated  under  parental  care. 
A  full  history  of  his  father's  family  will  be  found 
in  the  biographj'  of  Henry  C.  Hudelson  on  another 
page  in  this  volume.  Our  subject  has  been  engaged 
in  tilling  the  soil  since  his  youth  and  while  ready 
to  give  heed  to  the  new  ideas  of  modern  husband- 
men and  to  a  certain  extent  indulge  in  experiments, 
he  is  too  wise  to  abandon  the  old  track  until  as- 
sured that  the  new  is  better.  He  is  intelligent  in 
all  that  pertains  to  the  duties  of  citizenship,  court- 
eous and  well-bred  and  manifests  a  due  amount  of 
interest  in  the  general  good.  He  exercises  the 
right  of  suffrage  as  a  Republican.  He  and  his  wife 
belong  to  the  Christian  Church  and  are  numbered 
among  its  most  earnest  members. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Hudelson  is  presided  over 
by  :iu  intelligent  and  amiable  woman,  who  prior 
to   her    marriage    was    known    as     Miss    Faniiv   E. 


800 


PORTRAIT  ANf)  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Hendricks.  She  was  born  in  Chambersburg  Town- 
.ship,  on  the  Mth  of  November,  1863,  and  carefully 
reared  by  her  [)arents,  Henry  and  Alinina  (Stone) 
Hendricks,  who  are  among  the  old  settlers  in  their 
neighborhood  and  are  representative  members  of 
agricultural  circles.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Iludelson 
five  children  have  beenlborn,  the  bright  group  in- 
cluding Vina  E.,  Bessie,  Henry  L.,  Eugene  and 
Adalbert  I. 


•1^3®= 


Sjl  OHN  BARNEY.  The  sight  of  an  aged  couple 
going  peacefully  down  the  hill  of  time  sur- 
rounded by  material  comforts  and  blessed 
by  the  love  of  children  and  the  esteem  of 
friends,  is  a  pleasing  one.  John  Barney,  a  retired 
farmer  now  living  in  Pittsfield,  and  his  wife,  are 
thus  situated  and  their  many  friends  rejoice  greatl3' 
in  ttleir  prosperity  and  reputation.  Mr.  Barney 
was  born  in  Savoy,  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  Jan- 
uary 21,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Barney,  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  The  father  and  grandfather 
as  well  as  the  mother  and  her  people  lived  in  the 
Bay  State.  The  Barne^-s  are  of  English  extraction 
but  the  mother  of  our  subject,  formerly  Deborah 
Crape,  was  of  French  lineage.  Benjamin  Barney 
was  a  farmer  and  dairyman  and  our  subject  was 
therefore  reared  amid  rural  scenes.  In  1817  the 
father  went  to  Northern  Ohio  to  look  at  the  coun- 
try and  while  on  his  return  home  was  taken  sick  at 
Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  and  died  at  the  hotel  there.  The 
widowed  mother  survived  him  three  years. 

Young  Barney  was  thus  left  an  orphan  when 
just  entering  his  teens  and  made  his  home  with  his 
brother  and  a  sister  until  he  was  eighteen  years 
old  when  he  drifted  west  to  Ohio.  Stopping  in  San- 
dusky County  he  worked  on  a  farm  a  few  3ears 
but  in  March,  1 830,  came  to  Pike  County,  this  State. 
Here  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  in 
association  with  an  older  brother  and  together 
they  toiled  and  planned  until  1855.  Our  subject 
then  began  to  operate  a  farm  on  his  personal  ac- 
count, fast  in  Atlas  [^Township  and  afterward  in 
Barry.  Selling  his  farm  there  he  Lought  in  New- 
burg   Township   and   carried   on  one  hundred  and 


sixty-Bve  acres  there  a  number  of  years.  He  finally 
sold  that  property  and  bought  seven  and  a  half 
acres^  adjoining  Pittsfield.  which  he  [still  owns  and 
which  is  devoted  principally  to  the  raising  of  vege- 
tables. 

In  1837  Mr.  Barney  was  married,  having  won  for 
his  companion  on  life's  journey  Miss  Clarissa  R. 
.Shaw,  whose  father  was  an  earl}'  settler  at  Summer 
Hill,  Pike  Count}'.  She  was  born  in  Massachusetts 
in  1812  and  although  advanced  in  years  is  still  hale 
and  hearty.  Five  children  came  to  bless  the  happy 
union  but  three  died  when  quite  j'oung.  Eliza  J., 
who  is  also  now  decaesed,  was  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Lewis;  Orville  H.  is  living  in  Colorado  Springs, 
Colo. 

After  fifty-three  j'ears  of  wedded  life  Mr.and  Mrs. 
Barne}'  are  convinced  that  marriage  is  not  a  failure 
but  that  a  couple  who  are  truly  married  enjoy  an 
increase  of  comfort  and  happiness.  Mr.  Barney 
has  been  Assessor  and  County  Treasurer,  serving 
in  each  office  for  a  period  of  four  years.  His  first 
Presidential  vote  was  cast  for  a  Whig  candidate 
and  he  voted  for  Gen.  Harrison  in  1840  and  in 
later  years  has  been  a  Republican,  his  last  ballot 
having  been  for  our  present  President.  He  and 
his  wife  have  been  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Pittsfield  for  a  nnmber  of  3'ears  and  are 
highly  respected  for  their  noble  characters  and  long 
years  of  usefulness. 


^- 


y-RANCIS  MARSHALL  is  a  veteran  of  the 
late  war  in  which  he  won  a  good  war  record 
J^  of  which  he  and  his  maj'  well  be  proud. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Cal- 
houn County,  owning  a  fine  and  well  managed 
farm  in  Point  Precinct.  He  is  a  son  of  one  of  the 
early  pioneers  of  this  county,  John  B.  Marshall, 
who  in  turn  was  a  son  of  Antone  Marshall  who  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  St.  Ciiarles  County,  Mo., 
where  he  resided  many  years,  but  he  spent  the  lat- 
ter part  of  his  life  with  his  son  John  in  this  count}'. 
John  B.  Marshall  was  reared  in  Missouri  his  na- 
tive State,  and  when  quite  young  commenced  boat- 
ing  on   the   river.     In   those   days  there  were   no 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


801 


stcaraeis  plying  on  the  upper  Mississippi  and  all 
transportation  was  by  keel  or  flatboats.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  continued  boating  some  years  but 
in  1832  turnerl  his  attention  to  farming  anil,  like  iiis 
father  before  liim,  became  a  pioneer,  coming  to  this 
county  and  settling  in  this  township.  At  that  time 
the  greater  part  of  the  land  in  this  county  was  pub- 
lic land,  the  settlers  used  lo  cut  timber  wherever 
they  chose  and  Mr.  Marshall  with  others  was  en- 
gaged in  getting  out  staves,  timber,  rails,  sawlogs, 
clapboards  and  cordwood,  continuing  in  that  em- 
ployment until  his  death  in  1853.  The  township 
then  lost  one  of  its  good  citizens  and  one  of  its 
most  industrious  and  useful  pioneers.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Christine  Wisner.  She  was 
born  in  St.  Charles  County,  Mo.,  and  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Wisner,  a  pioneer  of  that  county  who 
was  a  native  of  Canada.  The  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject were  not  long  separated  as  both  died  in  the 
same  year.  They  reared  the  following  nine  chil- 
dren: Francis,  Ilenr}',  Louisa,  Julia,  .lacob,  George, 
Margaret,  Elizabeth  and  Mar}'  Catherine.  Francis 
Marshall  was  born  in  St.  Charles  County,  Mo.,Ooto- 
ber  20, 1830, and  he  was  consequently  only  an  infant 
when  his  parents  came  to  this  State.  He  grew  with 
the  growth  of  the  countj'-  and  witnessed  almost  its 
entire  development.  For  many  years  after  he  came 
here  the  country'  was  very  sparsely  settled  and  deer, 
wolves,  wild  cats  and  wild  turkeys  were  plentiful 
in  the  timber  and  about  the  homes  of  the  pioneers. 
As  soon  as  he  was  large  enough  our  subject  had  to 
assist  his  father  in  the  woods  and  he  remained  with 
his  parents  until  their  death.  He  continued  in  the 
lumber  business  until  1860  and  then  rented  land 
and  engaged  in  farming. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  busily  pursuing  his  calling  .as  a 
farmer  when  the  war  broke  out.  With  jiatriotic 
interest  he  watched  its  course  and  finally  deter- 
mined to  take  a  part  in  carrying  it  on.  He  en- 
listed, August  14,  1862.  in  Company  C,  Ninety- 
seventh  Illinois  Infantry',  and  served  with  great 
credit  until  after  the  close  of  the  war  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged  with  his  regiment  at  Caaip 
Butler,  111.,  August  19,  1865.  He  saw  much  hard 
fighting  and  bore  his  share  in  .all  the  engagements 
in  which  his  regiment  took  part.  He  fought  at 
Chickasaw  Bluffs,  Arkansas  Post,  Champion  Hills, 


Black  River,  engaged  in  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Vicksburg;  was  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  did  noble 
service  at  Ft.  Blakely  and  Mobile,  displaying  in  all 
cases  courage,  self-reliance  and  fortitude  in 'bearing 
the  hardships  of  a  soldier's  life. 

On  his  return  home  INIr.  Marshall  resumed  farm- 
ing and  in  the  spring  of  1869  settled  on  the  farm 
which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  This  is  a  very 
desirable  piece  of  property,  is  under  excellent  im- 
provement, having  a  neat  and  substantial  dwelling 
and  other  necessary  buildings  and  its  fields  are 
well  tilled  and  yield  rich  harvests. 

Mr.  Marshall  was  married  in  1855,  to  Frances 
Divird,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Theirs  has  been 
a  felicitous  wedded  life  and  has  been  blessed  to 
them  by  the  birth  of  nine  children,  as  follows: 
Mary  A.,  Hardin,  Henry,  Francis.  George,  Benja- 
min, Joseph;  Rosalie  and  Kmma  (deceased.) 

The  life  record  of  our  subject  thus  far  has  been 
unblemished  and  shows  him  to  be  a  loyal  citizen 
who  is  earnestly  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his 
to'wnship  and  county  and  of  the  country  at  large, 
and  presents  him  as  a  man  who  is  true  in  all  the 
relations  that  he  bears  to  others  as  husband,  fa- 
ther, neighbor  and  friend.  Socially  he  belongs  to 
Full  Moon  Lodge,  No.  341,A.  F.  &.  A.  M.,  Grafton. 
III.,  and  Sulurian  Lodge  No.  449,  I.  O.  O.  F..  Graf- 
ton, III.  In  politics  we  find  our  subject  a  true  blue 
Republican. 


^^^B^i^ 


(«  felLLIAM  B.  GRIMFS.  Among  the  resi- 
\/\l//  '^'^"^s  of  Pittsficld  who  are  thoroughly  ac- 
\^/^  quainted  with  the  development  of  Pike 
County,  and  have  been  quite  prominently  identi- 
fied therewith  for  many  years,  is  William  B.  Grimes, 
now  Deputj'  County  Clerk.  He  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  this  section  of  country-  when  he  was 
a  boy  about  eight  years  old.  He  has  therefore  ex- 
perienced the  various  phases  of  its  life  from  the 
pioneer  times,  when  the  site  of  the  county  seat  was 
an  unpeopled  waste  wherein  the  rude  voices  of 
savage  tribes  and  wild  animals  woke  the  echoes, 
until  now  that  the  sounds  of  the  busy  life  of  a 
prosperous  city  are  to  be  heard.     During  the  years 


802 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


that  bave  passer!  since  liis  manhood  he  has  been 
coiiiicetecl  with  trade  and  jniljlic  life  in  various 
ways,  and  for  somt  j-eais  lie  has  been  pai'ticularl}- 
prominent  in  the  work  of  tlie  Masonic  order. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject  was  James  Grimes, 
wlio  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland,  January 
8,  1789,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
parents  when  five  years  of  age.  Grandfather 
Grimes  settled  in  South  Carolina,  but  Kentucky 
afterward  became  the  home  of  the  family.  In 
that  State  James  Grimes  married  Nancy  Davis,  a 
native  of  Barton  County,  who  was  born  in  Febru- 
ar}-,  1797.  In  1822  James  Grimes  and  his  family 
removed  to  While  County,  111.,  living  on  a  farm 
there  about  twelve  years,  then  removing  to  Greene 
County.  In  Februar3',  1830,  they  settled  in  the 
timber  lands  of  Pike  County,  five  miles  south  of 
the  village  of  Milton.  The  parents  moved  into 
the  village  some  years  later  and  the  father  breathed 
his  last  there  September  9,  1873,  in  the  eighty-fifth 
year  of  his  age.  He  held  a  Lieutenant's  commis- 
sion during  the  Black  Hawk  Vv'ar.  He  had  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace  twenty  consecutive  years. 
His  wife  and  seven  children  survived  him  an<l  six 
of  the  latter  are  still  living. 

The  survivors  of  the  parental  family  arc:  John 
D.,  now  a  resident  of  Kans.as  City,  Mo.;  Milton, 
whose  home  is  in  San  Jose,  Cal.;  Lucinda,  wife  of 
Absalom  Boren,  of  Milton;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  A.  B. 
York,  residing  iii  Sumner,  Mo.;  Elizabeth  II.,  wife 
of  John  II.  Miller,  whose  home  is  in  Pearl,  Pike 
County;  Francis  M.,  formerly  editor  of  the  Pike 
Cuunty  Banner,  died  March  10,  1890. 

The  natal  day  of  William  B.  Grimes  was  No- 
vember 25,  1828,  and  his  birthplace  near  Carmi, 
White  County,  111.  He  attended  the  pioneer 
schools  in  the  primitive  log  house  of  that  time  and 
passed  the  intervals  of  studyduring  his  boyhood  and 
youth  in  farm  work.  He  remained  an  inmate  of 
the  parental  household  until  he  bad' reached  his 
majority,  wben  he  crossed  the  plains  to  California 
and  engaged  in  gold  mining.  From  1850  to  1852 
he  prosecuted  his  search  for  the  precious  metal, 
meeting  with  good  success,  and  then,  returning  to 
his  former  home  in  Pike  County,  located  at  Milton 
and  built  the  first  sawmill  at  that  |)lace.  In  this 
enterprise  he  was  associated  with  James  L.  Grimes, 


and  the  two  gentlemen  o]jerated  the  mill  about 
twelve  months,  abandoning  it  when  they  decided 
that  their  venture  was  not  a  profitable  one.  A 
short  time  after  our  subject  opened  a  tin  and  hard- 
ware store  in  Milton,  carrying  on  the  business  until 
1869,  when  his  services  were  called  for  in  [)ublic 
life. 

Having  been  elected  County  Clerk  Mr.  Grimes 
removed  to  Pittsfield  and  in  December.  18G9,  as- 
sumed the  duties  of  his  office,  faithfully  discharg- 
ing them  for  four  years.  Returning  to  business 
life  at  the  extiiration  of  his  term  of  office,  he  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  business  in  the  county  seat. 
h\  1877  he  was  appointed  Deputy  County  Clerk 
under  E.  F.  Binns,  and  is  still  doing  efficient  work 
in  that  capacity.  His  labors,  have,  however,  not 
been  continuous,  as  he  spent  four  years  in  the 
County  Treasurer's  office,  resuming  his  position  in 
the  Clerk's  office  under  V.  A.  Grimes  in  1886. 

For  two  years  Mr.  Grimes  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  and  Chairman  of  that  body. 
He  also  held  the  office  of  Township  Treasurer  some 
years.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  strong  in  the 
faith  and  stanch  in  his  suiiport  of  party  measures. 
Personally,  he  has  the  courteous  bearing  of  a  true 
gentleman,  a  mind  stored  with  useful  knowledge, 
and  fine  musical  talent.  He  has  devoted  consider- 
able attention  to  teaching  vocal  music,  and  many 
men  and  matrons  throughout  the  county  recall 
with  pleasure  the  hours  spent  under  his  instruc- 
tion. 

As  has  been  stated  Mr.  Grimes  is  prominent  in 
Masonic  circles.  He  belongs  to  Pittsfield  Lodge, 
No.  790,  a  new  body  of  which  he  has  been  Master 
and  High  Priest  of  Union  Chapter,  No.  10,  R.A.M. ; 
and  Master  of  M.  J.  Noj-es  Council,  No.  59,  in 
which  he  has  been  almost  continuously  elected 
Master.  In  1875  he  was  appointed  Deputy  Grand 
Lecturer  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  three  years 
later  was  made  Grand  Examiner  and  Grand  Lec- 
turer, which  last  exalted  position  he  has  held  by 
reappointment  to  the  present  time. 

The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Grimes  was  solemnized 
in  1853,  his  bride  being  Miss  Alice  A.  Shock,  at 
that  time  a  resident  of  Milton.  Thisladj'  was  born 
in  Ohio,  her  parents  being  Andrew  and  Margaret 
(Repsher)  Shock,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.     Mrs. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


803 


Alice  Grimes  was  removed  from  her  little  famil}' 
by  death  in  May.  1861.  She  left  three  children — 
Delia,  now  the  wife  of  Mark  Ilanes,  of  Columhia. 
Mo.;  Ira  A.,  a  t.'aveliiig  salesman  whose  home  is 
in  Sprino  field,  this  Slate ;  and  H.  W.,  who  died  when 
five  months  old.  In  Octolier,  1862,  Mr.  Grimes 
led  to  the  hymeneal  altal-  Miss  Nancy  J.  Grate- 
house,  who  was  born  in  this  countj'  in  April,  1841. 
Her  father,  Bonaparte  (ualehoiise,  one  of  the  very 
first  settlers  in  the  county,  died  in  1850.  The 
present  union  of  our  subject  has  been  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  three  children — Ida,  wife  of  William 
L.  Allen,  of  Milton,  Pike  County;  Alice,  wife  of 
Bent/in  Colvin.  now  City  Attorney  of  Pittsfield; 
and  Laura,  who  remains  with  her  parents. 


E^ 


=!^E0RGP:  p.  BECHDOLDT,  son  of  Jacob  P. 
11  and  Catherine  M.  (Lenhart)  Bechdoldt,  was 

^^^  born  in  Germany  March  28.  1829.  He 
learned  to  read,  write  and  mastered  the  rudiments 
of  mathematics  in  his  native  country,  and  after 
reaching  the  United  States  attended  school  in  York, 
Pa.,  for  about  six  months  in  the  winter  of  1838-.39, 
where  he  learned  to  read  Enfi;lish.  When  fifteen 
years  of  age,  he  again  attended  school  for  one 
month,  chopping  wood  on  Saturdays  to  pay  for  his 
board  and  receiving  only  fifty  cents  a  cord.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  he  put  in  twenty-eight  days  at 
school  and  graduated,  and  from  the  age  of  fifteen 
was  entirely  dependent  upon  himself  for  support. 
He  turned  his  attention  to  making  staves,  chopping 
wood,  etc.,  and  in  the  spring  hired  out  to  work  on 
a  farm  in  Calhoun  County,  the  place  where  Kamps- 
ville  now  stauds.  He  had  also  charge  of  Bushnell's 
Ferry  across  the  Illinois  River. 

Mr.  Bechdoldt  continued  this  kind  of  work  and 
flatboating  and  steamboating  until  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  at  which  time  he  bought  land  south 
of  Bedford,  in  Pike  County,  and  immediately  took 
possession  of  it.  The  land  was  slightly  improved, 
but  he  replaced  the  old  log  house  with  a  new  one, 
and  remained  there  until  1855,  when  he  rented  out 
his  place  and  in  turn  rented  a  farm  south  of  Mil- 
ton   for    a    season.      This    property     belonged    to 


George  Underwood.  Our  subject  in  1855  pur- 
chased his  present  farm,  and  has  continued  to  add 
to  it  from  time  to  time,  until  it  now  contains  two 
hundred  acres,  with  one  hun<lred  and  eighty  tillable 
acres,  and  one  hundred  acres  under  the  plougli. 
the  rest  being  timber  and  wood  pastures.  He 
built  his  handsome  residence  in  1868  at  a  cost  of 
$3,000,  and  a  barn  in  1882  that  cost  him  81,000. 
He  carries  on  a  general  farming  business,  giving 
bis  attention  to  farming  and  stock-raising  equally, 
and  is  peculiarly  successful  witli  hogs  and  corn. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1851  to  Miss  Frances 
S.  Price,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Polly  (Kennedy) 
Price,  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her  father  was  a 
blacksmith  and  removed  to  Illinois  at  a  ver}' early 
date.  They  both  died  man3'  years  ago,  the  mother 
passing  away  in  1865.  Their  marriage  was  blessed 
with  eleven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now 
living.  Mrs.  Bechdoldt's  birtli  occurred  in  Ma- 
comb, 111.,  May  29,  1834,  and  she  received  a  com- 
mon-school education. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bechdoldt  are  the  parents  of  eleven 
children,  nine  of  whom  are  living,  viz:  Julia  May. 
widow  of  Adam  May,  who  has  four  children  and 
makes  her  home  in  Milton;  Helen,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Patterson,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
our  Album;  Theodore,  who  married  Miss  May 
Van  Meter,  lives  in  Florence  and  lias  three  chil- 
dren. Mariah  married  Frank  J.  Goldelman ;  they 
have  three  children  and  live  on  a  farm  in  .Monte- 
zuma Township.  Anna,  single;  Lnetta,  wife  of 
Hardin  Barnett,  lives  in  Milton;  Edith,  single; 
Fred,  single;  anfl  Esther,  wife  of  Ed  Anderson,  of 
Ft.  Paine,  Ala.  Both  our  subject  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  Milton,  of  which  he  is  a  Leader  and  Steward.  He 
has  always  taken  .an  active  part  in  .Sunday-school 
work,  having  served  as  teacher  and  Superintendent. 
He  has  also  served  as  School  Director  and  is  Chap- 
lain of  the  Grand  Arm3'  Post  at  Jlilton. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  once  voted  the  Union 
Labor  ticket  and  lately  the  Prohibition,  but  was 
originall}'  a  radical  Republican.  He  enlisted  in 
August,  1862,  in  Company  K,  Second  Illinois  Cav- 
alry, as  a  recruit,  and  was  assigned  to  duty  with 
his  regiment  at  Bolivar,  Tenn.  He  took  part  in 
the    following   engagements:     Brownsville    scout, 


804 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


Coldwater,  lairl  at  Holly  Springs  by  Gen.  Van 
Doin,  and  at  the  last-named  place  received  a  shot 
in  the  right  breast  ranging  to  the  left  breast,  and 
the  bullet  is  still  in  his  body.  He  was  taken  to 
the  hospital  at  Holly  Springs,  and  then  came  home 
on  a  furlough,  remaining  there  till  March  10,  1863. 
He  reported  at  the  general  hospital  at  St.  Louis 
for  dut\'  and  was  sent  to  liis  regiment  at  Milliken's 
Bend.  He  was  honorably  discharged  March  21, 
1863,  owing  to  disabilitj-,  and  immediately  returned 
home.  He  still  suffers  from  the  effect  of  that 
wound. 

Our  sid>ject's  parents  were  born  in  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many. His  father  and  mother  were  married  at 
Clinc  H.aebach,  whore  they  resided  until  1837,  at 
which  time  they  emigrated  to  America.  They 
landed  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  made  the  trip  from 
that  point  to  York,  Pa.,  in  a  wagon.  In  the  spring 
of  1839  they  removed  to  Calhoun  County,  111., 
settling  near  Crater's  Landing  on  a  farm.  The 
father  died  in  the  summer  of  1839,  and  the  mother, 
after  making  a  brave  struggle  to  help  her  chil- 
dren in  their  careers,  died  in  1867.  .She  was  tlie 
mother  of  eleven  children,  two  of  whom  are  living 
at  the  present  writing,  viz:  our  subject;  and  Car- 
oline, who  married  T.  B.  Weber  and  lives  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  His  parents  had  at  one  time  been  in 
comfortable  circumstances,  but  after  coming  to 
Callioun  Count}'  they  found  it  a  diflieuit  matter 
to  make  a  living.  The  children  were  compelled  to 
work  and  our  subject  has  hoed  corn  wiien  the  land 
had  not  lieen  plowed,  clioppeil  wood  and  gone 
tiirough  the  usual  struggles  that  attend  poverty'  in 
a  new  country,  but  lo-day  he  ranks  among  the 
wealthy  anil  iuduential  citizens  of  Detroit  Town- 
ship and  is  a  man  highl}'  respected  and  well  liked 
in  the  community  where  he  resides. 


kN.  FERRIS,  Justice  of  the  Peace,  w.as  a  pio- 
neer of  Pike  County,  and  is  well  known  and 
respected.  Ho  was  for  many  years  prosper- 
ously associated  with  its  agricultural  interests,  but 
ahandoned  farming  a  few  years  ago,  and  has  since 
lived  in  the  city   of  Barry,   occupying   one  of  its 


most  comfortable  homes.  He  is  a  native  of  Steph- 
entown,  Rensselaer  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  there 
born  June  3,  1821.  His  father.  Morris  Ferris,  was 
a  native  of  the  county  and  State  above  mentioned, 
of  which  his  father  was  a  pioneer  farmer,  spending 
his  last  years  there. 

Morris  Ferris  was  reared  in  his  native  county 
and  resided  there  until  1822.  He  then  removed 
to  Western  New  York  and  spent  the  remainder  of 
his  life  in  Monroe  County.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  lived  there  about  two  years  after  his  father's 
death,  and  then  returned  to  Rensselaer  County, 
where  she  resided  until  1840.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Rhoby  Harris,  and  she  was  a  native  of  Rensse- 
laer County.  Her  father.  Dr.  Nicholas  Harris,  was 
born  in  Rhode  Island.  He  was  a  physician  and 
was  in  active  practice  in  Rensselaer  Count v  durino' 
his  residence  in  Stcphentown,  where  he  spent  his 
last  years.  He  married  Phoebe  Tibbetts,  who  w.as 
also  a  native  of  Rhode  Island,  and  she  too  died  in 
Stephentown  Township. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  passed 
his  early  life  in  his  native  town,  and  acquired  a 
good  education,  .as  he  attended  school  quite  stead- 
ily until  1839.  In  that  year  accompanied  by  his 
aunt  Almira  Harris  and  sister,  he  started  West.  In 
1840  his  mother  and  sister  came  to  this  count}',  and 
they  both  died  here.  He  came  to  the  Prairie  State, 
coming  by  the  w.ay  of  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  and 
thence  by  lake  to  Cleveland,  from  there  by  the  Ohio 
Canal  to  Portsmouth,  and  from  Cincinnati  by  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to  Pike  County.  He 
was  met  here  by  friends  and  came  to  Barry,  or 
Worcester,  as  it  was  then  called,  which  was  at  that 
time  an  insignificant  hamlet  with  butone  store,  two 
frame  buihlings,  and  a  few  log  dwellings.  Mail 
was  brought  here  by  stage  from  Pleasant  Vale. 
There  were  then  no  postage  stamps  or  envelopes  in 
use  and  tlie  cost  of  a  letter  from  New  York  to  Pleas- 
ant Vale  was  twenty-live  cents,  and  from  there  to 
Barry  was  six  cents.  The  surrounding  country  was 
sparsely  settled  and  very  little  improved.  Deer  and 
wild  turkeys  were  plentiful,  and  could  be  shot  from 
the  door.  He  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  now  joining  the  city,  p.aj'ing  8600  for  the 
tiix  title,  and  8150  for  the  patent.  He  built  a  frame 
bouse,  obtaining  a  part  of  the  timber  from  Quincy, 


PORTRAIT  A^lD  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


805 


and  the  relatives  who  accompanied  him  hitiier  re- 
mained with  him  until  death  parted  them,  his  sister 
dying  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years.  Mr.  Ferrjs 
lived  on  his  farm  until  1886,  and  in  the  meantime 
placed  it  under  substantial  improvement  and  good 
cultivation,  and  then  sold  it  and  removed  to  the 
city  of  Barry,  of  which  he  has  since  been  a  resi- 
dent. 

Mr.  Ferris  married  Miss  Mary  Piper,  a  na- 
tive of  New  Hampshire,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
I'iper.  By  that  marriage  one  son  was  horn,  AVill- 
iam  II.,  who  married  Jennie  Hudson,  and  they  have 
six  sons — Walter  L.,  Hubert,  William,  Charles, 
George  and  John. 

Our  subject  is  a  good  citizen,  and  is  well  consid- 
ered by  all  who  know  him.  He  is  a  decided  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  and  uses  his  influence  to  further  the 
interests  of  his  party.  He  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace  in  1858,  and  has  served  the  most  of  the 
time  since,  discharging  the  duties  thus  imjjosed 
upon  him  with  fidelity,  impartiality,  and  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 


-b..|e^|<^^ 


VARTHOLOMEW  CORBITT.  Among  the 
V,  many  worthy  citizens  of  Calhoun  County 
who  claim  the  Emerald  Isle  as  their  native 
land,  none  are  better  deserving  of  represen- 
tation in  a  volume  of  this  nature  than  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  He  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
owning  and  operating  a  farm  on  section  30,  Ham- 
Inirg  Precinct,  and  is  especiallj'  deserving  of  credit, 
as  he  was  practically  without  means  when  he  came 
here,  having  but  sixty  cents  in  money  when  he 
reached  Hamburg.  From  this  small  beginning  has 
grown  a  condition  of  solid  finances  and  assured 
standing  among  the  landowners  and  agriculturists 
of  the  section. 

Mr.  Corbitt  was  born  July  12,  1848,  in  County 
Tippcrary,  Ireland.  His  father,  Edmund  Corbitt, 
is  now  deceased,  but  his  mother,  Jlary  (Day)  Cor- 
bitt, is  still  living  in  her  native  land.  Young  Cor- 
bitt pursued  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  country,  acquiring  with    ready    intelligence 


a  good  understanding  of  the  branches  taught 
therein  to  which,  in  later  years,  he  has  added  more 
extended  information  through  his  wise  use  of  news- 
papers and  books.  In  18G8  when  he  had  not  yet 
reached  man's  estate,  he  turned  his  back  upon  his 
native  land,  fully  persuaded  that  in  the  New 
World  he  would  find  better  opportunities  and  a 
fuller  prospect  of  personal  aggrandizement.  He 
took  passage  at  Queenstovvn  on  a  steamer  and  after 
an  ocean  voyage  of  fourteen  da\'s  landed  in  the 
American  metropolis,  whence  he  came  by  rail  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  by  boat  to  Calhoun  County. 
111. 

For  a  time  after  his  arrival  3'oung  Corbitt 
worked  as  a  farm  hand,  cut  cordwood  .and  did  var- 
ious odd  jobs  such  as  he  could  find  to  do,  carefullj' 
hoarding  his  resources  preparatory  to  securing  for 
himself  a  home.  He  finally  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  the  land  he  now  occupies,  which 
wascoveretl  with  timber  and  in  the  wild  condition  in 
which  it  had  been  left  by  the  aborigines.  He  was 
obliged  to  do  the  pioneer  work  of  cle.aring  the 
place,  and  for  several  years  after  he  settled  thereon 
he  occupied  a  little  shanty,  10x12  feet,  made  of 
logs  with  a  clapboard  roof.  He  lived  in  this  dwell- 
ing until  he  was  able  to  build  a  better  house.  He 
added  to  his  estate  .as  his  affairs  prospered  and  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  .acres  which  he 
has  brought  to  a  fine  condition  as  regards  its  tillage 
and  improvement. 

Mr.  Corbitt  has  served  as  School  Director  with 
credit  to  himself  and  his  constituents.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Democrat  and  in  religion  a  Catholic.  He 
has  acquired  a  leading  place  among  the  Irish-Amer- 
ican citizens  of  Hamburg  Precinct,  having  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  business  community  by  his 
honesty  and  industry,  and  the  respect  of  all  who 
admire  sturdy  enterprise,  thrift  and  a  law-abiding 
spirit. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Corbitt  is  presided  over  by  a 
native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Catherine  Hughes.  Her  father.Jolin  Hughes, 
is  deceased  and  her  mother,  Johanna  Hughes,  died 
in  this  county  September  28,  1890.  Ten  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corbitt,  and  six 
are  living,  viz:  Edmund,  John,  Bartholomew, 
Francis,  James  and  Ellen.     Mrs.  Corbitt  is  an  ami- 


806 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


able,  iiitelligfiit  lady,  whose  first  care  is  lier  home 
and  family,  but  who  finds  time  to  enjoy  the  social 
life  of  the  neigliborhood  and  to  take  an  active  i)art 
in  tiie  enterprises  which  prove  a  source  of  enjoy- 
ment and  benefit  to  the  community. 


THOMAS  WORTHINGTON,  M.  D.    On  the 

14th  of  November,  1888,  the  citizens  of 
'-^■'^^  Pittsfield,  Pike  County,  were  saddened  by 
the  announcement  of  the  death  of  this  beloved 
and  venerable  pioneer  of  the  county.  After  an 
active  life  of  four-score  years  he  passed  awaj* 
peacefully  as  one  who,  wearied  by  the  toil  of  the 
day,  commits  himself  to  the  Father's  loving  care 
and  falls  into  restful  slumber.  Among  the  physi- 
cians of  tiie  county,  he  occupied  a  prominent  posi- 
tion, being  a  man  of  original  ideas  iu  his  chosen 
profession.  lie  was  one  of  the  first  to  ridicule  and 
condemn  the  practice  then  ver\'  common,  of  bleed- 
ing patients,  and  in  ever3-  wa3'  he  was  interested  in 
the  advance  of  human  knowledge  along  the  line  of 
therapeutics. 

An  illustration  of  the  original  and  inventive 
mind  of  Dr.  Worthington  is  found  in  one  of  his 
earliest  surgical  operations.  A  boy,  Jefferson  Kin- 
man  by  name,  was  thrown  under  a  loaded  wagon 
the  wheels  passing  over  the  arm  and  leg  on  one 
side  crushing  both  to  a  pulp  and  forcing  the  flesh 
tlirough  the  skin.  An  amputation  of  both  limbs 
would  have  been  t!ie  usual  practice  and  was  ad- 
vised bj'  other  physicians.  The  child's  father  how- 
ever objected  to  amputation,  and  Dr.  AVorthington 
dressed  the  limbs  as  well  as  the  means  within  his 
reach  would  permit.  On  the  next  daj'  he  found 
contraction  of  the  muscles  had  drawn  the  elbow 
almost  to  the  shoulder  and  the  knee  almost  to  the 
hip.  By  means  of  weights  attached  to  the  foot  and 
hand  and  suspended  over  the  foot  and  side  of  the 
bed  on  which  the  child  lay,  he  succeeded  in  ex- 
tending the  limbs  to  their  natural  length  and  kept 
them  so  extended  until  a  perfect  cure  was  affected. 
'J'he  boy  retained  no  signs  of  his    injurj-,   was   re- 


ceived into  the  army,  became  a  Lieutenant  in  the 
Ninety-ninth  Illinois  Infantry  and  was  killed  at  the 
cl^ngo  of  A'icksburg.  Dr.  John  T.  Hodgen  of  St. 
Louis,  was  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Worthington  and  became 
Dean  of  the  F.aculty  of  the  St.  Louis  Medical  Col- 
lege and  President  of  the  United  States  Medical 
Association.  He  always  told  his  classes  that  the 
above  operation  was  the  first  known  instance  in 
which  a  limb  suffering  from  such  a  fracture  had 
been  extended  and  saved,  and  that  the  various  ap- 
pliances now  universallj'  emploj'ed  among  surgeons 
for  extcndinga  limb  so  fractured  are  but  modifica- 
tions and  mechanical  improvements  upon  the  prac- 
tice introduced  by  Dr.  Worthington. 

Dr.  Worthington  is  of  distinguished  lineage, 
being  descended  on  the  paternal  si:le  from  an  P^ng- 
lish-Welsh  family,  and  on  his  motl)er's  side  from 
Frejich-IIuguenot  ancestry'.  His  grandfather  Sam- 
uel Worthington  was  born  in  1746  in  the  State  of 
Maryland,  while  the  father,  James  Worthington, 
was  born  July  1,  1779,  in  Anderson  Count}-,  Tenn. 
Tlie  latter  after  reaching  years  of  maturity,  mar- 
ried Lettice  Tunnell,  and  of  this  union  our  subject 
was  born  June  11,  1808  in  Knoxville,  Tenn.  The 
Tunnell  family  removed  from  ?''rance  to  Yorkshire, 
England,  whence  after  a  short  sojourn,  they  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1740  and  settled  near  Fred- 
ericksburg, Va.  They  were  of  intensely  religious 
temperament  and  left  F'rance  about  the  time  of  the 
massacre  on  St.  Bartholomew's  Ere. 

The  following  with  reference  to  the  life  of  Dr. 
Worthington  is  taken  from  the  Pike  County  Demo- 
crat of  November,  1888:  "The  removal  by  death 
from  our  midst  of  the  late  Dr.  Thomas  Worthing- 
ton was  an  event  in  the  history  of  the  county  and 
State  in  which  he  in  the  early  daj-s  i)laycd  an  im- 
portant part,  calling  for  a  more  extended  notice 
than  has  hitherto  been  given  it.  Born  June  11,1 808, 
in  the  State  of  Tennessee  of  distinguished  parent- 
age, upon  arriving  at  man's  estate  he  felt  that  the 
great  Northwest  opened  a  fairer  field  for  success  for 
one  who  had  himself  and  his  own  manhood  to  rely 
upon  in  the  struggle  for  place  and  position  among 
his  fellow-men,  than  the  State  of  his  nativity  and 
its  surroundings  then  presented.  His  educational 
advantages  had  been  of  a  limited  character,  but  he 
possessed  a  vigorous  intellect,  was  young,    ardent 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


807 


and  ambitious,  and  the  year  1 833  found  his  lot  cast 
with  the  then  limited  population  of  Pike  County. 

'•Subsequently  he  entered  upon  the  study  of 
medicine,  and  in  1835  graduated  at  the  Medical 
College  in  Cincinnati,  entering  the  same  year  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  this  pla<-e  wliicli 
was  ever  after  his  home.  In  the  year  1837  he  was 
married  to  Emelie  J.,  j'oungest  daughter  of  Col. 
Kennedy  Long,  of  Baltimore,  Md.  From  this  union 
were  born  eleven  children  of  whom  William  and 
Jesse  died  in  their  infancy,  and  Elizabeth  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  A.  F.  Mirrielees  and  dying  left  a 
daughter,  INI iss  JIaggie  Mirrielees,  her  only  child. 
Those  surviving  are  George,  Thomas,  .John  and 
Andrew,  of  whom  Thomas  and  Andrew  are  single; 
Emily  ;Mar\-,  wife  of  Dr.  Graham,  of  Denver,  Col., 
and  Helen  the  wife  of  William  T.  Gauss,  of  Fram- 
ingham,  Mass.  Mrs.  Worthington  died  February 
9,  1881.  The  largo  family  of  children  had  grown 
to  man's  and  woman's  estate,  before,  worn  out  by  a 
long  life  of  earnest  endeavor  in  early  years  and  con- 
slant  study  and  speculation  in  the  latter,  the  father 
passed  peacefully  to  his  final  rest  at  five  o'clock  on 
the  morning  of  Wednesday,  November  14,  after 
but  a  day  or  two's  illness  so  serious  as  to  require 
medical  attention. 

'■.Such  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  family  history  of 
the  deceased.  His  life  among  men,  as  one  of  the 
great  busy  world,  struggling  for  wealth  and  honors, 
deserves  a  more  extended  notice.  From  the  start 
his  success  in  his  chosen  profession  was  very  great 
gaining  in  a  remarkable  degree  the  love  and  esteem 
of  old  and  young  and  his  large  practice  became 
arduous  and  wearing  upon  his  constitution.  He  had 
fitted  himself  well  in  his  medical  studies,  possessed 
an  active,  vigorous  intellect,  was  ambitious  of  dis- 
tinction and  unremitting  in  his  attention  to  those 
who  were  placed  under  his  care.  His  kindly  and 
cheerful  manner  made  him  a  welcome  visitor  to 
the  sick  room,  while  his  solicitude  for  the  cure  of 
his  patient  as  betokened  by  manner  and  conversa- 
tion begat  that  confidence  by  the  patient  in  the 
physician  which  is  so  great  an  aid  to  his  success. 
As  a  result  as  we  have  said,  his  practice  became 
very  large  and  wearing. 

"But  the  performance  of  those  arduous  duties 
was  not  all  that  engaged  his  active  mind    at  this 


time.     He  early  saw  the  inevitable  rise  in  lands  that 

was  to  follow  the  full  settlement  of  this  sparsely 
settled  country  and  determined  to  secure  for  him- 
self a  large  landed  estate  while  prices  were  low.  He 
therefore  bought  many  tracts  in  various  parts  of 
the  county  and  Slate,  and  .as  he  intended  to  hold 
them,  ])roceeded  to  put  them  in  cultivation  that 
they  might  be  returning  something  for  the  invest- 
ment  while  so  held.  This  brought  him  into  the 
purchase  of  stock,  and  at  one  time  he  dealt  largely 
in  cattle,  horses,  hogs  and  other  stock.  Speaking  of 
the  purchase  of  land,  ho  once  remarked  to  the 
writer  of  this  that  he  thought  it  no  imprudence, 
no  risk,  to  buy  on  credit  any  tract  of  land  that  if 
sold  again  would  bring  the  [jrice  agreed  to  be  paid. 
As  a  consequence  of  carrying  this  view  into  actual 
practice  he  became  largely'  incumbered  with  debt 
for  land  so  purch.ased. 

"Not  content,  however,  with  the  amount  of  busi- 
ness that  thus  devolved  uiion  liim,  he  became  from 
the  start,  an  active  and  earnest  politician.  He  was 
an  ardent  Whig  and  had  for  his  associates  in  poli- 
tics such  men  as  the  eloquent  Edward  Baker,  the 
blufif,  genial  John  J.  Hanlin,  the  courtly  and  per- 
suasive of  speech,  O.  H.  Browning,  and  others 
equally  gifted.  Ilis  speeches  were  marked  with 
great  force,  vigor  and  point,  and  delivered  from 
the  stump  (actually  the  stump  in  those  days)  were 
of  great  effect  with  the  people.  In  18)2  he  was 
nominated  and  elected  to  the  Senate,  serving  his 
term  of  four  years  with  much  distinction.  His 
eloquence,  his  great  breadth  of  information  and  his 
devotion  to  tlie  performance  of  his  duties,  gave 
hiui  much  influence  among  his  fellow-senators.  In 
1846  he  was  defeated  for  a  return  by  the  late  Dr. 
Hugh  L.  Sutphin,  of  Perry,  the  county  going  at 
that  election  several  hundred  Democratic.  While 
in  the  Senate,  he  gave  the  casting  vote  for  the  'Two 
Mill  Tax,'  which  saved  the  State  from  reiiudiation, 
and  assisted  largely  in  passing  the  first  'Free  School 
Law'  of  the  State. 

"His  interest  and  active  participation  in  politics, 
however,  continuocl  unabated  and  ho  was  ever  ready 
to  uphold  and  maintain  the  principles  of  his  part}', 
whether  in  the  forum  or  upon  the  stump.  As  an 
instance  of  his  readiness  and  ability'  In  discussion 
we  note  that  upon  one  occasion,  by   permission   of 


808 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  ALBUM. 


the  State  Supreme  Court,  he  appeared  before  that 
learned  body  to  argue  and  contend  for  the  proposi- 
tion that  the  taxation  of  land  and  the  note  given  in 
payment  for  that  land  was  double  and  unjust  tax- 
ation, and  delivered  an  argument  that  received 
nuich  commendation.  He  failed  however,  in  con- 
vincing the  court  that  the  statutes  were  in  his  favor. 
•'The  strain,  however,  of  this  active,  vigorous, 
overcrowded  life  proved  too  much  for  him  and 
when  he  reached  the  age  of  about  forty  years  he 
found  that  he  had  over-tasked  himself, — that  he 
had  worked  under  too  high  pressure  and  his  health 
was  largely  impaired.  From  that  time  the  manage- 
ment of  his  business  passed  largely  into  the  hands 
of  others  and  after  some  years  of  rest  he  became 
greatlj'  recuperated,  but  his  mind  had  become  in- 
terested in  other  matters  and  he  became  an 
enthusiastic  student  of  Geology.  On  this  line  for 
hi;n  the  Glacial  Period  bad  peculiar  interest  and  to 
its  consideration  the  study  of  the  latter  years  of  his 
life  was  largely  devoted.  He  prosecuted  his  re- 
searches upon  the  subject  in  nearly  every  State  in 
the  Union  and  for  several   years  traveled  in  Colo- 


rado and  upon  the  Pacific  Coast  pursuing  his  favor- 
ite theme.  It  is  said  his  writings  have  been  verv 
extensive  with  regard  to  his  geological  studies 
and  investigations  and  they  may  yet  prove  of  much 
interest  to  the  public. 

••Religious  subjects  and  the  study  of  the  Bible  also 
occupied  much  of  his  attention.  He  was  an  earnest 
believer  in  the  Bible  and  a  crucified  Saviour,  al- 
though his  views  in  some  particulars  were  not  those 
generally  accepted  at  the  present  day.  His  lauded 
estate  remained  largely  intact  and  had  furnished 
him  a  handsome  competency  for  himself  and  the 
objects  of  his  l)enevolence  during  all  the  later 
years  of  retirement  from  business.  And  so  the 
evening  of  a  life  whose  morn  opened  with  a  more 
earnest  struggle  for  the  world's  favors  in  common 
with  others,  closed  down  in  the  peaceful  and  quiet 
study  of  the  earth's  secrets  as  developed  by  science 
and  practical  investigation,  and  of  those  things 
which  are  believed  as  insuring  joy  and  happiness 
in  the  great  hereafter. 

"After  life's  fitful  fever  he  sleeps  well." 


BIOGFJfll^P^I^P^- 


^■s«-<||B>-»s>^= 


Adams,  John 23 

Adams,  J.  G 5-25 

Adams,  John  Q 39 

Aderton,H.  K 628 

Allen,  Alfred  B 740 

Allen,  John  W 787 

Anderson,  Henry  L Ml 

Anderson ,  James  W 695 

Andrews,  Thomas (197 

Appleton,  C 365 

Archer,  Georg:e  W 779 

Arthur,  Chester  A 99 

Atkinson,  H.  B 236 

Auer,  Conrad 787 

Auer,  Jacob 488 


B 


Bain,  L.  C 2.50 

Baldwin,  L.  H 469 

Barber,  A 281 

Barber,  Albert 691 

Barber,  Prof.  W.  E 78,'! 

Barney,  John 8(10 

Barry,  Hon, P.  C,  M.  D 527 

Barton,  Isaac 298 

Baxter,  M.  E 482 

Beaty,  R.  C 416 

Bechdoldt,  G.  P 803 

Becker.  Charles  P 671 

Becker,  John 681 

Beeman,  M 429 

Bell.  Henry 676 

Berrey,  Isaac  S.,  M,  I) 369 

Beveridge,  John  L 171 

Bickerdike,  John 722 

Bissell,  William  H 151 

Bizaillion,F.  1 635 

Blake,  Leander 410 

Bond,  Shadrach Ill 

Bond,  Williamson IM 

Boggs,  JohnC.  F 207 


Borrownian,  John 677 

Borrowman,  Mrs.  Sarah (;5t 

Brakefielil,  Samuel SRI 

Brock,  H.C 196 

Browii ,  Harrison 433 

Brown,  Henry  R 219 

Brown,  Hon.  B.  D 371 

Brown,  Mrs.  B.  D 307 

Buchanan,  James 75 

Buchanan,  William  V 230 

Bunch,  Henry  T 515 

Bunch.  Isaac 515 

Burbridge,  Robert 199 

Burns,  Daniel 481 

Bush,  Hon.  J.  M .509 

Butler,  Mrs.  Fanny 424 

Butterfleld,  E.  A 461 

Butterfield,  H.  W 211 

Byrd,  Mrs.  Sarah 508 


Calhoun,  Lemuel 519 

Calvin,  John  W 289 

Carlin,  Thomas 135 

Carnes,  Richard 329 

Chamberlain,  A.  G 222 

Chamberliu,  J.  B 239 

Chapman ,  3Ia<lisou 6.58 

Chenoweth,  J.  W 6.50 

Chenowelh,  M.  B 667 

Child,  Hon.  George  B .501 

Churchill,  H.  S 481 

Clark,  Jobe 409 

Clark,  Samuel 319 

Clarkson,  Thomas .547 

Clemmons,  S.  P 775 

Cleveland,  Grover  S 103 

Clugsten,  William  P 258 

Cockrell,  D.  D 669 

Cocki-ell,  W.  P 608 

Coffey,  Hev.  T.  C 310 

Coles,  Edward 113 

Colcy,T.  H 261 

Colvin,  Hayes  354 

Cooper,  J.  H 730 

Corbitt,  Bartholomew 803 

Grader,  Alexander 319 


Crader,  Henry  T 151 

Crandall,  Maj.  E,  A 240 

Crawford.  A.  G 267 

Crenshaw.  Oscar  D 737 

Cresswell,  George  M 521 

Ci*esswell,  Joseph 569 

Crosby,  John  D 697 

Crow,  W.  H 268 

Curfman.  Samuel 285 

Cullom,  Shclb.\  M 173 

D 

Davis,  Stephen  M 571 

Dean.  A.  H 279 

Delong,  L.  A 028 

Dennis,  Hon.  J.  H 621 

Dennis,  W.  S 618 

Deverger,  Charles 706 

Dewey,  J.  M 755 

Dierking,  Frederic 625 

Dillon,  John  M 63:! 

Di  rksmey er ,  Anton 366 

Dixon, Job 672 

Doane,  Ezra,  Sr 699 

Dodge,  Harlan  P 249 

Doocy,  Edward 483 

Dorsey ,  A 616 

Dousrlass,  James  R..M.D....(H1 

Dow, Augustus 604 

Dow,  Erwin  P .5.53 

Doyle.  G.  W'.,  M.  D. 317 

Ducy,  William 719 

Duncan,  .loseph 131 

Duidiam.  Nathaniel 362 

Dunham.  Rev.  Abel 384 

Dunham,  William 543 

Dunn,  Harvey,  N.  D 7(a 

Dustin,  C.  B 337 


Earlcy,  James 761 

Kasley,  James  R 328 

Eastman ,  L 215 

Edwards,  G.  S 493 


Edwards.  Ninian 119 

Elhs.T.  B 7(18 

Ervin,  Isaac 634 

Evans,  W.  A 290 

Ewing,  William  L.  D 127 


Fenton.JohnM 507 

Ferris,  L.  N 804 

Fifer,  Joseph  W 183 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Fisher,  Morris 270 

Fletcher,  William :i52 

Flinn,  B.  W 713 

Foiles.  James 4-20 

Foiles,  John :J81 

Foiles,  Lewis,  M.  D 5i5 

Foiles,  Mrs.  P.  .\ .je!) 

Ford,  Thomas. . .' 139 

Foreman,  James  W 690 

Fowler,  Jeremiah 275 

Fowler,  Kev.  W.  P 774 

Franke,  Justus 312 

Frazer.  J.  B.,  M.  D 452 

Freeman,  William  S 772 

Frecsmeyer,  Kotger,  Sr 571 

French,  Augustus  C 143 

French,  E.  N 7,56 

French,  H.  C .584 

French  .James 700 

Friedel,  George 648 

Funk,  Heury 392 


Gaines,  S.B 200 

Gard,  Charles 6-22 

Garfield,  James  A 95 

Garner,  W.J 200 

Garrison,  G.  B.,  M.  D 208 

(iay,  .lames 463 

Gay,  William  H 237 

Qeeding,  S.  A 670 


INDEX. 


Geraicl,  L.  R 213 

Gheen ,  John 272 

Gillis,  William 617 

Godar,  Paul 202 

Goewey,  A.  P 445 

Goldman,  E.  O iii 

Gose.C.B 198 

Gourley,  Samuel  S 324 

Graff,  George  P  ,  M.  D 277 

Grammer,  William 245 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 87 

Gra.v,  Eugene 591 

Gray,  Tliomas  B 396 

Greathouse,  Hon.  F.  M 466 

Gresham,  B.  P 212 

Griflfeth,  Justus *42 

Grimes,  Eli 302 

Grimes,  V.  A 612 

Grimes,  W.B SOI 

Gueck.  Fred COS 

Guss,  ^\'illiam 227 


H 


Hadley,  A.L 7S5 

Hadsell,  N.  V 7S2 

Hall,  Calvin  L 11(16 

Hall,  Frank  L.,  M.  D .321 

Hall.  Henry ,334 

Hall, T.N 211 

Ham,  Joel  W 624 

Hamilton,  E 798 

Hamilton,  John  M 179 

Hannehen ,  J.  A 775 

Haper,  George  F (i;!8 

Hardy,  John  R 322 

Harlow,  Francis  M 721 

Harlow.  H.  D 666 

Harrington.  J.  C 3.S6 

Harrington,  Martin 389 

Harrington,  S.  S ,')85 

Harrison,  Benjamin 107 

Harrison,  George 119 

Harrison,  J.  H 201 

Harrison,  Joseph  C 592 

Harrison,  William  Henry 61 

Harshman,  Peter 551 

Hart,N.  P .575 

Harvey,  Joseiih 351 

Harvey,  Mrs.  Nancy 565 

Haskins,  N.  H 422 

Haskins,  Otis  A 470 

Hatch,  Isaac  A 191 

Hatch,  Sylvanns 613 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Hemphill,  Alexander 430 

Hemphill,  Austin  H 121 

Kenry,  Gilbert  H 415 

Henry.  Hughey  M.,  M.  D 431 

Henthorn .  John 526 

Hess,  William.'. ,550 

Hicks.  Col.  D.  D 221 

Hi  ghee,  Harry 533 

Highhee,  Hon.  C.  L 792 

Hill.  Asa  L 1.'I2 

Hirst,  William 304 

Hitch,  Edwin 286 


Hoover,  David  J 598 

Hoover,  George 405 

Hoover,  John  A 262 

Hopkins,  Capt.  B.  B 791 

Hosey,  Edward 781 

Hoskin,  C.  L 246 

Hoskins,  Henry 393 

Hoss,  Christian 531 

House,  Mrs.  Roeiia 462 

Hoyt,  William 297 

Hubbard,  W.  G 271 

Hudelson,  Henry  C 768 

Hudelson,  O.  C 799 

Hull,  Smith 439 

Huntley,  Solon 465 

Hunter,  Charles  D 426 

Hurt,H.L 375 

Hutton.  Thomas 379 


Imming,  Henry  .586 

Ingle,  William  T 689 

Ingrain,  Andrew 195 

Ingram,  I.  L 308 

Irving,  Edwai'd  456 


,Tackson,  Andrew 43 

James,  W.  B 370 

Jelfersoii,  Thomas 27 

Jennings.iWilliam  S 732 

Johns,  Allen 702 

Johns,  Capt.  L.  T 644 

Johnson,  Andrew 83 

Johnson,  Lewis  C 374 

Johnston,  S.  T 688 

Johnston,  W.  H 789 

Jones,  Allen,  M.  D 653 

Jones.  Nathan  "W 259 


K 


Kamp,  M.  A 317 

Kennedy,  John 287 

Kenney,  \V.  W 402 

Kcssinger,  R 421 

Kinscherll,  Michael 471 

Klaas,  J.  W 731 

Klaas,  Lukas 752 

Kiiese,  John 791 

Kurt'man,  David 295 


Laird,  William  H 614 

Lamar,  Ziprien 464 

Lamniy,  C.  C 675 


Landess,  John  A 784 

Lane,  John  S 288 

Lansdon,  B.  C 557 

Laughlin,  Charles  H 492 

Lewis,  W.  H 510 

Likes,  Mrs.  Beathada 705 

Lincoln,  Abraham 79 

Linkogcl,  John  A 716 

Lipiiincott,  C  P 573 

Long,  George  W 544 

Long,  Lemuel 773 

Love,  William 536 

Lumley,  Thomas 720 

Lumley ,  Turner  710 

Lynn.  Francis  M 364 

Lyon.  E.  G 486 

M 


Madison,  James 31 

Mam.  Andrew 658 

Marshall,  Francis  800 

Martin,  Hutson 431 

Martin,  S.  F 435 

Mason,  Mrs.  Nancy  J 758 

Massie.M.  D 247 

Matteson.  Joel  A 147 

M.atthews,  Col.  A.  C 623 

Matthews,  Capt.  B.  L 225 

Matthews,  Ross 613 

Mayes,  George  D 759 

McAtee,  Alfred  H 498 

McAfee,  Mrs.  Lucy  F 477 

McCallister,  Edwin 412 

McCartney,  Francis 549 

McClure,  G.  C 670 

McCoy,  Hon.  J.  F .553 

McDonald.  Hon.  John 265 

McDonald ,  Stephen 472 

McEvers,  N.  D 440 

McFadden,  Cyrus 487 

McFarland,  Joseph 665 

McKinney ,  G.  W.,  M.  D 419 

McKinney.  John  G.,  M.  D 497 

McLaiu,  William  A 719 

McLaughlin,  J.  W 709 

Meisenbach,  Charles 302 

Merida,  Samuel  J 327 

Metz,  Henry 708 

Meyers,  Augustus 701 

Miller,  G.  W 700 

Miller,  S.  M 442 

Miller,  Wiley 676 

Monroe,  James 35 

Moore,  George  W  495 

Moore,  J.  K 741 

Morey .  Eliza 771 

Mortland,  James 333 

Mortland,  John 5,59 

Mortland,  Hon.  W'illiam .596 

Mull,  Benjamin 449 

Murray ,  R,  M 747 

Myers,  William .'iSS 


o 


Oglesbj',  Richard  J I6:j 

Orr,  Jefferson 5;ji 

Osborne,  Samuel 500 


N 


Nevius, Davids.  H. 
Nicholas,  M.  J 


..,391 
.739 


Palmer,  John  M 167 

Parker.  A.  W 725 

Patterson,  William  S 529 

Pennington,  G.  S  291 

Perry,  Henry (na 

Perry,  Richard 44c 

Petty,  Elijah 277 

Petty,  James  M 380 

Petty,  W.  T.  F 260 

Pierce,  Franklin 71 

Pinero,  E.  A 460 

Piper,  William  M 743 

Plummer,  AV.  H ,595 

Polk,  James  K 50 

Pool,  James  A 73(i 

Poor,  Edward  B 576 

Pope,  George  M 473 

Porter,  John  C88 

Pratt,  George 494 

Pregaldin,  Victor 255 

Pringle,  William 5.53 

Pryor,  William  H 400 

Pulliam,  W.  W.,  M.  D 444 

Pursley ,  Jacob  F 777 

Pyle,  David 514 


R 


Ray,  John 570 

Read,  John  A 7.50 

Reed.  John  R 718 

Reed,  William  A 414 

Renovd,  Charles  H 3.59 

Retzer,  George 522 

Retzer,  Jolin 475 

Reynolds.  John 123 

Roads,  Henry 696 

Roberts,  David 313 

Roberts,  James  A 3.54 

Roberts,  P.  D  276 

Robinson,  William 736 

Rohning,  Charles  C,  M.  D.  ..235 

Rose,  J.  D  252 

Ross,  A.  K 433 

Roth,  Adam  A 425 

Rotli,  Augustus 292 

Rowand,  Josiah  S 256 

Ruble,  Joseph r. .  .6.56 

Rupert,  J.  D 579 

Rush,  A.  C 608 

Rustemeyer,  P-,  M.  D 411 

Ruyle,  William 583 


INDEX. 


Sanderson ,  George  K 2CG 

Sanilorson,  William 679 

Scanhlnil,  K.  C G:S1 

Scarboroiij:jh,  W 707 

Schleeper.  Frank 510 

Scbliepcr,  Charles.  Sr 3:J9 

Schwartz,  George  W.,  M.  D.  .fifiO 

Schwartz,  J 751 

Scott.  John ft!5 

Seaborn.  George 709 

Seaney,  John  M 3(11 

Sevier.  Albert 344 

SeyboM.  George  \V C32 

Shastid,  Jon 602 

Shaw.C.  K 6SI! 

Shaw,  Fred 282 

Shaw,  Henry  L 797 

Shaw,  H.T 217 

Shuhart .  Andrew 685 

Sibley,  Yonngs 773 

Sidwell,  John 541 

Simon,  John 383 

Sinipkin,  Thomas 605 

Simpson,  Ellas 251 

Silton,  J.  K 404 

Sleeper,  Henry 692 

Sleight,  John  G 504 

Smith,  Eugene 735 

Smith,  (ieorge  W.  G 729 

Smith,  John  J 678 

Smith, L.J 643 

Smith,  Mrs.  Sarah  J 232 

Smith, S.H.,Jr 382 

Smith,  S.H.,Sr 538 

Smith, W.H 491 


Smitherman.  W.J 6S0 

Smyth,  A.,  M.  1)  683 

Snecden,  Lewis  H 300 

Snyders,  Peter 647 

Sommer,  Rev.  Clemens 605 

Southworth,  S.,'M.  D 229 

Sowers.  Elisha 745 

Sperry ,  J.  \V. , 206 

Sprague,  Seaman J>SO 

Sqnier,  C.  C 566 

&inier,  C.  W .5.S9 

Staats,  William  A 193 

StalT,  Peter 309 

StauBer,  J.  C K9 

Ste.ad.M 637 

Stebbins,  Frank 598 

Stihvell.  James  H 767 

Strawn ,  Creed 712 

Suhling,  John 548 

Swan, C.I 728 

Sweet,  J.  A 451 

Sweeting,  Richard 648 

Sykes,  James 7!C) 


T 


Talbert,  William  J 257 

Taylor,  Samuel 778 

Taylor,  Zacharj' 63 

Temple,  John  T 633 

Tharp,  .James  C  2!I2 

Thiele,  W.,Sr 434 

Thomas,  J.  S.,M.D 542 

Thomas,  Levi 3,10 

Thurman,  W.  H 626 

Thursten,  David  J 445 


Todd,  Marion 205 

Toner,  William  0 716 

Tnrner,  C.  B 711 

Turner.  Sanmel 7:18 

Twichcll,  C.  A ,11« 

Tyler,  John 55 


Van  Buren,5Iartm 47 

Van  Zandl ,  J.  P 722 

Venablc,  ,lames 63(! 


w 


Walker,  James  W 727 

Walker.R.  J 320 

Walmsley ,  Richard .503 

«'ar<l ,  .John 355 

Warton,  John 513 

Washington,  George 19 

Watkins,  David 338 

Watson,  Charles  A :«1 

Watson,  William  W 401 

Wea  \-er,  Harvey 537 

Weaver,  Hiram 667 

Weber,  John 655 

Weems,  C.  M.,  M.  D 311 

Weiser,  O.  N 390 

Wells,  H.  F 332 

We.stlake,  H.  J 709 

Wheeler,  J.  C  .530 

Wheeler,  William 373 

Wheelock.  John  G 4.53 

Whitaker,  Jantes 760 

Whitaker,  S.  R 597 


WHiile,  S.  A 4.3i! 

Whittaker,  A.  S 42;i 

Whittaker,  G.  H 267 

Wike,  Mrs.  A.  C 715 

Wike,  Hon.  Scott 781 

Wilkins.  Nelson    451 

Williams,  D.  A 748 

Williams,  G.  A.,  M.  D 770 

Williams, .lames  R 4.Vi 

Williams,  Kpv.  S.  R :»< 

Williams,  W.  E .574 

Williamson.  E.  E 210 

Willsey,  J.  G .500 

Willsey .  W.  B 228 

Wilson,  Hon.  A.  C 717 

Wilson,  William  H 175 

Wilson,  Je.sse 300 

Wilson,  William 305 

Windmiller,  Jacob 379 

Winter,  Asa 682 

Winterhalter,  Rey.  B 252 

Wintjen,  Andreas 206 

Wirth,  Michael 522 

Wohllarth,  Rev.  J.  F 280 

Wood,  Charles  L mO 

Wood.  John 1.55 

Worth  i  ugton ,  Hon  .Thomas .  786 
Worthingtou ,  T.,  M.  D 806 


Yates,  Edward., 
Yates,  Richaixl. 


..340 
. .  1.59 


Znmwalt,  Nathan  H .564 


Aderton.H.K 629 

Auer,  Jacob 489 

Cresswell,  Joseph 5<;7 

Dclong,  L.  A 629 

Di.\on.  Job 673 

Douglass,  J.  R.,  M.  D 609 

Duslin.  C.  B 3:« 

Fenton.  John  M 505 

Gray,  T.  B r 397 

Gueck.Frcd 609 

Hall,  Henry 335 


Hoover,  D.  J 599 

Immiug,  Henry .587 

Irving,  E 457 

Jennings,  W.  S  7;13 

Johns,  L.  T 615 

Kamp.M.  A  2!« 

Kampsville  Hotel 7.53 

Klaas,  Lnkas 7.53 

Knese,  John .561 

Lammy,  C.  C 673 

Long,  George  W .545 


Long,  Lenuiel ■ .561 

^IcDonald.  Hon.  John 261 

McDonald.  Stephen 7:« 

Pryor,  William  H .397 

Retzer,  George 523 

Retzj^r.  John 473 

Roth,  Augustus 293 

Sehlceper,  Frank 517 

Sleeper,  Henry 693 

Sidwell,  John .539 

Stitiier,  C.  C 567 


Sleight.  John  O .505 

Smith,  &  Weiser 539 

Smith.  W.  II 489 

Snyders,  Pet  er 645 

Stebbins,  Frank .599 

St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church.. 253 

St.  Michaels  Church Kt3 

Toild,  Marion .587 

Twitchell.C.  A 517 

White,  S.  A *S! 

Williams.  J.  K 457 

Wirth,  Michael 52:t 


INDEX. 


WQMTMMTTB 


Adams,  John 22 

Adams.John  Q 38 

Arthur,  C'hoster  A 98 

Baldwin,  Lewis  H 41)8 

Beeman,  Montillion 428 

Berrey,  Isaa<-  S 3fiS 

Beveridge,  John  L 170 

Bissell,  William  H 130 

Bond,  Shadrach 110 

Brown,  B.  D 304 

Brown,  Mrs.  B.  P 305 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Burns,  Daniel 480 

Carlin,  Thomas 134 

Child,  Hon.  George  B .500 

Clark,  Jobe  ..  IflS 

Clark,  Mrs.  Samuel 347 

Clark,  Samuel iMO 

Cleveland,  Grover  S 102 

Coles,  Edwaril 114 

Culloni,  Shelby  M 17i 

Curfman,  Sami.^i 281 


Dennis,  Hon.  J.  H ..(520 

Douglass.  J.  R.,  M.  D MO 

Duncan,  Joseph 130 

Eastman,  L 214 

Edwards,  Ninian 118 

Ewing,  William  L.  D 126 

Filer,  Joseph  W 182 

Fillmore,  Millard (iO 

Flinn,B.  W 704 

Foiles,  Lewis,  M.  D oM 

Ford ,  Thomas 138 

Fowler,  Jeremiah 274 

French,  Augustus  C 142 

Garneld.  J.  A 94 

Grammcr.  William 244 

Grant,  U.S 86 

Hamilton,  John  M 178 

Harrington,  Martin 388 

Harrison,  Benjamin 106 

Harrison,  George 418 

Harrison,  VV.  H 50 

Hatch,  Isaac  A 190 


Hayes,R.B 90 

Hutton,  Thomas 378 

Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Jefferson,  Thomas 26 

Johnson,  Andrew 82 

Jones,  A.M.  D 652 

Kamp,  M.  A 316 

Lansdon.B.  C 556 

Likes,  Flnley 704 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Madison,  James 30 

Matteson,  Joel  A 146 

Matthews,  B.  L 224 

McDonald,  Hon.  John 2(H 

McFarland,  Mrs.  Isabelle. ,  ,.(fi5 

McFarland ,  Joseph 662 

McFarland,  Mrs.  Joseph 66;i 

Merida,  S.  J 326 

Monroe,  James 34 

Mull,  Benjamin 448 

Oglesby ,  Richard  J 162 

Palmer,  John  M 166 


Parker,A.W  724 

Pierce,  Frankhn 70 

Plummer,  W.  H 594 

Polk.J.  K 58 

Reynolds,  John 122 

Rohning,  Charles  C 234 

Rupert,  J.  D 57S 

Shuhart,  Sarah 684 

Sowers,  El  isha 744 

Stauller,  J.  C. S.'iS 

Taylor,  Zachary 62 

Todd,  Marion 204 

Tyler,  John 54 

Van  Buren,  Martin 46 

Warton,  John 512 

Washington ,  George 18 

Wike,  George 714 

Wike,  Hon.  Scott 781 

Wilson,  Hon.  A.  C 716 

Wood,  John 154 

Worthington ,  Thonia-s 806 

Yates,  Richard 158 


